UK energy price cap: industry charges
UK energy price cap: industry charges stood at £35.29 per year in Q4 2026, according to Ofgem — energy price cap model. It is one of the indicators in the Gas and electricity prices table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q3 2025 to Q4 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Gas and electricity prices table
| Indicator | Q4-2026 | Q3-2026 | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost components: total (excluding VAT) | 1,674.11 | 1,575.07 | 1,553.77 | 1,664.54 | 1,791.5 | 1,757.5 | 1,890.98 | 1,773.37 | 1,751.67 | 1,595.09 | |
| Industry charges | 35.29 | 34.02 | 34.02 | 34.54 | 34.54 | 32.67 | |||||
| Smart metering net cost change | -6.93 | -8.99 | -8.99 | -5.73 | -5.73 | -3.78 | 22.7 | 22.36 | 22.36 | 17.08 |
Understanding UK energy price cap: industry charges
This series tracks annualised industry-wide levies and system administration charges incurred by domestic energy suppliers across the United Kingdom, excluding value added tax. It isolates specialised operational fees—such as industry code management, market settlement systems, and regulatory licensing levies—from wholesale commodity purchases, network tariffs, and general retail overheads. The figure captures compulsory fees required to participate in the regulated energy market infrastructure.
Analysts should read these figures by examining institutional rule changes rather than consumer usage patterns or weather trends. Quarter-on-quarter movements reflect administrative adjustments to market governance fees, while annual comparisons demonstrate long-term changes in regulatory compliance structures. Researchers should avoid mixing these system participation charges with direct network transport costs.
Frequently asked questions
- What bodies or systems are funded through these industry charges?
- Funding supports market settlement agents, industry code administrators, and the operational expenses of the sector regulator.
- Are these charges levied on a fixed annual basis per supplier or per customer?
- They are typically scaled and recovered through the price cap based on customer numbers or volumetric throughput.
- Do these fees fluctuate significantly between consecutive regulatory reset periods?
- They generally exhibit lower volatility than wholesale energy costs, moving in line with administrative fee schedules.