The 2026 price cap: what it actually costs
The Ofgem price cap for July 2026 is set at 26.11p/kWh for electricity. This is the highest cap level in history. The typical household on this tariff pays £1,862 per year for electricity before standing charges, based on the Ofgem "typical use" figure of 2,700 kWh/year for electricity.
The standing charge on the standard cap tariff is 24.5p per day, adding approximately £89 per year regardless of consumption. Total standard tariff annual cost for a typical household: approximately £1,950 including standing charges.
That flat 26.11p rate applies whether you run your washing machine at 3am or 6pm. Whether the grid has surplus wind power and electricity is worth nothing, or whether it's a cold January evening and the grid is strained. You pay the same either way. The cap insulates you from the very peaks that Agile customers navigate, but it also takes away your access to the very lows.
The lows are significant. They're the foundation of the entire Agile saving.
The Agile alternative: real overnight rates vs the cap rate
Agile overnight rates in 2025-2026 have averaged 4-7p/kWh across all UK regions. That's a saving of 19-22p per kWh against the price cap for every unit shifted to those windows.
The typical overnight saving window runs from midnight to 6am, though on many nights the cheap period extends from 10pm through to 7am. Six to eight hours of sub-10p electricity is available almost every night of the year. It is not occasional. It is structural. The grid's overnight surplus from wind and nuclear generation is consistent and predictable.
On top of this, plunge pricing events, when Agile prices go negative and Octopus pays you to consume, occur five to ten times per month. These events are shorter, typically one to four hours, but they represent free electricity or better. Customers who catch plunge events consistently drive their average unit rate to exceptional levels.
Check tonight's live prices to see exactly what the overnight window looks like for your region right now.
Saving by household type
Savings vary significantly by household profile. The table below shows realistic annual saving estimates for engaged Agile customers who consistently shift flexible loads to overnight windows and avoid peak usage where possible.
| Household Type | Annual Usage | Estimated Annual Saving vs Cap |
|---|---|---|
| No EV, 2-bed flat, 2,000 kWh/year | 2,000 kWh | £150 - £220 |
| No EV, 3-bed house, 3,500 kWh/year | 3,500 kWh | £280 - £380 |
| One EV (10,000 miles/year, home charging) | 3,500 + EV kWh | £500 - £700 |
| Two EVs (combined 20,000 miles/year) | 3,500 + 2x EV kWh | £800 - £1,100 |
| Solar + battery + one EV | Variable (export/import optimised) | £900 - £1,400 |
These figures assume consistent overnight loading, strong 4pm-8pm peak avoidance, and regular price checking. Households that switch to Agile but make no behaviour changes will see savings in the lower end of each range or below it.
The EV figures are based on home charging 10,000 miles/year. An EV consuming approximately 3.5 miles/kWh requires about 2,857 kWh/year for that mileage. At the 22p differential between cap and Agile overnight, that represents a saving of £628 on EV charging alone. Combined with domestic appliance shifting, the £500-700 total figure is conservative.
Saving by region
Agile prices are not uniform across the UK. They're set separately for each of the 14 DNO (Distribution Network Operator) regions based on local wholesale conditions and network costs. Customers in high-renewable regions see consistently lower overnight rates and more plunge pricing events.
| Region | Effect on Saving vs National Average |
|---|---|
| South West England, Wales | Add 10 - 15% to estimated saving |
| Scotland (North and South) | Add 15 - 20% to estimated saving |
| East Midlands, East England | National average |
| London, South East England | Reduce by 10 - 15% |
| North West, Yorkshire | Reduce by 5 - 10% |
A 3-bed house in Scotland with one EV could realistically save £650-850/year on Agile. The same household in London might save £450-600/year. Both represent substantial savings over staying on the standard cap.
The maximum realistic saving
What does the ceiling look like for an optimised Agile household?
Full engagement means: consistent overnight loading of all flexible appliances, strong peak avoidance, regular plunge pricing capture, EV on overnight timer, solar panels exporting during peak hours, and battery storage charged at overnight Agile prices then discharged during peak.
For this profile, a solar-and-battery household with two EVs in Scotland, the annual saving versus staying on the standard cap can reach £1,200-1,500 per year. Some households in this category report near-zero net electricity bills after accounting for export payments and aggressive Agile optimisation.
This ceiling is not accessible to most households. But it illustrates the trajectory. Every step toward the optimised profile, adding an EV timer, installing a battery, adding solar, compounds the saving. The system rewards investment and engagement multiplicatively.
The minimum realistic saving
What if you switch to Agile but only make basic changes? You shift the washing machine and dishwasher to overnight timers and avoid obvious peak usage, but you don't have an EV and don't monitor prices daily.
A 2-bed flat with basic engagement and no EV can realistically save £120-180/year. That's still £10-15/month from two simple timer adjustments. Not transformative, but not nothing. More importantly, it's a foundation. The habit of checking prices and shifting loads is the same habit whether you're saving £150 or £500. The tools get better. The appliances get smarter. The saving grows.
No engaged Agile customer loses money compared to the cap. The minimum saving, even for low-engagement households with no EV, is materially positive once basic overnight shifting is established.
How to work out your personal saving estimate
Calculating your likely saving is straightforward.
First, estimate how many kWh you can realistically shift to overnight windows each year. For a household with a washing machine and dishwasher running daily, overnight shifting adds up to roughly 500-700 kWh/year for those two appliances alone. Add a tumble dryer and you're at 800-1,000 kWh. Add an EV at 10,000 miles and add 2,800 kWh.
Second, multiply the shiftable kWh by 20p. This is a conservative estimate of the average saving per unit shifted, based on a 26.11p cap rate versus a 6p average overnight Agile rate. The actual differential may be higher.
A household with washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer, and one EV might shift 3,800 kWh per year. Multiplied by 20p, that's £760 per year in saving. Factor in some plunge pricing capture and the actual saving is likely higher still.
Add your EV saving separately if you prefer: estimate annual home charging kWh (miles divided by 3.5), multiply by 22p, and you have the EV contribution. The domestic appliance saving and EV saving are independent and additive.