Sourced fact
The Ofgem benchmark records standing charge in pounds per day, separately from the unit rate in pounds per kWh.
Regulation · GB
When a standing charge belongs in a charging comparison
Treat the standing charge as a daily account cost, separate from the energy used for charging. The 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-30 E2 cap snapshot gives 57.19 p/day including VAT for the Great Britain average, direct-debit, single-rate benchmark. Include it when comparing whole electricity accounts, but do not add it once per EV charging session.
Ofgem: Price cap unit rates and standing charges
Reviewed
Key facts and evidence
Across Great Britain, reviewed on 2026-08-13, a standing charge is a daily tariff component and not a per-session EV fee. The current GB-average direct-debit single-rate cap benchmark is 57.19 p/day including VAT for 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-30; the correct comparison boundary depends on whether the electricity account itself changes.
Ofgem: Price cap unit rates and standing charges
Sourced fact
The GB-average direct-debit single-rate benchmark standing charge is 57.19 p/day including VAT for the stated cap period.
Sourced fact
A daily standing charge is not multiplied by the number of EV charging sessions.
Sourced fact
It belongs in a whole-account comparison when the tariff or account choice changes the daily charge.
Separate the daily electricity standing charge from the marginal energy used by an EV and include it only within the correct account-comparison boundary.
Marginal charging cost
If the household already pays the same daily charge regardless of whether the EV charges in a particular session, keep that fixed account cost separate from the session's additional electricity use.
Whole-account comparison
When choosing between tariffs or accounts, compare both the applicable unit rates and daily standing charges over the same dated period. Use the household's actual quote rather than silently substituting the GB-average benchmark.
What to do next
Decide whether the question concerns one additional charging session or a switch between whole household electricity accounts before including the standing charge.
Immediate action: Label the comparison as marginal charging cost or whole-account cost before entering tariff values.
- Stop the calculation if the current daily charge, account scope or effective period is unknown.
Professional hand-off
- Ask the supplier to confirm how the current standing charge applies to the household account.
Questions this record can answer
What does the sourced evidence say about marginal charging cost?
If the household already pays the same daily charge regardless of whether the EV charges in a particular session, keep that fixed account cost separate from the session's additional electricity use.
What does the sourced evidence say about whole-account comparison?
When choosing between tariffs or accounts, compare both the applicable unit rates and daily standing charges over the same dated period. Use the household's actual quote rather than silently substituting the GB-average benchmark.