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Electricity Bill for a Family of five or more in a house in the UK (2026)
A larger family, often with teenagers. Two fridges, laundry twice a day at peak, several consoles and computers, and long showers if hot water is electric.
A family of five or more in a house uses about 3,800 kWh of electricity a year. At United Kingdom prices of £0.26 per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Jul–30 Sep 2026, 2026-07), that is £82.33 per month, or £988.00 per year.
Benchmark: Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Values, decision May 2026, effective 1 July 2026: High user (single-rate). Data as of 2026-07. It covers Profile Class 1 is standard single-rate homes, mostly gas heated. Profile Class 2 is multi-rate (Economy 7) homes, typically electrically heated.
Where the electricity goes
- Other appliances 54%
- Refrigeration & freezing 15%
- TV, computing & network 9%
- Cooking 9%
- Washing, drying & dishwashing 9%
- Lighting 5%
| End use | Per year | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration & freezing | 570 kWh | £148.08 | 15% |
| Cooking | 331 kWh | £86.18 | 9% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 327 kWh | £84.96 | 9% |
| TV, computing & network | 341 kWh | £88.60 | 9% |
| Lighting | 196 kWh | £50.98 | 5% |
| Other appliances | 2,035 kWh | £529.20 | 54% |
End-use shares: DESNZ Energy Consumption in the UK 2025, Table U3, domestic electricity 2024: space heating 14.5%, water heating 4.1%, cooking 7.1%, lighting 4.2%, appliances 70.1%. The split of 'appliances' into cold, wet, electronics and other is not published and is derived from US RECS proportions. Some of these shares are derived rather than published; see the note. This benchmark excludes heating & cooling and water heating, which are on gas or counted separately in this country's statistics.
Through the day
What drives this household's bill
- Teenagers add screens and long showers rather than cooking.
- Two laundry loads a day with a tumble dryer is the item to attack first.
- A second fridge in the garage often uses more than the main one because it is older.
Appliance by appliance
Each end-use bucket above is spread over this household's appliances in proportion to their typical use, never at more than twice that use. What the listed appliances cannot account for appears as "not listed" rows, so the table still adds up to the official figures. Hours are implied, not measured.
| Appliance | End use | Typical | Hours/day | Per year | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator ×2 | Refrigeration & freezing | 150 W | 3.9 h | 427 kWh | £111.06 |
| Hair Dryer ×3 | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 296 kWh | £76.87 |
| Clothes Dryer ×1.5 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 3,000 W | 7 min | 197 kWh | £51.32 |
| Chest Freezer | Refrigeration & freezing | 100 W | 3.9 h | 142 kWh | £37.02 |
| Induction Cooktop ×2 | Cooking | 1,800 W | 6 min | 127 kWh | £33.00 |
| LED Light Bulb ×22 | Lighting | 9 W | 1.7 h | 122 kWh | £31.74 |
| Electric Oven ×1.3 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 6 min | 115 kWh | £29.80 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 91 kWh | £23.73 |
| Dishwasher ×1.3 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 7 min | 86 kWh | £22.24 |
| Outdoor Security Floodlight ×2 | Lighting | 30 W | 3.4 h | 74 kWh | £19.24 |
| Television ×3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 40 min | 73 kWh | £19.02 |
| Desktop Computer | TV, computing & network | 150 W | 1.3 h | 73 kWh | £19.02 |
| Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox) ×2 | TV, computing & network | 180 W | 30 min | 66 kWh | £17.12 |
| Laptop ×3 | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 1.3 h | 66 kWh | £17.12 |
| Washing Machine ×2 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 7 min | 44 kWh | £11.40 |
| Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery) | Other appliances | 1,200 W | 6 min | 44 kWh | £11.39 |
| Computer Monitor ×2 | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 1.3 h | 29 kWh | £7.61 |
| Air Fryer | Cooking | 1,500 W | 3 min | 26 kWh | £6.88 |
| Electric Kettle ×2 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 21 kWh | £5.50 |
| Microwave ×2 | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 18 kWh | £4.58 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 3 min | 18 kWh | £4.58 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 4.0 h | 15 kWh | £3.80 |
| Smart Speaker ×2 | TV, computing & network | 3 W | 4.0 h | 9 kWh | £2.28 |
| Phone Charger ×6 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 20 min | 7 kWh | £1.90 |
| Toaster ×2 | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 7 kWh | £1.83 |
| Hair Straightener | Other appliances | 60 W | 15 min | 5 kWh | £1.42 |
| Garage Door Opener | Other appliances | 500 W | 1 min | 4 kWh | £0.95 |
| Streaming Stick or Box ×2 | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 40 min | 2 kWh | £0.51 |
| Printer (Inkjet or Laser) | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 5 min | 1 kWh | £0.24 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 1,596 kWh | £414.84 |
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The same household in other countries
| Country | Official benchmark | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (average) | 14,336 kWh | $2,580 | $215.04 |
| United Kingdom | 3,800 kWh | £988.00 | £82.33 |
| Germany | 4,500 kWh | €1,665 | €138.75 |
| France | 7,145 kWh | €1,429 | €119.08 |
| Australia | 9,008 kWh | A$3,153 | A$262.73 |
| Canada (average) | 12,694 kWh | C$1,777 | C$148.10 |
Each row uses that country's own regulator benchmark and average price, in local currency. Differences reflect climate, heating fuel and appliance ownership as much as price.