How we calculate each number
Every figure comes from published public data or a stated assumption. Where we estimate, we say so. These are estimates of running costs, not bills.
Council tax — exact for the band
We use the charge for each band in your council area for 2026–27, from the government's Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (Table 9). It includes the adult social care precept and the average parish or town council charge for the area, so your exact bill can differ slightly if your parish charges more or less than average. You choose the band; you can check it on GOV.UK. The single person discount is 25%. Other discounts and exemptions are not included.
Electricity and gas — estimate
We start from the home's latest Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), from the government EPC data service, and price the energy at the Ofgem price cap.
| Step | What we do |
|---|---|
| Heating and hot water | The certificate's modelled heat demand for space heating and hot water (kWh a year). This assumes a standard heating pattern, not your habits. |
| Turning heat into fuel | Gas boiler: divide by 0.85 efficiency. Heat pump: divide by 2.8. Direct electric heating: divide by 1.0. These are typical values, not measured for your home. |
| Lights, appliances, cooking | 1,000 kWh plus 18 kWh per m² of floor area, kept between 1,500 and 5,000 kWh a year. This is our planning assumption. |
| Prices | Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, Great Britain average for Direct Debit: electricity 26.32p per kWh plus 54.83p a day; gas 7.97p per kWh plus 29.68p a day (Ofgem). Regional rates differ slightly. |
| Older certificates | If a certificate has no heat-demand figures, we re-price its own running-cost estimates using standard SAP 2012 fuel prices, and mark the result as lower confidence. |
| Oil, LPG and solid fuel | Not covered by the price cap, so we don't include a heating cost and say so. |
The likely range shown is plus or minus 20% on energy and 25% on water.
Water — national average for now
We use the average household water and sewerage bill for 2026–27 forecast by Water UK: £639 a year. Your supplier's charges and whether you have a meter will change this. Supplier-specific figures are coming.
What we don't include yet
Broadband, TV licence, insurance, service charges, ground rent, and optional council charges such as garden waste collection. Rent or mortgage is only included if you type it in.
Coverage
England only for now. Homes without an EPC can still see council tax and water.
Data licences
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcode lookup by postcodes.io, which uses Office for National Statistics data.