In this section: Your bills
Your bills
Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.
The bills a household pays regularly, and the tax inside each: a litre of petrol, a year of electricity and gas, council tax, and the fees for passports, prescriptions, probate and the TV licence. Pump prices refresh weekly, the price cap each quarter, and every figure is shown against a year earlier. Water bills are not covered yet. Right now, tax on a litre of petrol is 81.6p (21 September 2026), and petrol, UK average a litre is 172.0p (21 September 2026).
Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ofgem, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Key figures
- 81.6pTax on a litre of petrol up on a year earlier: +6.3p (+8.4%) vs 22 September 2025
- 172.0pPetrol, UK average a litre up on a year earlier: +37.9p (+28.2%) vs 22 September 2025
- £1,723Energy price cap, typical household a year down on a year earlier: −£32 (−1.8%) vs 1 October 2025
- £2,411Average Band D council tax, England, 2026-27
Sources: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ofgem, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Every page in your bills
Fuel
- How much tax is in petrol? 47% of a litre of petrol is tax — 52.95p duty plus 28.7p VAT on a 172.0p litre. 81.6p Tax in a litre of petrol
- How much tax is in diesel? 44% of a litre of diesel is tax — 52.95p duty plus 32.6p VAT on a 195.5p litre. 85.5p Tax in a litre of diesel
- UK petrol and diesel prices today Petrol 172.0p and diesel 195.5p a litre, week to 21 September 2026, with the year-on-year change. 172.0p UK average petrol
- Oil dearer, pump cheaper — and the other way round Why the pump does not track Brent: only 54.6p of a 172.0p litre is crude, plus rockets-and-feathers evidence. 54.6p Crude oil in a litre of petrol
- Pay-per-mile for electric cars, and the end of fuel duty 3p a mile from 1 April 2028, about £300 a year, against about 7.2p a mile for petrol drivers. 3p Per mile, electric cars, from 1 April 2028
Energy
- How much of my energy bill is tax? About 10% of a typical bill is tax and levies — £83 VAT and £83 policy costs on £1,663. £166 Tax and levies on a typical energy bill
- The energy price cap explained £1,723 a year for a typical household from 1 October to 31 December 2026, with unit rates, standing charges and the full history. £1,723 Energy price cap, typical household
- What renewables support costs you About £150 a household a year across three schemes, some on the bill and some through tax. £150 Renewables support, per household a year
- Why UK electricity is so expensive UK industrial electricity is 26.63p/kWh, the highest in the IEA. Why, in five parts. 26.6p UK industrial electricity, 2024
- UK electricity prices compared with the world UK households 30.45p/kWh, 2 of 27 IEA members; full country tables for industry and households. 30.4p UK household electricity, 2024
Council tax
- Council tax A charge on homes, set by local councils, based on what the property was worth on a valuation date now decades in the past.
- What council tax does and doesn’t pay for Why council tax does not pay for council homes, where social rent comes from, and what councils spend on parks, streets and roads. £22.0bn What council tax does and doesn’t pay for
- Domestic rates in Northern Ireland No council tax in Northern Ireland: domestic rates are charged on capital value instead. No council tax Northern Ireland
Fees for state services
- Government fees and charges Every major government fee, year on year, and which are set above cost. £102 An adult passport, online
- Passport, driving licence and MOT fees An adult passport applied for online £102, and every related fee, what it covers and who gets it. £102 An adult passport applied for online
- NHS prescription, dental and optical charges An NHS prescription item in England £9.90, and every related fee, what it covers and who gets it. £9.90 An NHS prescription item in England
- Probate, court, Land Registry and planning fees The probate application fee £526, and every related fee, what it covers and who gets it. £526 The probate application fee
- Certificate, DBS and Companies House fees A birth, marriage or death certificate £12.50, and every related fee, what it covers and who gets it. £12.50 A birth, marriage or death certificate
- Visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge Indefinite leave to remain £3,226, and every related fee, what it covers and who gets it. £3,226 Indefinite leave to remain
- The TV licence A compulsory licence fee for watching live television or using BBC iPlayer, collected by the BBC and passed back to it, via the Consolidated Fund, to pay for its services.
Sources for this page
| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly road fuel prices | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 21 September 2026 | weekly | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges | Ofgem | 22 September 2026 | quarterly | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under CC BY 4.0.