The UK will remove VAT from electricity bills from October, cutting average annual bills by about £45 per household. The move is expected to reduce tax revenue by roughly £1.1 billion, but critics argue it does not address underlying grid capacity issues.
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Guardian · about 4 hours ago
The UK government will remove VAT from electricity bills for households in Great Britain from 1 October 2026, reducing the annual price cap by £45. Northern Ireland will retain the 5% VAT rate, and the cut does not apply to gas.
VatCalc · about 6 hours ago
The United Kingdom has announced that domestic electricity bills will be zero-rated from 1 October 2026, reducing the VAT rate from 5% to 0%. The measure is temporary, applying until 31 March 2027, and will be funded by cancelling the planned Digital ID programme.
The Independent · about 17 hours ago
The UK government will remove VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October 2026, cutting the rate from 5% to 0%. The change is expected to save households around £45 a year and will be funded by cancelling the Digital ID programme.
The Independent · about 19 hours ago
In the UK, the government announced an £850 million tax cut on energy bills, making electricity bills VAT free from 1 October 2026 in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland remains exempt because EU VAT rates apply under the Windsor Framework, preventing the cut from applying there.
BBC · 1 day ago
UK VAT will be cut from household electricity bills from 1 October, reducing the rate from 5% to zero and saving households about £45 a year. The cut is funded by savings from scrapping the digital ID programme and will apply to England, Scotland and Wales, with equivalent funding for Northern Ireland.
The Independent · 1 day ago
UK households will see 5% VAT removed from electricity bills from 1 October 2026, a move announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The change is expected to save about £45 on a typical annual bill, though a projected 3.1% rise in the price cap may offset the benefit.
Key Takeaways
From October 2026, the UK removes VAT from electricity bills, reducing average annual bills by about £45 per household.
The UK government estimates a tax revenue loss of about £1.1 billion from the VAT removal on electricity.
The UK government estimates the cost of the VAT removal on electricity to be £850 million.
The VAT removal on electricity will affect around 25 million domestic dwellings in the UK.
The VAT removal will reduce average electricity bills by about £45 per household.
Primary source
Read the full article at TaxResearchThis summary was published on VATfaqs.com on 22 July 2026. It relates to VAT developments in United Kingdom. The original source is TaxResearch.
