Setting up home in the UK – council tax, the energy price cap, broadband, TV licence and bins
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Keys in hand, you now face a council tax bill, an energy supplier, broadband, a TV licence and a bin calendar. Here is what each costs in the UK in autumn 2026, what changed this year, and how Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do things differently.
Setting up home in the UK means council tax, energy, broadband and often a TV licence – and several of these changed in 2026. England's new recycling rules started on 31 March 2026, and the TV licence rose to £180 on 1 April. On 1 October the energy price cap went up to £1,723 a year for a typical household, while VAT on household electricity in Great Britain fell to zero until 31 March 2027.
How does council tax work in the UK?
Council tax is the local tax on homes in England, Scotland and Wales. When you move in, contact your local council: it registers you and sends the bill. You usually pay if you are 18 or over, partners who live together are jointly responsible, and you tell the council every time you move.
The bill depends on your home's valuation band and on what your council charges for that band. The Valuation Office Agency sets the bands in England and Wales, the Scottish Assessors in Scotland. The average Band D bill in England for 2026-27 is £2,392, up 4.9 per cent, and £2,068 across London.
A full bill assumes at least two adults. You get 25 per cent off if you live alone and 50 per cent off if everyone in the home is 'disregarded' – but only if you apply. Households made up entirely of full-time students (courses of at least a year, 21 hours or more a week) pay nothing. Payments are usually spread over 10 months, or 12 if you ask.
| Nation | How homes are taxed | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| England | Council tax, 8 valuation bands | Average Band D bill 2026-27: £2,392 |
| Wales | Council tax, 9 bands (A to I) | Revaluation with changes from 2028; the single adult discount stays |
| Scotland | Council tax, bands held by the Scottish Assessors | Usually billed together with Scottish Water's water and waste charges |
| Northern Ireland | No council tax: domestic rates, based on the home's capital value on 1 January 2005 | Billed by Land & Property Services, 0300 200 7801 |
Source: the Valuation Office Agency, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and nidirect, read 23 September 2026.
One catch for visa holders: Council Tax Reduction, the means-tested help with the bill, counts as public funds, so you cannot claim it on a visa with the NRPF (no recourse to public funds) condition.
What is the energy price cap, and what will you pay?
In England, Scotland and Wales, the regulator Ofgem sets the price cap every three months. It limits the unit rate and daily standing charge on standard variable (default) tariffs – not your total bill – and does not cover fixed tariffs, heat networks or heating oil. Figures are Direct Debit averages and vary by region.
| Direct Debit, average | 1 July–30 September 2026 | 1 October–31 December 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Typical dual-fuel household, per year | £1,663 | £1,723 |
| Electricity unit rate | 26.11p per kWh | 26.32p per kWh |
| Electricity standing charge | 57.19p a day | 54.83p a day |
| Gas unit rate | 7.33p per kWh | 7.97p per kWh |
| Gas standing charge | 29.04p a day | 29.68p a day |
Source: Ofgem, read 23 September 2026.
From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, household electricity in Great Britain carries no VAT instead of 5 per cent, which the government expects to take around £45 off the yearly cap; gas stays at 5 per cent. Because of the VAT change, Ofgem warns the two periods cannot be compared directly. Northern Ireland keeps 5 per cent VAT on electricity, and its energy is regulated by the Utility Regulator, not Ofgem.
Unless you are on a heat network, you can switch supplier or tariff at any time and cancel within 14 days. The switch must happen within 5 working days, or the new supplier pays you £40. Leaving a fixed deal early may cost an exit fee, and you cannot switch while you have owed your supplier money for more than 28 days (prepayment customers owing up to £500 can). Ofgem says some fixed tariffs were available at £100 or more below the October cap.
Renting and paying the bills yourself? You may switch too, but check the tenancy for a 'default supplier' clause; if the landlord pays, energy should be included in the rent. Complaints go to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 (Advice Direct Scotland: 0808 196 8660), not to Ofgem. On certain means-tested benefits, the Warm Home Discount takes a one-off £150 off your winter electricity bill; it reopens in October 2026 and does not exist in Northern Ireland.
Broadband and mobile: contracts, switching and social tariffs
Since 17 January 2025, according to Ofcom, the communications regulator, new phone and broadband contracts may not include inflation-linked or percentage price rises: any rise must be stated in pounds and pence before you sign. If a provider raises the price beyond what your contract allows, it must give you at least 30 days' notice, and you get 30 days to leave without exit fees.
| Task | How it works | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Switch broadband | Contact only the new provider (One Touch Switch) | Loss of service no longer than one working day |
| Switch mobile, keep your number | Text PAC to 65075; keeping your number is free | Code within one minute, valid 30 days; switch within one working day |
| Switch mobile, new number | Text STAC to 75075 | As above |
| Social tariff | About £10–£24 a month on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits; free to leave | No price rise mid-contract |
| Pay-as-you-go SIM | Unused numbers can be suspended and recycled | After as little as 70 days with some providers |
Source: Ofcom, read 23 September 2026.
Do you need a TV licence in the UK?
You need a TV licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or device, or to use BBC iPlayer. Streaming only on services such as Netflix, Disney Plus or Prime Video, or watching YouTube, needs none. The licence costs £180 a year from 1 April 2026 – up £5.50 – or £60.50 for a black-and-white set, and it rises with inflation again in April 2027.
One licence covers a household, but if you rent a room on a separate tenancy agreement and watch TV there, you need your own. People aged 75 or over who get Pension Credit can get a free licence.
Bins and recycling: what changed in England in 2026?
Bin rules are local, so ask your council for its collection calendar. In England, Simpler Recycling has applied since 31 March 2026: councils must by default collect food and garden waste, paper and card, other dry recyclables (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons) and residual waste separately, from flats as well as houses – though some councils have agreed a later start.
| Where | What to know | Key date |
|---|---|---|
| England | Separate collections under Simpler Recycling; plastic film and bags join plastic recycling later | 31 March 2026; film from 31 March 2027 |
| England and Northern Ireland | Deposit Return Scheme on cans and PET plastic bottles of 150 ml to 3 litres | 1 October 2027 |
| Scotland and Wales | Separate deposit arrangements; in Edinburgh, a garden waste permit costs £45 a bin for 2026/27 | – |
| Northern Ireland | Separate bins for recycling, landfill and garden or food waste; food in the landfill bin can mean it is not emptied | – |
Source: Defra, City of Edinburgh Council and nidirect, read 23 September 2026.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register with the council for council tax, and apply for any discount | The week you move in |
| 2 | Check your tenancy, then compare a fixed energy deal with the price cap | Any time – a switch takes up to 5 working days |
| 3 | Order broadband from the new provider; move your mobile with a PAC or STAC code | Before you move in |
| 4 | Buy a TV licence if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer | Before you first watch |
| 5 | Keep your first council tax and utility bills: MoneyHelper lists them as proof of address for a bank (part 4) | From your first bill |
Source: the Valuation Office Agency, Ofgem, Ofcom and MoneyHelper, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Ofgem – Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges · ofgem.gov.uk
- Ofgem press release 26 August 2026 · ofgem.gov.uk
- Ofgem – Energy price cap and standing charges explained · ofgem.gov.uk
- HMRC policy paper – Temporary zero rate of VAT in Great Britain for domestic electricity · gov.uk
- GOV.UK news – New PM cuts tax on household electricity bills · gov.uk
- Ofgem – Switch your home energy supplier · ofgem.gov.uk
- GOV.UK – Warm Home Discount Scheme · gov.uk
- Ofgem – Check if you can get a payment for a power cut · ofgem.gov.uk
- nidirect – Energy, power supply and utilities · nidirect.gov.uk
- Ofcom – Social tariffs · ofcom.org.uk
- Ofcom – Telecoms price rises: what are your rights? · ofcom.org.uk
- Ofcom – Switching broadband provider · ofcom.org.uk
- Ofcom – Switching mobile phone provider · ofcom.org.uk
- Ofcom – Pay-as-you-go mobile: use it or lose it · ofcom.org.uk
- Home Office – Crime and Policing Act 2026 guidance: SIM farms · gov.uk
- GOV.UK news – Cost of TV licence fee set for 2026/27 · gov.uk
- GOV.UK – TV Licence · gov.uk
- MoneyHelper – What is buildings insurance? · moneyhelper.org.uk
- MoneyHelper – What is contents insurance? · moneyhelper.org.uk
- MoneyHelper – Contents insurance if you rent and have a low income · moneyhelper.org.uk
- GOV.UK news (Defra) – Simpler household recycling rules come into force across England · gov.uk
- GOV.UK – Simpler recycling: household recycling in England · gov.uk
- GOV.UK – Deposit Return Scheme: drinks producer and retailer responsibilities · gov.uk
- GOV.UK – Reporting fly-tipping · gov.uk
- Welsh Government – Workplace recycling · gov.wales
- City of Edinburgh Council – Garden waste collection · edinburgh.gov.uk
- nidirect – Bins and waste collection · nidirect.gov.uk
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.