How Much Are Bills for a One Bed Flat in the UK?

Searching for “how much are bills for a one bed flat” gives a different number on every site, because nobody publishes an official one bed figure. What does exist are official numbers for each bill: council tax averages, energy prices and the TV licence fee. This guide puts those together as a starting point for England in 2026, then shows how to work out your own.

Treat every figure here as a starting point. Your bills depend on your council, your energy use, your water company and your contracts.

Council tax

Council tax is usually the biggest bill after rent. GOV.UK’s statistics for 2026-27 give:

• an average Band D council tax in England of £2,392 a year;
• an average council tax per dwelling of £1,868 a year.

Many one bed flats sit in the lower bands. The law sets fixed proportions between the bands in England: Band A pays 6/9 of Band D, Band B 7/9 and Band C 8/9. Applied to the average Band D:

Band	Share of Band D	Average a year (calculated)	Per month over 12
A	6/9	about £1,595	about £133
B	7/9	about £1,860	about £155
C	8/9	about £2,126	about £177

These are averages across England. Your council’s own rates are on its website and your bill.

If you live alone

If you are the only adult living there, you get 25% off with the single person discount. On an average Band A bill that is about £1,196 a year, or about £100 a month over 12 payments. Our council tax guide explains how to apply and how to spread the bill over 12 months.

Gas and electricity

Energy is the bill that varies most, because it depends on how much you use. Ofgem’s averages for a default tariff paid by Direct Debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026:

Fuel	Unit rate	Standing charge
Electricity	26.32p per kWh	54.83p per day
Gas	7.97p per kWh	29.68p per day

Ofgem’s “typical” household uses 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year, and Ofgem puts the October to December 2026 cap at £1,723 a year for the average household using both electricity and gas. A one bed flat often uses less, so this is an upper starting point for many single renters.

Work out your own energy cost

1. Find your yearly usage in kWh on a past bill or your supplier’s app. New tenants can ask the supplier for an estimate.
2. Multiply it by the unit rate.
3. Add the standing charge for 365 days.

A worked example, with made-up usage: say your flat is all-electric and uses 1,800 kWh a year.

• Usage: 1,800 × 26.32p = £473.76
• Standing charge: 54.83p × 365 = £200.13
• Total: about £674 a year, or about £56 a month

Our guide to the energy standing charge explains the daily charge in more detail.

Water

Water companies set their own charges, so there is no single figure that fits everyone. Your bill depends on your area and on whether you have a water meter. To find yours:

1. Look up your water company on your tenancy paperwork or a past bill.
2. Check its “our charges” page for its average bill.
3. Ask about a meter if you live alone, and about any help scheme if money is tight.

In Scotland, water and sewerage charges are collected with your council tax. Our water bills guide covers meters and discounts.

TV licence

You need a TV licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or to use BBC iPlayer. GOV.UK puts it at £180 a year. You do not need one for streaming services like Netflix, on-demand TV like Amazon Prime Video, or YouTube videos.

Broadband and phone

These come from your own contracts, so the price is whatever you agree with your provider. Note the monthly price and the date the contract ends, because prices often change after that.

Put your own numbers together

Make a list with five lines: council tax, energy, water, broadband and phone, and the TV licence if you need one. Fill in your own figures from the steps above, add them up, then divide by 12 for a monthly figure. That is your bills number before food, travel and everything else.

Once you have the list, keep each bill with its amount and the date it leaves your account. A bill tracker like Billo keeps them in one list and reminds you 3 days before each one is due. If you are about to move, our moving out checklist and our guide to which bills tenants pay cover the rest.