Methodology & Data Sources

Editorial pipeline

PlainEnergyBills operates a continuous editorial pipeline. Source content from Ofgem is loaded into our database via documented import scripts, then summarised and explained in plain language by our editorial process. Statutory thresholds (price cap levels, standing charges, regional schedule, regulatory deadlines) are never altered between source and display, they are quoted directly from the originating regulatory publication and date-stamped.

The editorial pipeline is documented and reproducible. Every figure on PlainEnergyBills can be traced to a specific Ofgem publication. We do not paraphrase numbers into ranges, average across sources without disclosure, or apply our own interpretations to regulatory thresholds.

Primary sources

• Ofgem Default Tariff Cap: the quarterly cap announcements covering all 14 distribution network regions.
• Ofgem Domestic Suppliers: the public licensing register we use to build our supplier directory.
• Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Values (TDCV): the low/medium/high usage benchmarks (October 2023 review) we use for our consumption profiles and bill calculator.
• Ofgem publications archive: the canonical archive of all Ofgem policy decisions, consultations, and regulatory determinations.
• Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Act 2018: the primary legislation establishing the price cap.

Data vintage and coverage

Our current content reflects the July – September 2026 default tariff cap (£1,862 typical dual-fuel). The cap is updated quarterly; we refresh our content within two weeks of each Ofgem announcement. The Q1 cap is effective 1 January to 31 March; Q2 starts 1 April; Q3 starts 1 July; Q4 starts 1 October.

• Geographic coverage: Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland). Northern Ireland operates under the Utility Regulator framework, which is separately handled.
• Distribution regions: all 14 regions covered (10 in England, 2 in Wales, 2 in Scotland).
• Tariff types covered: default tariff cap (SVT). Fixed-rate deals are described conceptually but specific supplier offers are not tracked (these change daily and require a comparison service).
• Current cap published: 2026-05-27 by Ofgem, reflected here by PlainEnergyBills.

How we process source content

1. Download or scrape the current published version of the Ofgem cap announcements.
2. Parse cap levels, standing charges, and regional schedules into our config database. Source-cite each figure to its publication URL.
3. Editorial Process writes plain-language explainers, decision tools, and goal-mapped guides referencing the parsed source values.
4. Review against Ofgem source documents before publication. Material changes go through editorial review.
5. Render at request-time via Astro SSR. Numeric values are loaded from the config database, never hardcoded into prose.

No content is fabricated, interpolated, or editorially modified. Where we provide derived figures (e.g. the standing-charge rise since 2019, or the £145 gap between East Midlands and Merseyside & North Wales), they are computed from the published Ofgem source values, which are traceable to their publication URL.

Corpus placement (#N of M)

Every region profile states where that distribution area sits in PlainEnergyBills' own 14-region corpus. Placement is computed with SQL ROW_NUMBER over the same rows the detail pages render - never hand-picked and never invented as a quality score.

• Typical dual-fuel annual bill - rank among all 14 GB distribution regions by the medium-usage dual-fuel bill under the current Ofgem cap, cheapest first. This is the household cost ladder, not a judgment that lower is always better for every household (usage, meter type, and tariff still dominate the personal bill).
• Approximate population - rank among the same 14 regions by population millions, largest first. Bill and population often diverge (a compact dense region can sit mid-pack on cost while leading population; a sparse high-network-cost region can lead the dearest-bill ladder while sitting near the bottom on population).

The Callout on each region page names the applicable signals and links here so the derivation stays visible.

Limitations

• The cap structure changes over time, Ofgem can revise the cap methodology with primary legislation. We track changes as they are announced but readers should cross-check critical figures against the live Ofgem publications for time-sensitive decisions.
• Fixed-rate deal availability varies daily, our content describes the cap framework, not individual supplier offers. For switching decisions consult a CMA-accredited price comparison service.
• Standing-charge reform, the 2024 Ofgem consultation may change the standing-charge structure starting April 2026. We will reflect changes when announced.

Disclaimer

PlainEnergyBills does not provide financial, energy-procurement, or tariff-switching advice. All content is for informational purposes only. For personalised guidance on switching suppliers consult a CMA-accredited comparison service or Citizens Advice. Calculator outputs are estimates based on stated assumptions; actual bills depend on consumption, region, and tariff choices.

Corrections

Found an inaccuracy or out-of-date figure? Contact us with the page URL and the specific issue. Material corrections are processed within 7 business days.