UK electricity VAT will fall from 5% to 0% from 1 October 2026
The UK government has confirmed that VAT on household electricity will be removed from 1 October 2026. The rate falls from 5% to 0% for the rest of the 2026-27 financial year. The government estimates the change will save households about £45 a year on average, cost around £850 million in 2026-27 and reduce CPI inflation by about 0.10 percentage points. It says the current-year measure is funded through cancellation of the £1.8 billion Digital ID programme.
Chain
VAT on household electricity falls from 5% to 0% → electricity bills are lower than otherwise → households' real disposable income rises → some of the saving may be spent on other goods and services → consumption and AD may increase → real output may rise if spare capacity exists
Evaluation
The demand effect is not automatic or necessarily large. The government estimates an average saving of about £45 a year, suppliers must pass the tax cut through for households to receive the full benefit, and the 2026-27 cost is being funded through cancellation of the Digital ID programme. The estimated 0.10 percentage-point reduction in CPI is also partly a direct tax-price effect rather than evidence that underlying demand pressure has weakened.
Diagram
AD/AS diagram showing a targeted tax cut raising households' real disposable income and potentially increasing consumption and aggregate demand; explain separately that removing VAT also lowers measured CPI directly