How much does a shower cost in the UK? Energy and water

How much does a shower cost in the UK? Eight minutes on a 9.5 kW electric shower uses about 33p of electricity at the Ofgem price cap rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, and a gas-heated combi shower about 32p of gas in December. On a water meter, water and sewerage add roughly 20p to 66p more, depending on the flow.

This guide covers the running cost of a shower, not the price of buying or fitting one. It shows the sums for electric and gas-heated showers, the water on a meter, a worked example and ways to spend less.

We sell a filter shower head, so we keep its running cost in a separate guide, and every figure here links to its source.

How much does an electric shower cost to run?

An electric shower costs its power rating in kilowatts (kW), times the hours it runs, times your electricity unit rate. At 26.32p per kWh, the cap rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a 9.5 kW shower costs about 4.2p a minute, or 33p for 8 minutes.

That rate is the Ofgem price cap. From 1 October to 31 December 2026, the capped electricity rate averages 26.32p per kWh for people who pay by Direct Debit in England, Scotland and Wales, according to Ofgem's table of unit rates and standing charges. Ofgem adds that there is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

For the previous period, 1 July to 30 September 2026, the average was 26.11p per kWh. Ofgem says costs can't be compared directly with earlier periods because of the VAT change.

Electric showers come in several power ratings. One maker's installation guide (March 2009), for example, lists 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 kW versions of the same shower, rated at 240 volts.

The table shows electricity only, at 26.32p per kWh on full power. To find your own shower's rating, check its manual or model details. The same guide describes an economy setting for using less energy in warmer months, when the mains water is warmer.

Not sure whether your shower is electric or runs off your boiler? Our guide to the types of shower in the UK shows how to tell.

How much does a gas-heated shower cost?

A gas-heated shower costs the gas your boiler burns to warm the water. For an 8-minute shower from a combi boiler, that's about 4 kWh of gas in December, or about 32p at Ofgem's capped gas rate of 7.97p per kWh.

The sum takes more steps than for an electric shower, so we follow SAP 10.2, the government's Standard Assessment Procedure for rating the energy use of homes (December 2021).

1. Water used. SAP's default flow for a shower fed by a combi boiler is 11 litres a minute, so 8 minutes uses 88 litres.
2. Temperature rise. SAP assumes shower water at 41 °C and mains water at 8.5 °C in December: a rise of 32.5 °C.
3. Heat needed. SAP works out heat in kWh as litres × rise × 4.18 ÷ 3,600. Here, 88 × 32.5 × 4.18 ÷ 3,600 comes to about 3.3 kWh.
4. Boiler losses. SAP's default seasonal efficiency for a condensing combi boiler is 84% in winter, so the boiler burns about 3.95 kWh of gas.
5. Price. Ofgem's capped gas rate from 1 October to 31 December 2026 averages 7.97p per kWh by Direct Debit, including 5% VAT. That gives about 32p.

Warmer mains water in summer means less heat. SAP assumes 18.4 °C in July, when the same shower needs about 2.3 kWh of heat instead of 3.3.

A shower fed by a hot water cylinder works the same way, but SAP also counts the heat a cylinder loses while it stores water. A power shower's pump uses some electricity too, which these sums leave out.

How much does the water cost if you have a meter?

At two large water companies' 2026–27 metered charges, the water for a shower costs about 0.4p to 0.55p a litre, counting water and sewerage. For 48 litres, that's roughly 20p to 26p; for 88 litres, 37p to 48p.

For 2026–27, United Utilities charges £3.235 per cubic metre (1,000 litres) for water and £2.275 for sewerage: £5.51 in total. Thames Water charges £2.7346 for clean water and £1.4721 for wastewater per cubic metre from 1 April 2026: about £4.21. Both also add fixed yearly charges that don't change with each shower.

The flow rates come from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which gives about 6 litres a minute for an electric shower and around 15 for a power or mixer shower, and from SAP's combi default of 11.

Without a meter, the water doesn't add to your bill shower by shower: Thames Water explains that a meter is what bases your bill on the amount you use. For litres by shower type, and whether a meter would suit you, see how much water a shower uses in the UK.

A worked example: what one shower costs

One 8-minute shower costs about 60p to £1.09 in energy and water in December, in our three examples on a United Utilities meter. Without a meter, only the energy changes with each shower: about 32p to 43p.

The assumptions: a December shower, Ofgem's capped rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026, SAP's method and defaults for the gas examples, and United Utilities' 2026–27 metered charges. Standing charges are left out, because you pay them whether you shower or not.

At one shower a day, the electric example comes to about £122 a year in electricity if the 26.32p cap rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 applied all year, plus about £97 of water and sewerage on a United Utilities meter. Ofgem sets the price cap every 3 months, so treat any yearly figure as a rough guide.

The gas examples sit near the top of the year's range, because December's mains water is among the coldest in SAP's table.

Is a bath cheaper than a shower?

A bath usually costs more than a short shower but can cost less than a long, strong one. The CCW says a full bath uses 80 litres, while an 8-minute combi mixer shower at SAP's default flow uses about 88.

What decides it is mostly the amount of hot water. An 8-minute electric shower at 6 litres a minute uses 48 litres, well under a bath. A gas-heated mixer at 15 litres a minute passes 80 litres in just over 5 minutes.

So if you like long showers under a strong flow, a shallow bath may use less. If you do take a bath, the CCW suggests not filling the tub to the top.

How to cut the cost of your showers

The simplest way to cut the cost of a shower is to make it shorter, because the energy and any metered water both rise with every minute. Thames Water says two minutes less saves around 20 litres of water per person a day.

• Shorter showers: on the 9.5 kW example, each minute less saves about 4.2p of electricity, plus the water if you have a meter.
• The eco setting: on an electric shower, use it in warmer months, as the installation guide above suggests.
• A water-efficient head: for a mixer or power shower, the CCW suggests switching to a water-efficient showerhead if you can, to save water and energy.
• Electric showers: check the manual before changing the head. The installation guide above, for one, says the shower's outlet must not be connected to anything other than the hose and showerhead supplied; we explain what that means for filter shower heads.
• Your tariff: Ofgem's rates vary by region and payment method, and a fixed tariff has its own rates, so check what you actually pay.
• A water meter: if you don't have one, check whether one would suit your household.

What does a filter shower head add to the cost?

A filter shower head adds its own running cost: the kit, then replacement cartridges. A filter shower head is designed to reduce free chlorine, not to cut energy or water use, so it doesn't belong among the savings above.

We've worked out that running cost separately, with our prices and full plan terms, in how much a shower filter costs per year. Waterhush reduces free chlorine, and that is the only claim we make.

The Waterhush Shower Kit needs a shower with a hose outlet, and its thread size isn't confirmed yet, so contact us if you're unsure it will fit. It is not for electric showers unless your shower's manufacturer confirms in writing that a filter head can be fitted to your model. For what any filter shower head does and doesn't do, see our complete guide to filter shower heads in the UK.

What these figures don't tell you

The figures in this guide don't tell you what your own shower costs. They rest on national averages, default assumptions and two water companies' charges, and each input can be different in your home.

• Your tariff: the Ofgem rates are averages for Direct Debit customers in England, Scotland and Wales. Your region, payment method or a fixed deal will change them, and the cap limits the unit rate and standing charge, not your total bill.
• Your shower: the maker's guide above rates its shower at 240 volts and lists lower figures at 230 volts, such as 8.7 kW for the 9.5 kW version.
• Your boiler: SAP's 84% is a default for boilers not in its product database, so your boiler's figure may differ.
• Your water company: we show two companies' charges, and yours may be higher or lower.
• Standing charges: left out on purpose, as you pay them whatever you do.

The method still works with your own numbers: kW rating, minutes, unit rate and, on a meter, your water company's charges.

The bottom line

An 8-minute shower costs about 32p to 43p in energy at Ofgem's capped rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026, plus roughly 20p to 66p for water and sewerage on a meter, depending on the flow. Time is the biggest lever, and on a meter every minute saves twice. Work out your own cost from your shower's rating, your tariff and your water company's charges.