Reading an energy bill can feel confusing, but a Tariff Information Label works like a blueprint for the UK energy market, giving you a quick snapshot of your energy plans and energy tariffs without the complexity.
Many energy suppliers, including OVO and Fuse Energy, now offer a comparison tool with real-time usage data to support informed decisions about household energy, and this standardised document brings clear pricing into one place.
Whether you are new to shopping for energy or simply comparing gas offers and electricity, this guide to energy options walks you through the basics of tariff comparison in the UK market.
A TIL exists to protect consumer choice, offering a standard comparison across every energy supplier so switching feels less risky. If you’re thinking about a switch energy supplier decision this year, understanding the tariff details on this label first will save you time later. From my own experience helping family members through a supplier switch, the label is the first thing worth checking before signing anything new.
What is a Tariff Information Label (TIL)?
A Tariff Information Label is best described as a concise document that lists the essential details of your energy tariff in one simple breakdown. Think of it like a nutritional label for energy, since it turns confusing components into comparable information that householders can actually use to compare tariffs.
You’ll usually spot this TIL inside your monthly bills, on your annual statements, or on your energy supplier website, and every energy supplier must share it with customers as key information about the deal on offer.
Ofgem, the national energy regulator, requires every provider to publish this document for transparency, so no tariff can hide behind vague wording.
Purpose of a TIL
Before the label existed, comparing energy deals across different providers was a genuinely complex task, full of confusion and mismatched numbers. Ofgem, acting as the UK energy regulator, built this consumer protection tool to standardise how suppliers present their tariffs, making real like-for-like comparisons possible for the first time. Now you can check your current deal against your current energy tariff and other energy tariffs with confidence, because the information sits side by side.
This shift matters most when you’re switching providers, since spotting the best option for your home no longer means guessing. TILs turn what used to be a shot in the dark into a fair comparison, and that alone can lead you to a genuinely better deal.
Who provides TILs?
Every one of the licensed energy suppliers across Great Britain must hand you a TIL the moment you sign a new tariff, and the same rule applies whenever tariff changes happen partway through your contract.
You can also simply request one directly from your supplier if you can’t find it, since Ofgem insists every TILs document arrives in a consistent format. This keeps critical information easy to find no matter which energy regulator-approved company sends it, and it means customers never have to chase down the basics.
Key features
Basic Provider and Rate Details
Every tariff information labels page opens with the basics: the provider’s name, the tariff name, and the type of tariff, whether that’s standard variable or one of the fixed energy tariffs on the market.
Right underneath sits the unit rate, shown per kWh, alongside standing charges billed as a fixed monthly charge or a price per day, sometimes written as p/day or p/kWh. If you’re on a time-based tariff like Economy 7 or Economy 10, you’ll see separate on-peak and off-peak figures instead of one flat unit rate.
Contract Terms and Supply Identifiers
Further down, the label lists the tariff end date and, for fixed energy tariffs, the date your guaranteed price or price guarantee runs out, plus any exit fees tied to early termination. Dual fuel tariffs and renewable tariffs get the same treatment, with their own contract length, payment methods, and payment method spelled out, whether that’s direct debit or quarterly billing.
You’ll also see supply numbers listed, meaning your MPAN for electricity and your MPRN for gas, alongside the Ofgem template layout that every energy supplier must follow.
Consumption Baselines and Cost Estimates
Numbers matter here too: Ofgem’s Typical Domestic Consumption Values, or TDCVs, set the average UK household energy consumption at 2,500 kWh for electricity and 9,500 kWh for gas, though older figures for the average UK home once used 3,200 kWh and 13,500 kWh before the 1 July 2026 update.
Your estimated annual usage, or annual usage for short, comes from this consumption baseline, and suppliers turn it into an estimated annual cost, an estimated monthly cost, and a tariff comparison rate measured in pence per kilowatt hour.
Additional Fees, Discounts, and Bundles
EAC itself stands for Estimated Annual Consumption, a forecast built on a full 12-month period and shaped heavily by property historical usage rather than guesswork. Alongside the numbers, you might spot extra charges, discounts, or special offers, plus a note on any additional products or services bundled into the deal, and whether VAT is already included in the cost.
Fixed-rate tariffs in particular tend to spell out maintenance costs and total energy cost clearly, since customers on these deals care most about predictability.
Regulatory Compliance and Transparent Switching
Every one of these numbers exists because of industry regulations, and the single unit price sitting behind each rate is what lets you request a fair quote before switching. In short, unit rates, standing charge details, and every other charge on the page work together so nothing about your fixed monthly charge stays a mystery.
To be fully transparent, your Meter Point Administration Number and Meter Point Reference Number appear on the same page as your electricity and gas details, giving you a price guaranteed against sudden change once your deal starts. Standard variable and variable energy tariffs both carry a clear end date, and each charge on the label supports one simple goal: honest tariff comparison from top to bottom.
TIL breakdown: what does a Tariff Information Label look like?
Picture a real example on screen: the layout of a typical TIL usually places the supplier name at the top, followed by a clean image-style table listing every rate below it. This visual breakdown is exactly what a genuine Tariff Information Label looks like once it’s printed on your bill, and once you’ve seen one TIL, spotting the same pattern on every other supplier’s version becomes second nature.
How to use your Tariff Information Label (TIL)
Using Your Baseline and Unit Rates
Using this label well starts with locating your current tariff details and treating that as your baseline before comparing new tariffs.
The unit rate is the basic price you pay per unit, so start there: a cheap unit rate looks attractive, but a low standing charge matters just as much once you spend a full year on the deal. Standard unit rate comparisons work best when you check the tariff comparison rate, sometimes called TCR, since it lets you compare different tariffs and tariff types across dual-fuel and single-fuel households alike.
Calculating Annual Energy Costs
Here’s how the numbers play out: if the unit rate for gas sits at 0.07, multiplying it by typical gas consumption of 9,500 kWh gives you roughly £665 a year, while an electricity unit rate of 0.29 against typical electricity consumption of 2,500 kWh lands closer to £725.
Using Ofgem’s typical domestic consumption values, or TDCVs, an average energy use figure helps you predict costs before you ever move home. A medium-sized household using 2,900 kWh, priced at 15p per unit, works out to £435 a year, and this kind of price calculations exercise turns a guess into something accurate.
Accounting for Hidden Fees and Standing Charges
Don’t stop at the headline number though, because hidden costs and early exit fees often hide in the fine print, especially exit fees tied to switching before your contract ends. Standing charges, the daily charge you pay no matter what, plus any distribution area quirks, can turn an apparently competitive tariff into an expensive one, so always weigh the full financial component before you decide.
UK households with energy-hungry appliances or a poorly insulated home should expect their estimated annual costs to run above the UK average energy consumption and the national average energy use, so treat any generic average as indicative rather than exact.
Evaluating Quotes with Your EAC
When you’re evaluating potential new suppliers, request quotes from each energy supplier and compare their tariff information label against your household consumption and usage habits rather than a one-size-fits-all estimate.
Your EAC gives structure to this comparison, forming the foundation for every fair tariff comparison, and it beats relying on 12,000 kWh as a flat number when your actual household could need more or less. This process helps you spot better options, avoid pitfalls like tariff bonuses and loyalty points that distract from the real costs, and ultimately find the tariff with genuinely lower standing charge and unit rates for your situation.
Finding Savings Through Self-Comparison
TILs aren’t always advertised loudly by suppliers, so it pays to compare them yourself if you’re serious about reducing energy bills and saving money over the year. Comparison, in the end, is simply about matching typical energy use to real prices, and that habit alone can save you far more than any single offer ever could.
FAQs
Where can I find tariff information?
You’ll find it on your energy bill, your annual statement, or your energy supplier’s online account, just request a copy if it’s missing.
What is tariff information?
It’s the key information on your Tariff Information Label, covering your unit rate, standing charge, and other tariff details.
How do I find my tariff?
Check your latest energy bill or log into your online account; your current tariff and tariff name are listed clearly there.
Where can I find ScottishPower tariff information labels?
ScottishPower shares its TIL on your energy bill, in your online account, or by contacting supplier support directly for a copy.
How to identify tariff code?
Your tariff name and tariff code sit near the top of your Tariff Information Label, right below the provider’s name.