Council tax band G

Which homes sit in band G?

Your band isn't based on what your home sells for now. It's based on what it would have sold for on a set date back in time. England and Scotland both use 1 April 1991, while Wales goes by 1 April 2003, details come from GOV.UK and the Scottish Assessors.

To spell out each nation's dates and price ranges:

• England values homes as of 1 April 1991, with band G covering anything above £160,000 up to £320,000.
• Wales uses 1 April 2003, and band G there runs from £223,001 to £324,000.
• Scotland also goes by 1 April 1991, where band G means more than £106,000 but not more than £212,000.

England's band G spans £160,000, the same width as bands A through F combined. So quite different homes, in both size and price, can share a band.

Bigger homes most often sit in band G. Official figures place 34% of five-bedroom homes there, along with just under a third of places with six bedrooms or more.

How does band G compare with Band D?

Councils start by fixing a Band D charge, then every other band is a set proportion of it. Think of Band D as the middle band and the council's starting point.

England sets band G at 15 parts for every 9 parts of Band D, under section 5 of the 1992 Local Government Finance Act. That works out at two thirds more than Band D in the same area. Scotland's share runs a bit higher still: band G pays 705 parts against Band D's 360, under section 74. A Scottish band G bill therefore comes in at nearly double the Band D bill.

Putting the typical 2026-27 bills side by side: in England, Band D averages £2,392 against a band G average of £3,986; in Wales the pair is £2,283 and £3,805; and in Scotland it's £1,653 and £3,238.

England's figures come from GOV.UK, the Wales numbers from the Welsh Government and the Scotland numbers from the Scottish Government.

What does band G cost in different councils?

Councils differ a lot. In England the lowest band G bill costs less than half the highest one.

• England's three lowest are Wandsworth at £1,713.68, then Westminster on £1,749.25, with the City of London third at £2,215.93. At the top end you'll find Dorset charging £4,608.37, just ahead of Lewes at £4,593.62 and Nottingham, where the bill is £4,592.32.
• Wales's three lowest are Cardiff at £3,355.30, then Caerphilly on £3,471.47, with Newport third at £3,480.80. The priciest are Merthyr Tydfil at £4,322.67, followed by Neath Port Talbot on £4,235.65 and Blaenau Gwent, where the bill is £4,218.77.
• Scotland's three lowest are South Lanarkshire at £2,875.76, then the Shetland Islands on £2,913.80, with Na h-Eileanan Siar third at £2,948.27. Dearest of all are Midlothian at £3,556.65, then Argyll and Bute on £3,492.35 and Stirling, where the bill is £3,432.70.

Each of these figures is a yearly amount, before any discount or reduction. England's come from GOV.UK, Wales's from the Welsh Government and Scotland's from the Scottish Government.

Is my home in the wrong band?

A band G bill is a lot of money, so it pays to check that homes like yours nearby carry the same band. If you decide to challenge yours, you can list up to 5 similar properties in a lower band, following the GOV.UK challenge guide. The strongest comparisons come from homes much like yours, alike in size, style and how old they are.

Support when the bill is a struggle

On a low income or claiming benefits? You might qualify for Council Tax Reduction. It cuts what you pay no matter which band your home sits in.

How these figures are worked out

Each average band G figure comes from the official average Band D bill for that nation, scaled up by the fixed band G proportion set in law.