Shortfills have long been the value champion of UK vaping. Big bottles, big flavour, low cost per ml. From 1 October 2026, though, the new Vaping Products Duty changes the maths. In fact, shortfills take the heaviest hit of any format. So a fair question follows: are they still worth buying? The honest answer is, it depends on how you vape. Let us break it down.
A quick refresher on shortfills
A shortfill is a larger bottle of nicotine-free e-liquid. The bottle is not filled to the top, which leaves room for a nicotine shot. You add the shot, give it a shake, and you are ready to vape. A 50ml shortfill plus one 10ml nic shot makes 60ml of around 3mg e-liquid. Shortfills tend to be higher in VG, so they shine in sub-ohm and direct-to-lung kits. If you need a refresher, our guide on how to mix a shortfill walks you through every step.
How the duty changes the shortfill maths
Here is the catch. The duty is charged per 10ml of liquid, and a shortfill holds a lot of it. So a 50ml shortfill picks up about £11 in duty. A 100ml setup adds around £22, and each nic shot adds another £2.20 on top. With VAT included, a big shortfill that once felt like a bargain can climb sharply. So the old bulk-buy advantage shrinks. It does not vanish, but it certainly narrows.
To see it clearly, think in cost per ml. Before the duty, a 100ml shortfill plus shots might land near 12p per ml. After the duty, that same setup pushes well past 30p per ml, once you add the tax and the VAT. A prefilled pod, by contrast, rises far less in proportion. So your choice of format now decides how much of your money goes on liquid, and how much goes on tax.
When shortfills are still worth it
Despite the new cost, shortfills keep real strengths. They remain the best choice in several cases.
- You chase clouds. For sub-ohm and DTL vaping, high-VG shortfills still deliver the biggest flavour and vapour.
- You vape 0mg. With no nicotine, you skip the nic-shot cost and pay duty only on the base liquid.
- You like to reduce nicotine. Shortfills let you dial your strength down gradually, which is hard to do with prefilled pods.
- You want variety. Brands are launching longfills and super-concentrates to offset the duty, so fresh value options keep arriving.
So if flavour and clouds matter most to you, shortfills still earn their place.
When a pod or nic salt makes more sense
For other vapers, the duty tips the balance. A prefilled pod carries just 44p of duty per 2ml, so it rises far less than a big bottle. Nic salts in a refillable pod also stretch a long way. So if you vape mouth-to-lung, or you simply want the lowest running cost, pods and salts now often win. Many vapers will happily mix and match — a pod kit for daily ease, and a shortfill for relaxed cloud sessions at home.
What about 0mg shortfills?
Vape with no nicotine? Then there is good news and a small catch. The good news is that you skip the nic-shot cost entirely. The catch is that the base liquid still carries the duty, since the tax covers all e-liquid, even 0mg. So a 100ml 0mg bottle still picks up around £22. Even so, 0mg shortfills stay a fair pick for flavour-led, sub-ohm vaping. Just buy the size you will finish, and the cost stays sensible.
Get more from your shortfills after October
If shortfills stay in your rotation, a few habits keep costs in check.
- Buy the size you will actually finish. A 50ml you use beats a 100ml you waste.
- Store bottles cool and dark, since e-liquid lasts around two years that way.
- Mix carefully, so you avoid spills and get the strength right first time.
- Small steps like these protect both your liquid and your wallet.
A simple way to decide
Still unsure? Then try this quick rule of thumb. Ask yourself how you vape day to day. If you want clouds, flavour and a sub-ohm kit, shortfills still serve you well. If you want pocket-friendly convenience and the lowest tax per ml, lean toward pods. If you want to cut your nicotine slowly, shortfills give you the most control. And if you simply want variety, keep both in your kit. There is no single right answer here. There is only the one that fits your style and your budget.
Shop shortfills, shots and pods at My Vapery
Shortfills are not finished — far from it. They simply suit some vapers better than others now. So weigh up how you vape, then pick the format that fits. Every product at My Vapery is genuine, tested and fully compliant, whichever route you choose.
Explore our shortfill collection and nic shots for big flavour, or browse our nic salt collection and prefilled pod kits for the lowest running cost.
