Standard variable rates are usually higher than the rates offered by other types of mortgage. In January 2019, the average SVR was 4.9%, compared to 2.52% for a two-year fixed-rate mortgage. This can mean paying thousands more than you need to. Your lender can choose to change its SVR at any time. National Average Mortgage Rates. The mortgage rates vary depending upon the type of loan that will be acquired by the consumer. For instance, in February, 2010, the national average mortgage rate for a 30 year fixed rate loan was at 4.750 percent (5.016 APR). A standard variable rate, or SVR, is the interest rate that will be charged once an initial deal period on a fixed or tracker rate mortgage comes to an end. With an SVR mortgage, your mortgage payments could change each month, going up or down depending on the rate.