Households are watching over-the-board are increasing to their bills as “Terrible April” heralds the start of price increases on everything from energy to advice tax.
Energy bills for millions of households should rise by 6.4% from April 1, when of Gem increases its price cap for a third quarter in a row, while water bills increase by an average of £ 123 per year. Year – the biggest increase since industry was privatized in 1989.
Most advice in England plans to raise the council’s tax bills by 4.99% – the maximum permitted amount – next month, with some including Birmingham, Bradford, Newham, Somerset, Trafford and Windsor & Maidenhead, which have been given special permission to go even higher.
Broadband and telephone bills are rising, while the cost of a TV license and the standard percentage of car tax will both rise by £ 5 and electric vehicles will no longer be exempt.
With the average household already spending £ 2,062 essentially each month, analysts believe the latest climbs can add additional £ 49.45 to this figure.
Alice Hain, personal financial analyst at BestInvest of Evelyn Partners, said: “For a while it seemed that the cost of living was behind us; inflation was light, the interest rate came down and the way forward so brighter.
“But a mixed bag of lousy macroeconomic news of late has radically changed this view.
“The result of all this turmoil is that the British households are now facing a barrier of Bill hiking in April, which will take a stroke of their living standards by eating away at their disposable income.
“Anyone who is lucky enough to receive a pay rise in recent months will be horrified to see most of what is turned off by sharp hiking in household bills, whether it is advice tax, water or energy, among other costs and taxes.
“Returning to budgeting basics will be the key for households to make sure they do not distort for overdraft or find themselves compelled to pay bills on credit cards because they cannot make ends meet.”
USWitch spokesman Ernest Doku said: “With millions of households that already feel the financial burden, the upcoming Bill hiking trips in April will only make things harder.
“Although not all price increases can be avoided, there are still opportunities to save by changing providers. By reviewing your energy, broadband and mobile offers, you can lock better prices and avoid paying more.”
Here are the bills that rise from April:
– Energy
Ofgem’s latest increase in the energy price adds £ 9.25 a month or £ 111 at the annual bill for an average household paying with direct debit, which is already currently £ 1,738.
The unit price of gas will increase from 6.34p per day. Kilowatt-time (kWh) to 6.99p per KWh, while electricity goes up from 24.86p/kWh to 27.03p/kWh.
Prior to the increase, which comes into force, households are encouraged to send an accurate meter reading to ensure that all energy they use before the higher prices enter into force is invoiced at the lower rate.
It also makes sense to check if it would be worth switching to a fixed customs that works by locking a fixed rate for gas and electricity for a specified period, such as 12 months. These offers are becoming increasingly common across energy companies, but consumers have to control for output fees.
To find the right duty, households need to consider all options, including cheaper variable customs rates-a tracker product that changes daily based on wholesale costs or time for use rares that can benefit those who charge electric vehicles overnight or who want to take better advantage of off-peak rates.
– Water
Households in England and Wales will see that their water bills are rising with a “extortion” average of £ 86 over the next year.
Regulator Ofwat has enabled companies to raise average bills by 36% or £ 157 in total over the next five years to £ 597 in 2030 to help fund an upgrade of £ 104 billion for the sector.
Some companies have been granted a significantly higher increase. Southern water customers face a 53% increase and Severn Trent Households will see their bills rise by 47% before inflation.
Despite the average increase of £ 31 a year, households will be hit particularly hard from April with an average increase of £ 86 or 20% front -loaded into the coming year, with less percentage increases in each of the next four years.
Unlike gas and electric providers, households cannot choose which company is supplying their water, which means they either have to absorb the financial hit or consider ways to reduce their consumption.
– Council tax
Millions of households will see a leap in their annual council tax bills from April 1 with most local authorities in England, which increases a typical band D-Bill proposal by 5%-an increase of £ 109 to £ 2,280 from 2024-25 figures of £ 2,171-self-owned Council is allowed to impose hiking of up to 10%.
They are Windsor & Maidenhead, Newham, Bradford, Birmingham, Somerset and Trafford.
Bills in Wales will increase by approx. 4.5% to 9.5% and in Scotland the jump will typically be at least 8%-Estimately This is the first increase in two years after a freezing in 2024-25.
The amount of advice tax you pay is set according to the value of your home, where the average value home is placed in band D.
If you think your property is in the wrong band, it may be worth requesting a revaluation, but be aware that there is a risk that it can be placed in a higher band rather than a lower one.
It is also worth talking to the council about what support is available to those who are fighting or with lower incomes.
– mobile and broadband
Some customers will see increases in line with inflation, while others may face regular hiking depending on when they signed up or upgraded.
For those on inflation -bound contracts, broadband prices will increase by an average of £ 21.99 annually, with some recent plans seeing up to £ 42 a year, according to USWitch.
Mobile users are facing similar increases with an average increase of £ 15.90 for inflation -bound contracts and up to £ 48 for recent offers.
Broadband customers should check their contract status to see if it is possible to change without incurring a penalty. Switching to a new broadband agreement after the initial contract is completed could save up to £ 180 a year.
Vodafone, Virgin Media and Community Fiber are some of the providers that freeze prices until 2026 for those who change before April rise.
Mobile customers can SMS -info to 85075 to check the status of their contract and any exit fees or consider lowering their data plan to save money.
– TV license
April bill rises will see the price of a standard color -tv license rise by £ 5 to £ 174.50 a year. The price of a black and white license will also rise from £ 57 to £ 58.50.
You may require a free TV license if you are 75 years of age or older and demand pension credit or stay with a partner who receives the benefit of calling 0300 790 6071.
– Car tax
The standard tax for cars registered after April 2017 rises to £ 195 from the beginning of April, an increase of £ 5. Some owners may pay more or less if their car was first registered before 2017, at the speed that depended on when a car was first registered and the type of fuel it consumes.
Another major change will see owners of electric vehicles (EVS) subject to car tax for the first time. EV -EVs registered since April 2025 will be subject to the lowest tax of £ 10 in the first year before moving to the standard percentage of £ 195.