Five household bills going up in April
Last month, the Bank of England warned households to expect months of pain as it forecasted higher-than-expected inflation.
It warned inflation is set to peak at 3.7% in the summer following a multitude of increases to household bills next month.
Here, Yahoo News UK sets out five bills which are set to rise, and by how much.
Households in England and Wales will see their water bills increase by an average of £86 from April.
It comes after regulator Ofwat allowed companies to raise average bills by £157 over the next five years to £597 by 2030 to help finance a £104bn upgrade for the sector. This comes as firms face accusations of years of under-investment in their crumbling infrastructure.
The average increase of £86 will be front-loaded into the coming year, with smaller percentage increases in each of the next four years.
People struggling to pay their water bills can consult this guidance from Citizens Advice.
Households are facing another jump, equating to £111, in their energy bills from April.
Ofgem's latest increase to its price cap means the average annual standard variable tariff bill in England, Scotland and Wales will rise from the current £1,738 to £1,849.
It follows a recent spike in wholesale prices. The average £1,849 bill is £159 higher than this time last year but £531 lower than at the height of the energy crisis at the start of 2023.
As prices creep up once more, the government has said 2.7 million extra households will be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount next winter.
Ofgem's rules mean energy companies must work with consumers who are struggling to pay their bills. For more information, see Ofgem's website here.
Analysis by PA last month found that among the 139 top-tier authorities in England that had proposed or confirmed increases, 85% were planning a rise just short of 5% from April.
And for 2025/26, the government allowed Bradford, Newham, Birmingham, Somerset, and Windsor and Maidenhead to bypass the 4.99% cap, meaning they could raise council tax by more.
In Scotland, meanwhile, councillors in Falkirk this week approved an increase of 15.6%, the largest so far announced by any Scottish local authority for 2025/26.
The government advises people to contact their local authority as soon as possible if they are having problems paying their council tax. See its guidance here.
The majority of customers who took out a contract before 10 April last year will face an increase of 6.4%, based on the inflation rate last December and an additional charge.
Citizen's Advice has the following guidance for people who are struggling to pay their internet bill.
The BBC licence fee will now increase in line with inflation each year until 2027, starting with a £5 rise in April to £174.50 a year.
That follows a £10.50 rise last April, which had brought the charge to £169.50.
It comes after the annual fee faced years of scrutiny under the Conservative government, with the new Labour administration saying the inflation-linked increases will "provide the BBC with funding certainty".
People struggling to pay for the licence may be able to use the simple payment plan, which the government is expanding. It says this will allow an additional 9,000 unlicensed households experiencing financial difficulty to split up the annual payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments.
Three in 10 'were put off making recent major purchase due to money worries' (PA Media)
Map shows where house prices are rising the most (Yahoo News UK)
Five years on: Britons among hardest hit by Covid fallout (The Guardian)
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Lord Biggar Baroness Meyer Lord Moylan Lord Jackson of Peterborough Baroness Eaton Lord Brady Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell Baroness Finn Baroness Fleet Baroness Noakes Baroness Bray of Coln Lord Strathcarron Baroness Lea of Lymm The Earl of Leicester Lord Borwick Lord Roberts of Belgravia Baroness Deech Lord Sherbourne Lord Mackinlay Lord Ashcombe Baroness Coffey Baroness Foster of Oxton Lord Moynihan of Chelsea Lord Evans of Rainow Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Baroness Buscombe Lord Sharpe of Epsom Lord Mancroft Lord Robathan Baroness Nicholson Lord Wrottesley Baroness Cash Lord Goodman Lord Shinkwin Baroness Altmann CBE Edward Faulks KC Lord Swire Baroness Fox of Buckley Baroness Spielman Lord Lamont Lord MacDonald of River Glaven Lord McInnes of Kilwinning Lord Hamilton of Epsom Lord Reay Lord Pearson of Rannoch Lord Lilley Lord Baker of Dorking Lord McLoughlin Baroness Morrissey
