The The cost of living crisis is a widespread issue that affects people from all walks of life.
Even people earning a livable wage are noticing the pinch as some bills – from lifestyle costs such as gyms to daily essentials, including many food staples – are set to become even more expensive.
From phone contracts to council tax, here are all the bills set to rise from April 2023.
Phone bills
Phone bills will go up again this year, although that’s nothing new.
Most phone providers increased their prices every year before the cost of living crisis, but with inflation currently over 10%, this year’s increase is likely to leave a bigger mark on your wallet than usual.
Providers usually base their price increases on either the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Retail Price Index (RPI) which are two measures of inflation.
The CPI (which measures how much the cost of goods and services have risen compared to last year) is currently at 10.1% and the RPI (which measures the change in the cost of house prices as well as goods and services) it is currently at 13.4 %.
Confirmed phone bill price increases
- EE – Customers can expect their phone bills to rise by 14.4% from March 31. The increase is based on the CPI of 10.5% plus an average increase of 3.9%. EE estimates this works out to around £1 a week extra on average
- O2 – the company has confirmed that prices will increase by 17.3% (January 13.4% RPI rate + 3.9%) if your contract started after 25 March 2021 or a 13.4% increase if it started before that date
- Vodafone – customers have been informed that prices will increase by 14.4% – CPI rate + 3.9%
- Three – Customers who signed up after 1 November 2022 will see prices rise by 14.4%, anyone who joined or upgraded between 29 October 2020 and 31 October 2022 will see prices rise by 4.5%
For more information on these increases and to see more phone carriers, take a look our complete how-to guide.
municipal tax
In his Autumn Budget, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that councils could increase rates by up to 5% without a referendum, having previously only been able to increase council tax by up to 2%.
So while there is no fixed rate of increase across the country and each local council can choose how much to raise their rates, on average prices could rise by £75.
Confirmed or proposed increases by region
- Adur – 1.99%
- Ashford – 2.9%
- Barrow-in-Furness – 2.84%
- Bassetlaw – 4.0%
- Bath and North East Somerset – 4.99%
- Brighton and Hove – 4.99%
- Bedford – 2.90%
- Blabby – 2.99%
- Blackburn and Darwen – 4.99%
- Berkshire (areawide) – 6.76%
- Bolton – 6.5%
- Bracknell Forest – 4.99%
- Bradford – 4.99%
- Breckland – 4.7%
- Bristol – 5%
- Buckinghamshire – 4.99%
- Calderdale – 4.99%
- Cambridge – 4.99%
- Canterbury – 2.24%
- Chelmsford – 4.0%
- Cheltenham – 2.99%
- Cheshire East – 4.99%
- Colchester – 3.0%
- Cornwall – 4.99%
- Coventry – 5.0%
- Cumberland Council – 4.99%
- Dacorum – 1.99%
- Darlington – 5.0%
- Durham – 5%
- Dudley – 4.99%
- East Devon – 3.3%
- East Suffolk – 2.81%
- East Hertfordshire – 3%
- East Lindsey – 5.42%
- Eden – 4.99%
- Gateshead – 4.99%
- Gloucestershire – 2.99%
- Hartlepool – 4.99%
- Harborough – 2.99%
- Herefordshire – 4.99%
- Hertfordshire – 4.99%
- Hertzmer – 2.99%
- Horsham – 2.99%
- Lancaster – 2.99%
- Leeds – 4.99%
- Lincoln – 2.90%
- Luton – 4.99%
- Manchester – 4.99%
- Medway – 5%
- Merton – 2%
- Mole Valley – 2.99%
- Middlesbrough – 3.99%
- Newcastle upon Tyne – 1.99%
- Newcastle-upon-Lyme – 1.99%
- North East Lincolnshire – 4.98%
- North Tyneside – 4.99%
- North Somerset – 4.99%
- North Yorkshire – 4.99%
- Norwich – 2.99%
- Nottinghamshire – 4.84%
- Oldham – 3.99%
- Oxford – 4.99%
- Peterborough – 4.99%
- Plymouth – 4.99%
- Portsmouth – 4.99%
- Redcar and Cleveland – 3.99%
- Rugby – 2.99%
- Rutland – 4.99%
- Ryedale – 4.99%
- Shropshire – 2.27%
- Solihull – 2.99%
- South Norfolk – 2.99%
- South Tyneside – 4.95%
- Saint Helen – 5.00%
- Stratford on Avon – 3.2%
- Shell – 4.99%
- Staffordshire – 4.99%
- Sunderland – 2.99%
- Surrey Heath – 5%
- Suffolk – 2.81%
- Sussex – 4.99%
- Teignbridge – 2.78%
- Thanet – 2.99%
- Torbay – 4.99%
- Wakefield – 4.99%
- Walsall – 2.99%
- Welwyn Hatfield – 2.97%
- West Oxfordshire – 4.57%
- Wiltshire – 5%
- Windsor and Maidenhead – 4.99%
- Wirral – 4.99%
- Worcestershire – 4.94%
Energy bills
From April 2023, there will be another rise in UK energy prices when the Energy Price Guarantee ends.
The end of the guarantee which came into effect last year will see the cap rise to £3,000 a year (from £2,500).
This cap is based on the use of a typical household – if you use more energy than an average household, you will pay more than this amount.
From April 2023, the Energy Bill Support Scheme will also be reduced and for many will end.
The scheme, introduced in October 2022, provided a non-refundable payment of £400 to eligible households to help with their energy bills between October 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Although the system will remain in place, support will no longer be available to everyone. There is currently no further information on whether the Energy Bill Support Scheme will be available to everyone again next winter, when usage is likely to increase.
Water bills
The average annual water bill in England and Wales is set to rise by around £31 a year (7.5%) from April, according to the industry body Water UK announced in early February this year.
Those in Scotland will see bills rise by £19 a year (5%).
An estimated forecast based on data supplied by water companies to Water UK shows how much costs could rise from the supplier, but people’s individual bills could be higher or lower depending on factors such as how much you use, if you have water meter and where you live.
Estimated cost of water and sewerage bills for 2023/24
- English£492, + £47 YoY
- Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water£499, + £14 p.a
- Hafren Dyfrdwy£372, + £41 p.a
- Northumbrian£391, + £29 p.a
- Severn Trent£419, + £28 p.a
- Southwest£476, + £8 p.a
- Southern£439, + £43 p.a
- Thames£456, + £39 p.a
- United Utilities£443, + £26 p.a
- wessex, £504, + £42 p.a
- Yorkshire£446, + £30 p.a.
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