Our new gadget allows you to see, all in one place, estimates of how much your bills will be going up from this month as ‘Awful April’ hits families across the UK
The cost of the services that we all rely on are increasing this month. The amount you pay for water, gas, electricity and council services is set to rise.
Our new gadget allows you to see, all in one place, estimates of how much your bills will be going up from this month. Simply enter your postcode to see how much Band D council tax rates are going up. Select your water company from the dropdown to see how much their average bill is increasing, and enter your gas and electricity spend to see how much those will increase.
Water
Water bills in all but one small corner of the UK are set to rise this year, many by over £100. Southern Water customers will be seeing the largest rise in their bills in April. The average bill in the area will be going up by £224 a year, according to figures from Water UK. That’s an increase of 47%.
Meanwhile, South West Water customers will see their bills increase by an average of £166 a year, equivalent to a 32% rise. Crisis-stricken Thames Water are increasing their average bills by £151 (31%), Hafren Dyfrdwy are increasing theirs by £143 (32%), Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water) by £136 (27%), and Yorkshire Water by £136 (29%). One company, however, is dropping the cost of the average bill. Customers of Sutton and East Surrey Water will see the average bill fall by £5 a year.
Energy
Energy bills are set to rise by an average of £9.25 a month from April, when Ofgem increases the energy price cap. The new cap means that the typical household will pay £1,849 annually for gas and electricity for a standard dual-fuel direct debit plan. This represents an average increase of 6.4% per household compared to the cap for between January and March. It works out at an extra £111 a year on average. It also means that bills will be 9.0%, or £159 higher than they were at the same time last year.
Council tax
Almost every council in England will be increasing the amount it charges for council tax from April. The biggest rise, according to data collated by the Mirror, will be at Bradford. Band D bills there will increase by 9.99% compared to a year earlier. That’s not including any charges for police, fire or regional mayors.
Newham in London and Windsor & Maidenhead in Berkshire will both be increasing their Band D charges by 8.99%. Trafford, Birmingham, and Somerset, meanwhile, are increasing bills by 7.49% each.
Car tax
The amount you pay every year for car tax is set to rise, but the amount depends on what kind of car you own. Cars registered before April 1, 2017, will see their car tax rise to £195 a year. For petrol and diesel cars this is a rise of £5. This is a new charge for electric cars though, which were exempt from car tax until April 1.
Cars registered before April 2017 but after March 2001 will see their car tax increase depending on how much CO2 it produces. The increases range from £5 to £25 a year. Brand new cars off the forecourt will pay £20 tax if they’re electric, otherwise existing rates will double.
TV Licence
The TV Licence is going to be increasing by £5 to £174.50. You have to pay for a TV Licence if you watch live TV or anything on BBC iPlayer.
