Bleak Friday: UK prices are rising from 1 April, from energy bills to TV
It’s been dubbed “bleak Friday” by some: pre-announced price rises for many household bills are to take effect on 1 April, adding to the misery for consumers who are already paying more for goods and food than this time last year.
The price cap on energy bills for households in Great Britain has increased by 54%, meaning providers can charge up to £1,971 a year for customers with average use who have a direct debit set up. Average use is 3,100kWh of electricity and 12,000kWh of gas, so any household using more power will pay more. The cap varies around the country and according to how you pay. Those who settle their bills when they receive them will typically pay £130 a year more, while pre-payment customers with average use pay £47 more.
The average annual council tax bill on a band D property in England goes up to £1,966. London boroughs are increasing band D bills by an average of 2.4%, while households in shire counties will see the largest rise, at an average of 3.7%. They will also see the highest bills, at an average of £2,041.
Water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of 1.7% to £419. Customers of South West Water face a rise of £12 to £515, while households with Wessex will see a £21 rise to £476. Other water companies including Hafren Dyfrdwy and Thames are reducing annual bills by similar sums.
Telecoms and streaming companies have announced price hikes across their services. Some, including Virgin, have already applied increases this month. Customers of Sky, BT and Vodafone could all face higher bills from today.Sky’s Essential broadband package has gone up by 10% to £27.50 a month, while the Superfast service is up 9% to £30.50 a month. On average it says customers will pay less than 5%, or £3.60,
Read more on theguardian.com
