‘We live from month to month’: people in UK brace for April’s bill rises
Households will be hit with a spate of bill hikes from April, with councils, water suppliers and telecoms companies among those raising their prices.
While the government’s energy price guarantee (EPG) will remain fixed until the end of June, the start of April also means the conclusion of the £400 energy bills support scheme (EBSS). Businesses will also no longer receive a discounted rate, leaving many in a financially perilous position.
Here, five people tell us how they will be affected by rising bills.
Brigitte Taylor, 45, a supermarket worker from Horsham, West Sussex, is facing a council tax rise on 1 April of 5%, the maximum a local authority is allowed to increase the charges by without consulting residents.
“It’ll be £207 per month, a monthly rise of £10. Our household budget is already tight. What happens next year if it goes up again? Where does it end?” she says.
“We do meal planning, we try to be energy efficient, but finding extra money in our budget is getting harder and harder. We live from month to month. Eventually, people have to start taking money out of their food and general living allowance, which is what we’re doing now. My husband works full-time, I already work 16 hours overtime a week so we can live, taking me to 32 in total. I can’t work more than that as we have school age children. I get minimum wage.”
Like many people across the country, Taylor feels the higher council tax charges are not justified, given various local public services are being scaled back.
“Despite the rise of our council tax, services here have been cut, especially for children and young people. I just don’t feel that we are getting our money’s worth.”
Laura, a performance analyst, was prepared for the rises to her energy and
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