Millions of households are bracing themselves for a raft of price increases across a range of bills – from energy and water to car tax and the TV licence – that take effect on Tuesday.
With so many costs rising at once – prompting some to label this month “awful April” – the government is facing fresh calls to take action to limit the impact of some of the increases. The Liberal Democrats claimed ministers needed to “get a grip” on energy bills.
Meanwhile, consumer groups are offering advice on ways to cut costs, such as switching to a cheaper fixed energy deal or checking eligibility for council tax reductions.
The cost of gas and electricity is one of the biggest outlays for most households, and the cap on energy costs, which is set every three months by the industry regulator Ofgem, is going up by 6.4% – or £111 – on Tuesday. That takes the average annual bill to £1,849 for a typical dual-fuel household on a standard variable tariff.
This increase – the third in a row – means households will be paying about £600 a year more for their gas and electricity than before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
About 9 million households that buy their energy through variable tariffs will experience an immediate impact on their bills.
The Lib Dems have published a survey they say
shows the “majority of Brits think their energy bill is bad value for
money” . The party’s leader, Ed Davey, added that with families facing
“spiralling” costs, the government must “get a grip on energy bills, and
fast”. The Lib Dems want ministers to implement an energy “social
tariff” to protect vulnerable people living in fuel poverty, and also do
more to help the millions of pensioners who lost their winter fuel payments last year....<<<Read More>>>...
