Things are going to get tougher (Picture: Getty)
The cost of living crisis is a widespread issue affecting people from all walks of life.
Even people who earn a liveable wage are noticing the pinch as a number of bills – from lifestyle costs like gyms to the daily essentials including many food staples – are only expected to get even more expensive.
From phone contracts to council tax, here are all the bills expected to rise from April 2023.
Phone bills
Phone bills will go up again this year, though this isn’t anything new.
Most phone providers increased their prices each year before the cost of living crisis, however, with inflation currently above 10%, this year’s increase is likely to leave a bigger dent in your wallet than usual.
We’d be lost without them, but expect to pay more for your phone soon (Picture: Getty)
Providers normally base their price increases on either the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Retail Price Index (RPI) which are two measures of calculating inflation.
CPI (which measures how much the cost of goods and services has risen in comparison with last year) is currently at 10.1% and RPI (which measures the change in the cost of house prices as well as of goods and services) is currently at 13.4%.
Confirmed phone bill price increases
O2 – the company have confirmed prices will rise 17.3% (January’s 13.4% RPI rate + 3.9%) if your contract started after March 25, 2021 or a rise of 13.4% if it started before this date
Vodafone – customers have been told prices will rise 14.4%- the CPI rate + 3.9%
Three – customers who joined after November 1, 2022 will see prices rise by 14.4%, anyone who joined or upgraded between October 29, 2020 and October 31, 2022 will see prices rise 4.5%
For more information on these rises and to see more phone providers, check out our full explanatory guide.
Council tax
In his Autumn Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced councils can increase rates by up to 5% without a referendum, whereas previously they had only been allowed to raise council tax by up to 2%.
So while there’s not one fixed percentage increase across the country, and each local council can choose how much it’ll raise its rates, on average prices could rise by £75.
Confirmed or proposed increases by region
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%
Blaby – 2.99%
Blackburn and Darwen – 4.99%
Berkshire (region-wide) – 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%
Hertsmere – 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%
Middlesborough – 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%
St Helens – 5.00%
Stratford upon Avon – 3.2%
Slough – 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 energy prices in the UK when the Energy Price Guarantee ends.
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The end of the guarantee put into place last year will see the cap rise to £3,000 per year (up from £2,500).
This cap is based on a typical household’s usage – if you use more energy than an average household, you’ll be paying more than this figure.
From April 2023, the Energy Bills Support Scheme will also be scaling down, and for many will end.
The scheme, introduced in October 2022, provided a £400 non-repayable payment to eligible households to help with their energy bills between October 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Though the scheme will remain in place, the support will no longer be available to everyone. There’s currently no further information on if the Energy Bills Support Scheme will be made available to all again next winter, when usage will likely rise.
Energy bills will rise for most households when the cap increase comes into effect in April (Picture: Getty)
Water bills
The average annual water bill in England and Wales is set to rise by around £31 a year (7.5%) from April, industry body Water UK announced early in February of this year.
Those in Scotland will see bills rise by £19 a year (5%).
More: Trending
An estimated forecast based on data provided by water companies to Water UK indicates how much costs could rise by supplier, but people’s individual bills could be higher or lower depending on factors like how much you use, if you have a water meter and where you live.
Estimated water and sewage bills cost for 2023/24
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, £499, +£14 YOY
Hafren Dyfrdwy, £372, +£41 YOY
Northumbrian, £391, +£29 YOY
Severn Trent, £419, +£28 YOY
South West, £476, +£8 YOY
Southern, £439, +£43 YOY
Thames, £456, +£39 YOY
United Utilities, £443, +£26 YOY
Wessex, £504, +£42 YOY
Yorkshire, £446, +£30 YOY.
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April will see several price changes/
