DEAREST DAY OF THE YEAR
Household bills rise by £4.5billion
CONSUMERS should check their energy, phone and broadband contracts today to avoid £4.5billion of price hikes, experts warn.
The average home will fork out an extra £240 this financial year due to rises in household bills from today.
Utility bills will increase, along with phone and broadband prices, council tax, TV licenses, and NHS prescriptions and dental check-ups.
Martin Lane, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, said: “The beginning of April is no joke as prices jump up on everything from your council tax to your utilities.
“Spending a few minutes today checking you are on the best broadband or energy deal can save you hundreds of pounds and help reduce your monthly outgoings rather than see them spike.”
Millions of households on standard variable energy tariffs will see bills rise by £117 today after the energy price cap – introduced by the Government to make the market fairer by limiting charges – rose from £1,137 to £1,254.
Natalie Hitchins, of consumer website Which?, said: “Many people who hoped the price cap would bring an end to price increases will be left reeling after pricehike Monday adds more than £1billion pounds to their bills.
“If you are one of the millions of energy customers stuck on a rip-off standard variable or default tariff, switch as soon as possible. There has been a recent rise in the number of cheap deals on the market. You could choose better customer service while potentially saving more than £300 a year.” Households in council tax Band D in England face a £78 annual rise, the second highest in a decade, an £8 yearly increase in water bills and a £4 TV licence hike to £154.50.
Phone networks Three, EE, O2 and Vodafone have hiked contract prices, and the cost of Sky Entertainment, Sky Fibre Broadband and Sky Talk Anytime will each rise by £2 a month.
Prescription costs have gone up by 20p to £9, while an NHS dental check-up has risen by £1.10 to £22.70.
Stamps have already seen a 3p rise, with a first-class now selling for 70p and a second-class costing 61p.
And Air Passenger Duty on flights of over 2,000 miles has risen by £16. Car tax will rise by up to £65 when the new tax year starts on April 6.