They’re making April Fools of us

Price rises add £240 to our ‘must-pay’ bills

MILLIONS are facing April Fools’ Day price increases that will add hundreds of pounds to ‘must pay’ bills.

A rise in the Government’s energy price cap comes into effect on Monday and will add an average of £117 to the annual cost of heat and light for those on a standard variable tariff.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, with at least ten other increases being imposed on or around the same day, covering everything from council tax and TV licences to NHS dental and prescription charges.

The rises will fuel a cost of living squeeze as they are higher than average rises in both wages and the State pension, which goes up by 2.6 per cent – £4.25 a week – on Monday. Inflation is currently running at just 1.9 per cent.

One estimate suggests the combined effect of the increases will cost the typical household at least £240 extra a year, adding up to more than £4.5billion across the nation.

Managing editor of personal finance website Money.co.uk, Martin Lane, said: ‘It’s no joke, April 1st is National Price Hike Day, when a whole range of everyday items will cost you more. Your purse [or] wallet is going to be hit from left, right and centre.

‘You won’t be able to avoid some of the increases, but you can certainly take control when it comes to managing the cost of your energy, phone and broadband.’

Council tax bills in England will increase by an average of 4.7 per cent, which means the annual Band D bill rises by an average of £78, reaching an average of £1,750 and more than £2,000 in some areas.

Water bills in England and Wales will go up by an average of 2 per cent, which equates to £8 a year, although the figure will vary depending on the company involved.

Car tax is also going up from April 6. The system, where charges are linked to CO2 emissions, will see most drivers required to pay an extra £5 a year, taking the annual bill up to between £110 and £210.

Models with high emissions will be charged between £15 and £65 extra a year. Vehicle Excise Duty is generally higher on so- called ‘dirty diesels’ with the tax on some models running to £2,135 a year.

Air Passenger Duty on noneconomy long haul flights (over 2,000 miles) is set to increase by 10 per cent, taking it up by £16 to £172 per head. NHS prescription fees will rise by 20p to £9 and there are host of rises for dental treatment. The price of a check-up in England will rise by £1.10 to £22.70. The cost of called Band 2 treatment, such as a filling, rises £3 to £62.10.

A 3p rise in the cost of stamps came into effect earlier this week. As a result First Class stamps went up to 70p each, while Second Class are now 61p. The BBC TV licence fee will also go up £4 to £154.50.

A series of inflation-busting price hikes mean some households will also be paying more for broadband a year than gas and electricity.