HOUSEHOLD BILLS ROCKET

The cost of running a home has shot up 18% over the last 12 months to a budget-busting average of £21,403 a year. That means homeowning Brits, where two adults earn the UK national average, are spending nearly half of their salary on essential household bills, according to a report from home insurer More Than.

The picture isn’t much brighter for renters as they are coughing up an average £20,342.

London’s Westminster remains the most expensive place to own with bills adding up to an eye-watering £12,578 per month, while Antrim in Northern Ireland is the cheapest place to own a three-bedroom home at £1,066 per month.