Charities say 'help is available' as bills rise during 'Awful April'
Ministers say there is now a higher minimum wage and more money in pensions to help offset some of the increases - and below we've gone through the help available for each type of rising bill
Many of Devon's 6,000 registered charities and community groups expect to get busier as what's been dubbed 'Awful April' gets underway.
Some households could see council tax, energy, water, TV Licence, mobile and broadband charges all rising.
Natalie Campbell is from Devon Communities Together which has energy champions to offer one-to-one advice.
She said: "We do a great array of things from supporting village halls and community buildings - which are often a really key central asset to rural and coastal communities but they need help themselves.
“We would always say to people to go and check out what's going on in their halls as they're providing warm spaces, food hubs and lots of different things to support communities particularly in times of need.
"We do one-to-one guidance for energy advice so we'll be supporting people either at community events or one-to-one sessions or run group sessions around how to reduce your energy bills - also, how to get insulation and how to get other utilities such as water bills and things down and how people can support themselves to reduce their bills ongoing."
A spokesperson for Exmouth Food Bank, who we will be hearing from later today, warned the impact of today’s rises will likely be felt in a month’s time as some households feel their budgets being squeezed.
What demos are taking place today?
Today the Unite Union is staging a series of demos across the West Country including in Glastonbury, Camborne and Bristol as part of its 'Unite Energy 4 All campaign to demand that nobody should choose between heating or eating'.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It's time to end the chaos in our energy network, which allows profiteers to flourish while workers and communities are left in the cold.
"No one should ever have to choose between heating and eating. We believe it is time for public ownership and for fuel poverty to be consigned to the dustbin of history.”
Unite believe energy regulator Ofgem has totally failed to regulate our nation's energy market. The latest 6.4 per cent rise adds £111 to the energy price cap, a cap that climbs ever higher while Unite members struggle with ever increasing energy costs.
Simon Coop, Unite’s National Officer for Energy & Utilities said: “Unite is unique as a Trade Union in organising in the workplace and the community, and our Industrial members in the Energy sector are right behind Unite Community’s day of action.
“OFGEM have failed to protect consumers. For too long they have sided with the profiteering energy companies over the most vulnerable in our country and we stand in full support of the campaign against fuel poverty and for public ownership of our energy sector.”
What else are campaigners saying?
A coalition of 35 leading businesses, charities and energy groups is calling for Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to act swiftly to cut bills by changing green levies. In a letter to Miliband, the group says the Government must stop making electricity so expensive if they want people to switch away from fossil fuels like gas. the move has been led by Electrify Britain, a campaign to promote energy security and the affordability of electric appliances. The letter is signed by organisations like National Energy Action and Citizens Advice alongside power companies E.On, Ovo and Octopus.
An average home pays £250 over the year in levies, which raises money for environmental, social and industrial policy schemes, the group says. Homes with a gas boiler pay £200 in levies on electricity but only £52 on gas, despite consuming four times more gas than electricity in terms of units of energy.
If green levies were removed entirely, homes with electric storage heaters - which tend to be in smaller flats - would see a £300 saving. Those using only direct electric heating, which includes many of the homes in fuel poverty, would save up to £450. The Conservative-chaired Public Accounts Committee has already criticised the Government for delaying levy reform and called on the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to set out a timeline for implementing the policy.
The options for levy reform include funding them more progressively out of the Treasury. Camilla Born, CEO of Electrify Britain, said: "The only way to genuinely cut bills is to get new, cleaner, smarter tech into people's homes. Britain can't control the price of fossil fuels even with oil and gas production at home. The Government needs to get real, stop propping up volatile gas and start embracing the modern tech which benefits from home-grown clean energy we can control."
Former Conservative Energy Minister Graham Stuart MP said: "Huge levies on electricity bills make no sense and punish people. We need to grasp the nettle, reform the levies and stop delaying this vital policy.
The Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, Pippa Heylings MP, said: "We call on the Government to urgently consult on reforming energy levies to make electricity cheaper. This could help save hundreds of pounds a year, protect families and businesses from the volatility of fossil fuel prices under the control of authoritarian regimes, and get us back on track with our climate targets."
What has Citizens' Advice said?
Citizens Advice said those on the lowest incomes were "already stretched to breaking point" even before "awful April" sees price hikes on everything from energy to council tax.
Households in the lowest 10% for income were already spending around two fifths (41%) of their earnings - after housing - on water, energy, broadband and car insurance bills, according to a study into social tariffs by the charity in partnership with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and Policy in Practice.
This compared to 11% for those on middle incomes, with those in the top 10% for income spending just 5%.
The study found single-adult households, and particularly those with children, were more likely than other groups to be spending 20% or more of their post-housing income on these bills, leaving them more exposed to price shocks.
The IPPR said well-targeted social tariffs and bill support schemes across water, energy, broadband and car insurance markets could save households hundreds of pounds a year. Citizens Advice chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty said: "After years of cost-of-living pressures, households across the country are about to feel the extra shock of rising essential bills. But for those on the lowest incomes, these unavoidable costs are already eating away at their finances, leaving their budgets stretched beyond breaking point.
"Social tariffs could be an effective safety net and put money back in people's pockets, but the Government and providers must work together to make sure nobody struggling to make ends meet misses out.
What else is happening?
High street banks will be on high alert for customers they think are at risk of falling into financial difficulty as April bill rises kick in. Energy costs, water bills and council tax are some of the expenses which will be going up for many households.
High street banks have stepped up efforts in recent years to provide tools, resources and trained staff to help those in need of financial support, especially in response to the cost-of-living crisis when demand for services increased. This also saw lenders getting in touch with customers they felt might be struggling, or about to face difficulty.
Tom Snodgrass, the head of business management, financial support for Santander UK, said: "We are committed to helping our customers through more challenging times, and would urge anyone who is feeling under pressure ahead of the upcoming April price increases - whether that be with their water bills, energy bills, or everyday finances - to talk to us as soon as possible so we can discuss the best solutions."
Here is a list of what is going up, and what you can do to make sure you pay as little as possible.
- Energy
Ofgem's latest increase to the energy price cap will add £9.25 a month or £111 to the annual bill of an average household which pays by direct debit, which already currently stands at £1,738.
The unit price of gas is increasing from 6.34p per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 6.99p per kWh, and electricity is going up from 24.86p/kWh to 27.03p/kWh.
Households are urged to send an accurate meter reading to ensure that all energy they use before the higher prices come into effect is billed at the lower rate.
It is also sensible to check if it would be worth switching to a fixed tariff, which works by locking in a set rate for gas and electricity for a specific period such as 12 months.
These deals are becoming increasingly common across energy firms, but consumers need to check for exit fees.
To find the right tariff, households should consider all options, including cheaper variable tariffs - a tracker product that changes daily based on wholesale cost - or time-of-use tariffs that can benefit those charging electric vehicles overnight or who want to take better advantage of off-peak rates.
- Water
Households in England and Wales will see their water bills increase by an "extortionate" average of £86 over the next year alone.
Regulator Ofwat has allowed companies to raise average bills by 36%, or £157 in total, over the next five years, to £597 by 2030, to help finance a £104 billion upgrade for the sector.
Some firms have been allowed significantly higher increases. Southern Water customers will face a 53% increase and Severn Trent households will see their bills rise by 47%, before inflation.
However, despite the average £31-a-year rise, households will be hit particularly hard from April, with an average increase of £86 or 20% front-loaded into the coming year, with smaller percentage increases in each of the next four years.
Unlike gas and electricity suppliers, households cannot choose which company supplies their water, meaning they must either absorb the financial hit or consider ways to reduce their consumption.
- Council tax
Millions of households will see a jump in their annual council tax bills from April 1, with most local authorities in England increasing a typical band D bill by 5% - an increase of £109 to £2,280 from the 2024-25 figure of £2,171 - although some councils have permission to impose hikes of up to 10%.
They are Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, Newham in east London, Bradford in West Yorkshire, Birmingham, Somerset, and Trafford in Greater Manchester.
Bills in Wales will rise by about 4.5% to 9.5%, and in Scotland the jump will typically be at least 8%, though this is the first increase in two years after a freeze in 2024-25.
Council tax is set by the value of a home. The average value home is in band D.
If you think your property is in the wrong band it might be worth requesting a revaluation, but be aware there is a risk it could be placed into a higher band rather than a lower one.
It is also worth speaking to the council about what support is available for those who are struggling or on lower incomes.
- Mobile and broadband
Some customers will see rises in line with inflation, while others may face fixed hikes depending on when they signed up or upgraded.
For those on inflation-linked contracts, broadband prices will rise by an average of £21.99 annually, with some newer plans seeing increases of up to £42 a year, according to Uswitch.
Mobile users face similar increases, with an average increase of £15.90 for inflation-linked contracts, and up to £48 for newer deals.
Broadband customers should check their contract status to see if it is possible to switch without incurring a penalty. Switching to a new broadband deal after the initial contract has ended could save up to £180 a year.
Vodafone, Virgin Media and Community Fibre are some of the providers freezing prices until 2026 for those who switch before the April increases.
Mobile customers can text INFO to 85075 to check the status of their contract and any exit fees, or consider lowering their data plan to save money.
- TV licence
April's increases will see the price of a standard colour TV licence rise by £5 to £174.50 a year. The price of a black and white licence will also go up from £57 to £58.50.
You can claim a free TV licence if you are 75 or older and claim pension credit, or live with a partner who receives the benefit, by calling 0300 790 6071.
- Car tax
The standard rate of tax for cars registered after April 2017 will rise to £195 from the start of April, an increase of £5. Some owners may pay more, or less, if their car was first registered before 2017.
The rate is dependent on when a car was first registered and the type of fuel it consumes.
Owners of electric vehicles (EVs) will be subject to car tax for the first time. Any EVs registered since April 2025 will be subject to the lowest rate of tax of £10 in the first year, before moving to the standard rate of £195.