Overview

• Energy bills for a typical household rise by 6.4%, adding £111 annually, as Ofgem's new price cap takes effect.
• Water bills increase by an average of 26%, or £123 annually, with some regions seeing hikes as high as 47%.
• Council tax bills climb by an average of 4.99%, adding £108 annually, with some councils imposing even higher increases.
• Broadband and mobile phone bills rise for many, with average annual increases of £21.99 and £15.90 respectively for inflation-linked contracts.
• The national living wage increases by 6.7%, raising the hourly rate for workers aged 21 and over to £12.21, but critics argue it is insufficient to offset rising household costs.