Millions of British households brace for wave of price increases in 'awful April'

Millions of households are bracing themselves for price increases across a range of bills - from energy and water to car tax and the TV licence - that take effect today.

- Rupert Jones

With so many costs rising at once - prompting some to label this month "awful April" - the government is facing fresh calls to take action to limit the impact of some of the increases. The Liberal Democrats said ministers needed to "get a grip" on energy bills.

Consumer groups are offering advice on ways to cut costs, such as switching to a cheaper fixed energy deal.

The cost of gas and electricity is one of the biggest outlays for most households, and the cap on energy costs, which is set every three months by the industry regulator Ofgem, is going up by 6.4% - or £111 - today. That takes the average annual bill to £1,849 for a typical dual-fuel household on a standard variable tariff.

This increase - the third in a row - means households will be paying about £600 a year more for their gas and electricity than before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. About 9m homes that buy their energy through variable tariffs will see an immediate impact on their bills.