8 ways to beat BIGGER bills

Get clever with cash

- BY GRAHAM HISCOTT Business and Consumer Editor and LEVI WINCHESTER

COST of living-clobbered households have been hit by an average £214-a-year jump in four essential bills alone.

The total increase in water, council tax, telecoms (broadband and mobile bills) and a TV licence comes to an estimated £6.85billion, says price experts Uswitch.

Many other costs are also set to rise, in what has been dubbed Awful April. But that doesn't mean you have to sit back and take the bill hikes. Here are some tips on...

WATER

Water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of 5.4% from April - adding around £33 to annual costs.

This will bring the average yearly bill to £639, according to Water UK.

If you're on a low income, check whether you qualify for a social tariff, which is a discounted rate. Who is eligible and the level of support varies depending on the firm.

Thomas Gibbons, an adviser at Money Wellness, which provides free money advice, says: "Many water companies offer social tariffs, discounts, or bill caps based on income, household size or essential usage.

“Households that ask proactively can save a couple of hundred pounds a year, and sometimes much more.”

If you have no meter and live in England and Wales then your water bill is still based on the rateable value of your home as it was in 1990.

All new homes since then have been fitted with water meters, and you can ask to get one for free, though it is not always practical.