Ready for April's bill sting

APRIL is just three weeks away and households are bracing themselves for the usual round of price hikes to essential household bills.

- Harvey Jones

Energy, council tax, water, broadband and mobile phone bills are all set to rise, leaving many struggling to keep up.

Almost three quarters of us are worried about the cost with more than four in 10 cutting back on essentials such as heating and food.

Fiona Peake, consumer money expert at Ocean Finance, which carried out the research, warned: "April is shaping up to be an expensive month."

From next month, the Ofgem price cap will increase the average annual gas and electricity bill by £111 to £1,849 a year.

Many councils are raising tax by up to 4.99 per cent, meaning Band D households could pay around £100 extra per year.