Household bills are going up across the board from the 1st of April. Some customers will see their water bills go up by as much as 47%, while energy bills are expected to go up by £111 a year based on the latest energy price cap. Council tax bills, broadband, road tax, and TV licence bills are also due to go up by varying amounts.
Our estimates suggest that the average household in England could see their bills go up by nearly £400 a year or around £32.50 per month. Read on to find out more about how we arrived at that figure, what bill increases you're likely to see, and what to do if you're struggling with your household bills.
Water bills up by £123 a year
The average household will pay an average of £123 a year more on water from April onwards. This represents a 26% increase from last year, with the average household expected to pay £603 for their water bills between April 2025 and April 2026.
The exact amount, however, can vary significantly depending on your supplier. Customers of Southern Water, which provides water and sewerage services, will see the biggest increase in their water bills with a 47% rise in bills expected. While the average water bill in 2024/2025 was £478, the same household can expect an annual bill of £703 from April if they're a Southern Water customer.
In contrast, customers of Sutton and East Surrey (SES) Water will see a 2% decrease in their bills. The water-only company charges the average household £254 last year and will be charging £249 per year from April onwards, resulting in a £5 decrease in bills.
Take a look at our article on water bill increases from April 2025 if you're interested in finding out more about how much your specific water bills are likely to go up by and why water bills are rising by so much in 2025.
Energy bills up by £111 a year
From April 1, 2025, the energy price cap for the average dual-fuel household will rise to £1,849 (up from £1,738 per year). This represents a 6.4% increase in bills for the average household. The price of gas will be capped at 6.99p per kWh while the price for electricity will be capped at 27.03p per kWh. The energy price cap is determined on a quarterly basis with the figures for July expected around mid-May.
Current predictions from EDF Energy show that the price cap could fall to £1,737 in July, but this isn't a guarantee and various factors, including the uncertain geopolitical climate we're facing, could mean that forecasts change ahead of July.
That said, wholesale energy prices have started stabilising in recent months, meaning that some providers are offering competitive fixed-price deals. In fact, some fixed-price energy deals are cheaper than the current energy price cap, so it may make sense to fix your energy prices.
Take a look at our article on whether you should fix your energy tariff to learn more and help you decide whether you should fix your energy prices. If you're struggling with your energy bills, take a look at our article on how to save on your energy bills.
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TV licence fees are going up by £5 a year
TV licence bills will increase by £5 per year for those with a colour TV. From April onwards, customers who want access to BBC iPlayer or who wish to watch or record live TV will see their annual bill increase from £169.50 to £174.50. Those with a black-and-white TV will see the cost of their TV license increase by £1.50 to £58.50.
If the increase is a concern, take a look at our article on how to avoid paying for a TV licence to work out whether you qualify for a free or discounted licence.
Road tax up by £5 a year for cars registered after April 2017
The flat car tax rate for vehicles registered after 2017 is £195 which represents a £5 increase on last year's £190 figure. If your car was registered before 2017, your bill may be higher or lower. The cheapest rates for cars registered before April 2017 are £20 per year while the most expensive car tax rates are £760 according to figures from the RAC.
Electric Vehicles (EVs) will need to start paying tax for the first time, too. Those registered between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2025 will need to pay the same £195 flat rate that combustion engine vehicles pay. EVs costing less than £40,000 registered after April 1, 2025 will only need to pay £10 until 2029.
All cars costing more than £40,000 will pay an additional £425 per year on top of the flat £195 rate. This rate is paid for five years starting from the second year after the car is registered.
Broadband and phone bill increases vary
The exact amount your broadband and phone bills are likely to go up by depends partially on when you took out your contract. Inflation-linked price hikes used to be the norm in the broadband and mobile space up until recently. Prices generally rose by either the CPI or RPI rate plus a set percentage in either March or April each year.
However, last year, Ofcom banned inflation-linked price rises in contracts starting from January 2025. This means that if your contract started in January 2025, any price rises will need to be set out in pounds and pence. For example, rather than stating that your broadband will go up by the CPI rate plus 3.9%, your provider might apply a flat £3 per month increase.
Many companies started introducing the pound and pence method within their contracts before the January 2025 deadline, including major providers like Vodafone, BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk and Three Broadband who all made the change between April and September last year. The vast majority of broadband providers introduced a flat £3 per month increase.
Mid-contract inflation-linked price increases may still apply if you're on an older contract. In some cases, this increase might technically work out slightly less than the flat rate increase, so you may be better off.
Because of these changes, it's hard to determine specific average amounts. That said, broadly speaking:
- Broadband customers on inflation-linked contracts are likely to see increases of between 6% to 7.5%, depending on their provider, according to data from USwitch
- Broadband customers on fixed-price rise contracts are likely to see increases ranging between £1 to £3.50 per month depending on their provider, according to the same data
- Mobile customers on inflation-linked contracts are likely to see increases of around 6.4% depending on their provider, according to data from USwitch
- Mobile customers on fixed-price rise contracts are likely to see increases ranging between 90p to £1.80 per month according to the same data
If you are unhappy with the price increases, there are steps you can take to dodge the broadband mid-contract increases in some cases. You can also use services like USwitch* to compare the best deals on the market if you are out of contract or if you can leave without early termination fees.
Most council tax bills up by 4.99% per year
Council tax bills in England can be increased by up to 4.99% if they have social care duties and 2.99% if they don't. The majority of councils have confirmed that they will be increasing their bills by the maximum amount allowed.
However, some councils will see bigger increases after the government confirmed six areas were given the permission to raise bills by a larger amount. Here's a summary of the expected increases:
- Bradford -10%
- Newham - 9%
- Windsor and Maidenhead - 9%
- Birmingham - 7.5%
- Somerset - 7.5%
- Trafford - 7.5%
The figures mean that the average Band D council tax bill in England will be £2,280, representing an increase of £109 relative to last year's average Band D bill, which was set at £2,171.
If you're worried about the increases in council tax, take a look at our article on how to save money on your council tax bill.
How much will my household bills go up from April?
We estimate that the average household will see a £389 annual increase in bills. This equates to around £32.50 per month. To arrive at this estimate, we've assumed that this is a Council tax band D household in England with a colour TV and one combustion-engine car registered after April 2017. The household is also on a fixed-price rise broadband contract. We have not included mobile contract increases in our estimate, as the exact amounts will vary based on the number of people within the household and the type of contract they're on.
Of course, everyone's circumstances are different so your average may look very different to our estimate, which is only designed as an illustration. If these increases are likely to impact you, we recommend taking a look at what to do if you're struggling to pay your household bills.
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