Specialists share how one can nonetheless beat ‘terrible April’ invoice spikes

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Your assist makes all of the distinction. Learn extra Payments went up throughout the board for households within the UK in the beginning of April. Water, vitality, council tax and extra at the moment are all demanding larger prices, as will increase in wages wrestle to maintain up for a lot of.

It appears to be like set to be a difficult 12 months for households nationwide, because the sudden affect of contemporary rises can be felt by tens of millions. The precise quantity that invoice payers can anticipate to see prices improve by will rely upon issues like their space, measurement of their family, and the way typically they use sure utilities.

Nonetheless, there are some instant methods to melt the blow of rising payments, typically in only a few simple steps. Right here’s what it is advisable to know:

Power payments

The annual family vitality invoice now sits at £1,849 for the typical family underneath Ofgem’s vitality value cap. The determine rose by 6.4 per cent on 1 April from £1,738 – a rise of £111 a 12 months.

This marked the third consecutive rise in fuel and electrical energy prices, with the typical price of vitality now up almost £300 since September. Specialists on the revered Cornwall Perception analysis group predict it'll lastly fall once more in July by simply over £100. Nonetheless, an unsure international and financial image means any early prediction is liable to vary.

The right way to decrease vitality payments

Probably the most extremely beneficial strategy to fight rising vitality payments is to think about switching to a set tariff deal, which can lock the price of your vitality in at a sure value for a interval normally set between 12 and 18 months.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/01/9/19/Martin-Lewis-shares-how-to-claim-council-tax-discount-after-April-rise.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/01/9/19/Martin-Lewis-shares-how-to-claim-council-tax-discount-after-April-rise.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=0%2C83%2C0%2C31&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/01/9/19/Martin-Lewis-shares-how-to-claim-council-tax-discount-after-April-rise.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=0%2C83%2C0%2C31&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Martin Lewis has advised all households to consider switching to a fixed energy tariff" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 cpasWE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Martin Lewis has suggested all households to think about switching to a set vitality tariff (Good Morning Britain/ITV) A number of in style corporations are at the moment providing a set deal far beneath the worth cap. E.on’s ‘Subsequent’ deal is available in at 12.4 per cent decrease than the present value cap for 14 months. In the meantime, EDF gives a repair at 12.2 per cent much less for 16 months, and with no £50 exit price for early termination.

Even Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley suggested households to think about making a swap to a set deal within the face of what he referred to as an “unwelcome” spike. His feedback echoed calls lengthy made by cash professional Martin Lewis, who gives a comparability service on his Cash Saving Professional web site.

Water payments

The common water invoice rose by an annual common of £123 on 1 April following regulator Ofwat’s value evaluation. Nonetheless, this drastically varies relying on a family’s area, which dictates its water supplier.

An annual Southern Water invoice will bounce from £224 to £703, for instance, whereas Anglian Water clients can pay £99 extra at £626.

This marks the primary stage of a 36 per cent improve in payments over the subsequent 5 years. Ofwat mentioned the rise would pay for a £104 billion improve of the water sector to ship “substantial, lasting, enhancements for patrons and the setting”.

The right way to decrease water payments

As a result of invoice payers can't choose their water suppliers like they will with fuel and electrical energy, it's tougher to decrease water payments. Nonetheless, many specialists say it's value putting in a water meter in your house to make sure correct billing.

Kevin Mountford, financial savings professional and co-founder of Raisin UK, mentioned: “A helpful rule of thumb is that it’s typically cost-effective if the variety of folks in your house is fewer than the variety of bedrooms. Putting in considered one of these gadgets may prevent round £100, in accordance with the Shopper Council for Water.

“Moreover, the WaterSure scheme caps payments for households with excessive important water use, resembling these with medical wants or massive households. Verify together with your supplier to see in case you qualify.”

The place attainable, decreasing water utilization will even all the time lead to decrease payments.

Council tax

Council tax rose by £108 on common in April after Labour confirmed payments can be allowed to extend once more by a most of 4.99 per cent. Many native authorities have opted to boost council tax by this most in 2025, as 95 per cent of eligible councils did the 12 months earlier than.

This implies the occupier of common band D property will now must pay £2,280 in council tax for 2025.

The right way to decrease a council tax invoice

Council tax is charged primarily based on the band that your property is in, however there's a attainable strategy to change this. Households in decrease bands can pay much less in council tax, so it could be value asking the council to revaluate your property and discover out whether it is in a decrease band than when it was final assessed.

For a lot of, this can have been in 1991, when the banding system was launched. Many campaigners have referred to as out this technique as being in dire want of an replace.

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Many councils have opted to boost native taxes by the utmost quantity once more in 2025 (PA Wire) Round 40,000 folks challenged the council tax band of their property in 2024, information just lately obtained by The i exhibits, with 1,000 of those securing a decrease stage. Households should be conscious although {that a} revaluation may additionally end result within the property being positioned into the next band.

There are additionally a number of reductions and exemptions that invoice payers ought to concentrate on. There may be the only particular person low cost, which cuts 25 per cent off the invoice for a solo occupier, and student-only households shouldn't be paying any council tax.

Councils additionally provide a council tax discount for households that qualify on grounds like low-income or incapacity, so it’s value enquiring together with your native authority.

TV licence

TV licence charges went up by £5 in April, that means the price of a typical color licence went from £169.50 to £174.50.

For individuals who wish to watch or file reside TV or use BBC iPlayer, this price is unavoidable and never paying it's a legal offence, which normally carries a hefty effective.

Nonetheless, a TV licence is just not required for individuals who wish to watch non-live tv on streaming providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+. Any family with a member aged 75 or over and in receipt of pension credit score may apply for a free licence.