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April 1 is being dubbed ‘National Price Hike Day’ as increased charges for everything from a TV licence to a first-class stamp come into force.
While the start of this month is more commonly known as April Fools’ Day, households aren’t likely to find much to laugh about in the number of items, bills and services becoming more expensive – and here are seven charges you might have to pay:
Dental charges
The struggle to find an NHS dentist has been well publicised, but for those fortunate enough to be on the books of a dental practice, charges for treatment will cost more after April 1.
Prices are increasing by around 4%. This will take band one treatments, like check-ups, from £25.80 to £26.80. A band two filling will increase from £70.70 to £73.50 while band three treatments such as the fitting of dentures will increase from £306.80 to £319.10.
TV licence fee
The cost of an annual standard colour TV licence rises to £169.50 on April 1. This is a jump of £10.50 on the current price of £159.
The cost of a TV licence for a black and white set – still watched by more than 4,000 UK households according to figures released in 2022 – will increase from £53.50 to £57.
Broadband, mobile phone and TV bills
Customers may pay up to 8.8% more for their broadband, phone or pay TV from this spring. Many of the major providers, including BT, EE, O2, Sky and Virgin, have confirmed planned price rises from April.
Their announcements have sparked anger among some consumer groups, which say they want to see an end to above-inflation and mid-contract price hikes.
Council tax
Council tax payments increase from April 1 as local authorities opt to charge more for their services. In Bishop’s Stortford, from today, a band D household’s bill rises by £98.75 (4.7%) from £2,101.91 to £2,200.66 for the year ahead.
Most councils in England were expected to hike charges to the maximum threshold (which is 4.99% for those with social care responsibilities) as cash-strapped authorities battle to balance the books.
Police, the fire and rescue service and district, town and parish councils also demand a share.
Stamps
The price of a stamp will go up again in April, says the Royal Mail, because of higher costs and a reduced demand for letters.
The charges for a first- and second-class stamp will increase by 10p to £1.35 and 85p respectively from Tuesday April 2, when firms return to work after the Easter break.
A year ago, a first-class stamp cost 95p.
Water bills
Households will see water and sewerage charges rise in most areas of England, Scotland and Wales from April – but those prices will vary depending on where you live and your supplier.
The average expected increase is around £28 a year, which, says Water UK, will take an average yearly bill to £473.
In return for the extra cash, major investment is being promised to cut leaks, stop sewage spills and increase reservoir capacity.
In slightly better news when it comes to utilities – energy bills are expected to come down from April 1 thanks to a reduction in the price cap.
Car tax
As part of this year’s spring Budget the Chancellor confirmed that vehicle excise duty (VED) would be increasing in line with inflation. This means that millions of motorists will need to pay more for their car tax from April 1.
If, says the RAC, your vehicle was first registered on or after April 1, 2017, the annual standard car tax will increase by £10 to £190. But ultimately, the exact fee that you pay will come down to the year your car was first registered and the fuel it takes.
Most electric cars continue to qualify for free road tax – but this is expected to change in 2025 when VED prices will be handed to EVs for the first time.
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