Households in England are about to be hit by huge rises in bills for household essentials, as companies start to raise prices every year on April 1.

Prices for council tax, road tax, broadband, mobile, water and even postage stamps will all rise significantly, with people being urged to check the savings by comparing companies and investigating whether they are entitled to any discounts.

Here are all the changes expected around April 1:

Council tax rises by an average of £106

Council tax will rise by an average of £106 a year this year as local authorities seek to maximize revenue to pay for struggling frontline services.

According to statistics released by the Department of Housing and Community Upgrade, the average cost of a Class D property will increase by 5% to £2,171.

Council tax in Wales continues to rise, from around 5% in Torfaen to more than 11% in Pembrokeshire, but the SNP has pledged to freeze council tax across Scotland until 2025.

Water bills to rise by £27 a year

From April 1, the average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales will rise by 6% to £473 a year.

Wessex Water and Anglian Water are at the top, with average bills set to increase to £548 and £529 respectively, while Northumberland customers will have the lowest average bill at £422.

British Water said the money raised from the increase can only be used to improve water and sewerage systems, and the regulator will automatically reduce water bills if bills are not paid.

David Henderson, chief executive of British Water, said: “Next year, water companies will invest at a record high to secure future water supplies and significantly reduce the amount of sewage in rivers and seas.”

He said anyone with concerns should contact their water company and reassure customers that the company will never cut off anyone’s power or “put them on a prepaid meter”.

Broadband costs rise 7.9%

Most broadband deals and mobile phone contracts will rise by a “completely unacceptable” 7.9% on April 1.

Many of the biggest broadband companies – such as BT, EE, Plusnet, Shell Energy, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone – increase prices every April based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or Retail Price Index (RPI) – announced as They were 4% and 4.9% respectively in February, with additional increases of 3%, 3.7% or 3.9%.

Uswitch calculates that the price increase will cost individual consumers an average of around £27.19 per year in broadband bills and £24.23 in mobile bills.

Richard Neudegg, regulatory director at Uswitch.com, said: “Hopefully, Ofcom is currently considering a new ban on inflation-linked and percentage-based price increases.

“All mobile and broadband customers should check that they are on contract and consider switching to a cheaper deal as soon as they can prevent overpayments.

“This is especially true for people who haven’t moved in the past 18 or 24 months, as it’s likely you’re at or near the end of your contract and there will be cheaper options.

Similar to broadband and mobile contracts, EE has increased the cost of its subscription TV service by 7.9%. EE TV (formerly BT TV) allows customers to access free-to-air channels as well as premium channels such as TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport).

Our research shows switching providers could slash your broadband, pay TV and mobile bills by up to £187 if your contract ends

Natalie Hitchens, which one?

Virgin Media’s 8.8% price increase also extends to its subscription TV services, while Sky will increase prices for TV customers by an average of 6.7% from April 1.

TV license will increase by £10.50

Separately, from April 1, the annual fee for a TV license will rise from £159 to £169.50, with viewers required to pay to watch or record live TV on any channel, regardless of device. This includes watching anything via BBC iPlayer.

Road tax to increase by at least £10 a year

The government confirmed in its Autumn Statement that from April 1, vehicle excise duty or road tax will increase in line with the RPI.

For cars registered after 1 April 2017, this means tax could rise from the current £180 per year to around £190 per year. However, older vehicles or those with higher CO2 emissions will pay more.

Even stamps are going up by 10p

Stamp prices will rise on April 2, with first class stamps rising 10p to £1.35 and second class stamps rising 10p to 85p.

NHS dental costs to rise by 4%

Fees for UK patients will rise by 4%, meaning the cost of a standard test will increase by £1 to £26.80.

NHS dental services are free for all children under 19, and are also free for pregnant women or people on certain benefits.

…but at least energy bills are falling as Ofgem lowers price caps

On a more positive note, average household energy bills will fall to their lowest point in two years from April 1 after Ofgem reduced price caps based on wholesale prices.

The regulator will cut the price cap for a typical dual-fuel home in England, Scotland and Wales by 12.3% to £1,690 from the current £1,928, a reduction of £238 over a year and around £20 a month.

Natalie Hitchens, which one? The head of home products and services said: “Millions of people will face price rises from April 1, including on their broadband, mobile, water and council tax bills, just weeks after many saw their train fares rise. .

“However, in the face of rising prices, there are ways to reduce costs and keep household bills as low as possible.

“Our research shows that switching providers can slash your broadband, pay TV and mobile bills by up to £187 if your contract expires. It’s also worth checking if you’re eligible for council tax relief and if you can save money by having a water meter installed .”

A Treasury spokesman said: “Our decisive action means inflation has more than halved to 3.4% and is expected to fall back to the 2% target within the next three months, a full year earlier than expected. This can protect the country Families everywhere are protected from higher costs.

“Thanks to the changes in the Autumn Statement and the second national insurance tax cut in April, we are putting £900 a year back into the pockets of ordinary workers. This is one of the largest cost-of-living support schemes in Europe in recent years, between 2022 and 2025 The average UK home is worth £3,800.”