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Inflation soars to highest for more than a year on ‘awful April’ bill increases

21 May 2025 2 minute read
Photo Yui Mok/PA Wire

UK inflation surged to its highest level for more than a year last month after households were hit by a raft of “awful April” bill increases, official figures have revealed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation hit 3.5% in April, up from 2.6% in March and the highest since January 2024.

Bills

Economists had been expecting a rise to 3.3% last month.

It comes after Ofgem’s energy price cap rose by 6.4% in April, having fallen a year earlier, alongside a raft of bill rises for under-pressure households, including steep increases to water charges, council tax, mobile and broadband tariffs.

ONS acting director-general Grant Fitzner said: “Significant increases in household bills caused inflation to climb steeply.

“Gas and electricity bills rose this month compared with sharp falls at the same time last year due to changes to the Ofgem energy price cap.

“Water and sewerage bills also rose strongly this year, as did vehicle excise duty, which all pushed the headline rate up to its highest level since the beginning of last year.”

‘Grim’

The Welsh Liberal Democrats describes the inflation levels as a “triple whammy”.

Westminster spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: “Today’s grim figures reveal a triple whammy on Welsh households – resulting from the UK Government’s disastrous jobs tax, Donald Trump’s devastating tariffs and April’s damaging business rates bill rises.

“Ministers cannot allow inflation to spiral as it did under the Conservatives, but they risk repeating their record for as long as the employer’s National Insurance hike remains in place. Just this week, we saw Welsh unemployment rise by 1.8%.

“It’s high time the Government saw sense and put in place a proper plan to boost our economy: scrapping the jobs tax, standing with our allies to end Trump’s trade war, and urgently negotiating a new customs union with the EU. We must see bold action to deliver relief for millions of hard-pressed households.”


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Frank
Frank
1 month ago

3.5%???? When I see price increases in the shops it is not 3.5%. It’s more like 20% and more. Things do not only go up by 3.5 pence in the pound any more!! Water rates up nearly 30%, Council Tax up 9%, Electricity and Gas up to 10%, Weekly Shopping up 20 -30%, Car and Household Insurance up 30-40% and more, etc. etc. I cannot name anything that has only gone up 3.5%.

Barry
Barry
30 days ago
Reply to  Frank

3.5% is an average across 700 products and services in the ONS shopping basket.

Some stuff has gone up, other stuff has dropped in price. Even in the supermarket you’re noticing the big hikes but not the goods that have got cheaper.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/usingpublicdatatoproducestatistics/learningaboutdata/learnmoreaboutwhoweareandwhatwedo/whatisinflationandhowdowecalculateit

Last edited 30 days ago by Barry

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