Five things that will become more expensive during ‘awful April’

Personal FinanceLifestyle
31 Mar 2026 • 4:28 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  1. Council tax across England is rising by an average of 5 per cent for the fourth consecutive year, with the average Band D property facing an increase of £111.
  2. Household water bills in England and Wales are set to climb by an average of 5.4 per cent, adding £33 annually, with some regional variations seeing much higher increases.
  3. Broadband providers are hiking prices by almost £50 per year, with one in four customers free to leave and already paying between £7 and £9 a month more than in-contract customers.
  4. While millions of mobile phone customers out of contract will also be paying more, though they are free to switch providers.
  5. While diesel prices have reached their most expensive level since December 2022 – the RAC said the average price of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts on Monday was 181.2p.

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