April is bumper bill rise month which means most households will be facing bill hikes on everything from water and energy to council tax, mobile and broadband.
Here’s some of my moneysaving tips to help beat those price hikes.
Water bills
Household water bills will go up by an average of £127 a year, that’s around £10 a month, according to Water UK.
You can’t switch suppliers, as you’re stuck with the one in your area, but there’s still lots of ways to save.
If you’re on the ‘water rates’ system, savings could be made by switching to a meter. As a rough guide, if there’s more bedrooms than people in your home, (or the same number), you may be able to save money using a meter.
Speak to your supplier. It’s free to have a meter fitted, and if you don’t save money, you can switch back free of charge.
You can often get free water saving devices from your supplier, including shower timers, eco friendly shower heads and bags to pop in your toilet cistern to save water as you flush. All you need to do is ask!
If you claim certain benefits, have a meter and need to use lots of water for medical reasons, or have a large family, you can apply to have bills ‘capped’ under the WaterSure scheme. Speak to your supplier for details.
Energy bills
The energy price cap will rise by just over 6%, (6.4%), from April 1. Set by Ofgem, the energy regulator, it caps the price energy suppliers can charge for each unit of energy and changes every three months.
It will affect households in England, Scotland and Wales who pay their supplier’s ‘default’ or standard tariff, not those on fixed deals.
When it comes to how much more you’ll pay, as a rough guide, for every £100 you spend on energy right now, you’ll pay £106 from April.
Cheaper fixed deals have been coming back on the market, and some suppliers are offering the chance to lock in to rates with a penalty free exit.
No need to do the number crunching – easiest way to look for better deals is through comparison sites such as Uswitch
If you’re in credit on your energy account, you can ask your supplier for the money back, and with most of us using less energy, (especially for heating) during the Summer, can boost your bank balance.
Council tax
Council tax bills go up from April with some households seeing increases of a whopping 10%, so worth checking if you can claim a discount or you could even get a council tax exemption.
If you live by yourself you can claim a 25% reduction. If you’re claiming benefits, such as Pension Credit, you may be due a reduction and if you, or someone in your household has a disability, you may be eligible to pay a cheaper band of council tax, under the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme.
Contact your local council to find out more and how to apply.
Mobile, TV and broadband
Most providers usually put their prices up from April 1, which means you’ll be paying more for the same service.
Under Ofcom rules, new customers must be told how any increase stacks up in pounds and pence. However if you’re already tied into a contract, you’ll be stuck with whatever’s in the small print.
Shop around for a better deal, ideally two months before your contract ends, as you’ll usually have to give 30 days notice, even when your contract ends.
Haggle! Calling up and asking for a better deal can slash your bill. Trick is to ask for ‘disconnections’ or ‘retentions’ or just press the ‘thinking of leaving us’ button.
This gets you through to the ‘power people’ as I call them, who have the authority to give the biggest discounts to keep you as a customer.
TV Licence
A colour TV licence goes up by £5 to £174.50 from April 1, but some people may be able to get a free one.
Anyone aged 75 or over, claiming Pension Credit, or living with a partner who claims it, can get a free licence.
But you do need to apply for your free licence – all you need to know here.
Stamp duty
This tax only applies if you’re buying property, but the rules change on April 1st.
Means house buyers in England and Northern Ireland will then have to pay stamp duty when buying property over £125,000, instead of the current threshold of £250,000.
First time buyers don’t currently pay stamp duty on homes up to £425,000, but from April this limit falls to £300,000.
Tax rules are different for Wales and Scotland. No way to avoid this, unless you’re able to complete before the 1 April deadline.