April 1 has been coined National Price Hike Day and for good reason as prices for everything from Council tax to Broadband bills are on the rise. 

Traditionally, governmental bodies and private companies increase the cost of goods and services ahead of the new financial year.

The tax year officially ends on April 5 this year which means that April 6 is the first official date of the 2024.25 tax season. 

Here's everything on the rise in April from your mobile phone bill to your dentist appointments to help you be as prepared as you can be. 

Broadband and mobile bills

Come April 1, many mobile phone and broadband contracts will increase by 7.9%.

This is the case, even if you are already midway through your contract.

The majority of providers have mid-contract price rises written into the terms and conditions of the contract you sign. 

These increases are due to the Consumer Price Index which is the measure of inflation that monitors the change in price of more than 700 goods and services.

Goods and service providers will then add their price rise which is most commonly 3.9 percentage points. 

In a normal year, your broadband bill will likely rise by between 4-5% but this year, since inflation is higher, it will be closer to 8%.

BT, EE, Plusnet and Vodafone customers will be charged 7.9% more from April after they pinned their prices to December's inflation figures and added the industry's common practice of 3.9%

However, Virgin Media and O2 customers are facing an even higher rise since these are the only two large providers who tie their prices to the Retail Price Index.

RPI is another measure of inflation, which is usually higher than the CPI.

Since the RPI rate was 4.9% in January and these companies have equally added a 3.9% rise of their own, Virgin Media and O2 customers will be hit with an 8.8% rise. 

Sky TV and broadband customers will also see price increases since bills will rise on average of 6.7% more from April 1.

Council Tax

In England, Council tax will rise by 5% for most people from April 1.

Meanwhile, in some parts of Wales, people could see council tax bill increases of as high as 21%.

Most people who live in councils who are responsibile for social care in England will see their bills rise by the maximum of 4.99%.

In areas where they don't oversee social care, the rise for most will be 2.99%.

Birmingham City Council, which has declared effective bankruptcy, has been permitted to hike council tax by 21% over two years.

This is as a result of a black hole caused partly by equal pay claims and a botched IT systems rollout.

Meanwhile, Council tax has been frozen by the devolved government in Scotland and Northern Ireland uses a rating system instead of council tax which could also see increases.

Dentist

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced changes to dental patient charges in England from April 1.

The rises will vary depending on the court on treatment and whether it's an emergency visit.

It's broken down as follows:

  • Band 1 course of treatment and emergency visits £26.80
  • Band 2 course of treatment £73.50
  • Band 3 course of treatment £319.10


Patients with NHS courses of treatment opened prior to April 1 have been advised that they will still pay the charges on their original treatment plan.

Patients who are exempt will not be affected however dentists have been encouraged to ask patients to check if they are exempt.

This comes after a number of patients on contribution-related benefits such as universal credit, ESA and pension credit received £100 fines.

You can check your eligibility via the NHS Business Services Authority website.

Patients in England have also been advised that hygienist fees will also increase on April 1 2024 to £58.00 for a 30-minute session in line with the NHS price rise. 

These will change regardless of previous treatment plans signed.

NHS dental charges will also increase in the rest of the UK.

In Wales, the three standard charges will increase to between £20.00 and £260.00 depending on the treatment required, and urgent treatment will increase to £30.00.

Fees for NHS dentist treatment increased in Scotland in November following the introduction of a revised payment system.

Road tax

Road Tax or Vehicle Excise Duty will rise in line with the RPI from April 1.

The news was initially announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement in November 2023.

For cars registered after April 1 2017, it means the tax is likely to rise from its current level of £180 per year to approximately £190 per year.

However, older vehicles or vehicles which emit higher levels of carbon dioxide do pay more. 

HMRC has said: “Increasing vehicle excise duty rates by RPI in tax year 2024-25 will ensure that VED receipts are maintained in real terms and that motorists make a fair contribution to the public finances.”

Social Housing

The CPI rate of inflation in September - 6.7% - has been used to determine the yearly rise in rents. 

The limit for the 2024/25 will be 6.7% plus an additional 1%.

Stamps

The price of stamps will rise again in April following the impact of higher costs and the lower demand for letters.

The price of a first-class and second-class stamp will increase by 10p to £1.35 and 85p respectively from April 2.

A year ago, a first-class stamp cost 95p before being hiked to £1.10 in April 2023, before another 15p increase in October last year.

TV

On top of mobile and broadband contract rises, many people will see rises in their subscription TV services from April.

For instance, EE is increasing the cost of its subscription television service by 7.9%.

Meanwhile, Virgin Media’s 8.8% increase also covers its subscription television service. 

From April 1, Sky will increase its prices by an average of 6.7% for television customers from April 1.

As for TV licences, the annual cost of a TV Licence will rise to £169.50 from April 1 which is up from £159. 

Train fares

Train passengers will also see rail fares rise by 8.7% in April for those in Scotland.

This comes after the Scottish government argued that previous fare freezes were not sustainable. 

It follows the rise of train fares in England of 4.9% from March 3.

Water bills

In England and Wales, water bills will rise by 6% in order to fund a “record investment” of £14.4bn.

The increase comes as water companies promise to “significantly reduce the amount of sewage in rivers and seas” as well as provide “world class” drinking water. 

David Henderson, chief executive of Water UK, the water companies lobby group, said: “Next year will see record levels of investment from water companies to secure the security of our water supply in the future and significantly reduce the amount of sewage in rivers and seas.

“Up and down the country customers will see the results of this investment with more than 2,000 kilometres of pipes being repaired or replaced and more capacity to treat sewage than ever before.”

Recommended reading

A typical annual bill will increase by £28 to £473.

It's important to note that the exact amount will vary on where you live and who your water provider is.

Meanwhile, Scottish Water has also confirmed an 8.% rise from the beginning of April.

The publicly-owned company defended the rise by claiming it was needed to fund “significant investment”.