Price increase: the areas worst affected by national council, car tax, TV licence rises of Awful April 2025
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- Millions of Brits face a £450+ increase in household bills starting April 1
- Water, energy, and council tax hikes are the main drivers of the surge
- Some areas will be hit much harder, with bill increases over £540
- A ‘postcode lottery’ sees certain regions facing higher price surges
Millions of Brits are facing a significant financial blow as household bills rise by an average of £450 from April 1 - and the areas worst hit by the increases have been revealed.
Thanks to a ‘postcode lottery’, some families in the worst-hit areas will see their costs surge by more than £540, while others will experience much smaller rises.
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Hide AdResearch by money-saving tool Nous.co has found that a typical household will be £450.75 worse off due to increases in energy, water, council tax, mobile, broadband, and entertainment subscriptions.
This marks a substantial increase compared to last year, when the impact of rising bills was softened by a fall in the energy price cap.
Read more: How much are average UK household water, energy, council tax, and utility bills going up?
One of the biggest drivers of this year’s price hikes is water bills, which are set to rise by an average of £123 - the steepest increase since the water industry was privatised. Households will also see notable average increases in:
- Energy bills: +£111
- Mobile phone contracts: +£43.20
- Broadband services: +£36
- Council tax: +£109*
- Entertainment subscriptions: +£29
(*Council tax increases vary by local authority)
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Hide AdWhich areas will be worst hit by ‘Awful April’?
The impact of these increases varies significantly across the country, with some regions being hit much harder than others. The biggest price surges are being driven by steep water bill increases and exceptionally high council tax rises.
For instance, residents in Brighton & Hove will see their household bills soar by £542, the highest increase in the UK. A major factor behind this rise is the £224 annual hike imposed by Southern Water.
But several other regions are facing similarly sharp rises, particularly where local water suppliers have introduced large price increases alongside above-average council tax hikes.
Five areas with the highest Awful April impact
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Hide Ad| Brighton & Hove | Isle of Wight Council | Southampton | Medway | Bradford | |
| Council tax* | £98.70 | £95.23 | £90.45 | £87.56 | £170.02 |
| Water | £224.00 | £224.00 | £224.00 | £224.00 | £136.00 |
| Mobile | £43.20 | £43.20 | £43.20 | £43.20 | £43.20 |
| Broadband | £36.00 | £36.00 | £36.00 | £36.00 | £36.00 |
| Energy | £111.00 | £111.00 | £111.00 | £111.00 | £111.00 |
| TV licence | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 |
| Netflix | £24.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 |
| TOTAL | £541.90 | £538.43 | £533.65 | £530.76 | £525.22 |
On the other hand, some areas will experience more manageable increases due to lower council tax rises and smaller hikes in water charges.
In the London Borough of Wandsworth, households will see a rise of £380, significantly below the national average. Wandsworth benefits from the lowest council tax in the country, which is rising at a far slower rate than in other areas.
Five areas with the lowest Awful April impact
| North East Lincolnshire | Darlington | Cumberland | Sunderland | Wandsworth | |
| Council tax* | £74.72 | £93.11 | £90.66 | £85.77 | £9.95 |
| Water | £99.00 | £79.00 | £79.00 | £79.00 | £151.00 |
| Mobile | £43.20 | £43.20 | £43.20 | £43.20 | £43.20 |
| Broadband | £36.00 | £36.00 | £36.00 | £36.00 | £36.00 |
| Energy | £111.00 | £111.00 | £111.00 | £111.00 | £111.00 |
| TV licence | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 |
| Netflix | £24.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 |
| TOTAL | £393.92 | £391.31 | £388.86 | £383.97 | £380.15 |
*Council tax price rises are based on forecasts
Greg Marsh, household finance expert and CEO of household money-saving tool Nous.co, said: “Households are being hit by another Awful April this year, leaving them hundreds of pounds worse off.
“The combination of water, energy, council tax and more all rising on the same day adds up to serious money.
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Hide Ad“And thanks to an unfair postcode lottery, families in certain areas will be thumped even harder, while others will get away with more manageable increases to their bills.
“With all of us set to lose out on such significant sums, it’s crucial we don’t end up overpaying. Unfortunately, nine out of 10 of us are doing just that. No wonder – staying on top of this stuff is boring, complicated and stressful.
“At Nous, we typically save customers hundreds of pounds a year on bills because they let things slip, and just didn’t realise they were paying so much more than they needed to.”
Are you feeling the impact of these price hikes in your area? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section.
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