{ "meta": { "site_name": "Tariff Tracker", "tagline": "Every price you are charged, and the day it changes.", "updated": "2026-08-26", "region": "United Kingdom" }, "verticals": [ { "bench": { "value": 1723, "period": "a year", "placeholder": "1723", "what": "your total annual gas and electricity spend", "note": "The cap figure is what a typical household pays. If you use more than typical you will be above it, and that is arithmetic rather than a fault." }, "slug": "energy", "name": "Energy", "short": "Energy", "tagline": "The Ofgem price cap, what it actually caps, and why your neighbour two counties over pays £90 a year more in standing charges.", "headline": { "value": "£1,723", "unit": "/yr", "label": "Ofgem price cap, 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026", "sub": "Dual fuel, direct debit, at typical consumption. Announced 07:00 on 26 August 2026.", "direction": "up", "change": "+£60 (+4%)", "band": "elevated", "source": "Ofgem", "as_of": "2026-08-26" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Standard credit", "v": "£1,861", "n": "+4%" }, { "k": "Prepayment", "v": "£1,678", "n": "+4%" }, { "k": "Economy 7, electricity only", "v": "£1,046", "n": "+1%" }, { "k": "On fixed tariffs, unaffected", "v": "35%", "n": "Ofgem also cites 11m, on a different count" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Unit rates and standing charges, 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026", "note": "GB average, VAT inclusive. Electricity VAT is 0% this period, gas remains at 5%. The direct debit row is published by Ofgem. The standard credit and prepayment rows are derived from Ofgem's statutory cap tables, averaged across the 14 regions; the method reproduces the published direct debit figures to the penny.", "cols": [ "Payment method", "Fuel", "Unit rate", "Standing charge", "Source" ], "rows": [ [ "Direct debit", "Electricity", "26.32p/kWh", "54.83p/day", "Published" ], [ "Direct debit", "Gas", "7.97p/kWh", "29.68p/day", "Published" ], [ "Standard credit", "Electricity", "27.80p/kWh", "63.49p/day", "Derived" ], [ "Standard credit", "Gas", "8.39p/kWh", "37.49p/day", "Derived" ], [ "Prepayment", "Electricity", "25.52p/kWh", "54.83p/day", "Derived" ], [ "Prepayment", "Gas", "7.70p/kWh", "29.68p/day", "Derived" ] ] }, { "title": "Electricity standing charge by region, direct debit", "note": "Pence per day, 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026, VAT at 0%. Derived from Ofgem's cap tables. The spread between the cheapest and dearest region is 58%, or about £90 a year, for identical electricity.", "cols": [ "Region", "Standing charge", "Unit rate" ], "rows": [ [ "London", "42.92p", "26.60p" ], [ "North Western England", "45.68p", "26.49p" ], [ "Southern England", "47.81p", "26.47p" ], [ "East Midlands", "51.45p", "25.36p" ], [ "Eastern England", "51.84p", "26.61p" ], [ "South Eastern England", "52.32p", "26.88p" ], [ "Northern Scotland", "55.14p", "26.35p" ], [ "Southern Wales", "55.41p", "26.55p" ], [ "South Western England", "55.58p", "26.58p" ], [ "West Midlands", "57.23p", "25.60p" ], [ "Southern Scotland", "61.41p", "26.11p" ], [ "North Eastern England", "61.58p", "25.46p" ], [ "Yorkshire", "61.67p", "25.60p" ], [ "Merseyside and Northern Wales", "67.66p", "27.86p" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "The cap limits unit rates and standing charges on default tariffs. It does not cap your bill. Use more, pay more.", "£1,723 is an illustration at typical consumption, not a maximum. Ofgem cut its typical consumption assumption on 1 July 2026 to 2,500 kWh electricity and 9,500 kWh gas, down from 2,700 and 11,500.", "That change is a trap in the numbers. April to June was £1,641 on the old assumption. You cannot read £1,641 to £1,663 to £1,723 as a cash series, because the middle figure is measured differently.", "Gas bills rise about 8% this period. Electricity is broadly flat because VAT on domestic electricity was cut from 5% to 0%.", "The cap covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has no Ofgem cap and is regulated separately by the Utility Regulator.", "Where the money goes on a direct debit bill: wholesale 47%, networks 24%, operating and debt costs 17%, policy 6%, supplier profit 2.7%. The remaining 3.3% is VAT on gas, headroom and levelisation.", "Suppliers must now offer at least one lower standing charge tariff. Ofgem itself warns this is unlikely to cut bills, because the unit rate goes up instead." ], "support": [ { "name": "Warm Home Discount", "what": "£150 off your electricity bill as a credit, or a voucher on prepayment", "who": "On a means tested benefit, with your name on the electricity bill, on the qualifying date of 23 August 2026. Reopens October 2026. Not available in Northern Ireland." }, { "name": "Winter Fuel Payment", "what": "£100 to £300 depending on age band and household", "who": "State Pension age. Qualifying week 21 to 27 September 2026. Clawed back through tax above £35,000 income." }, { "name": "Cold Weather Payment", "what": "£25 per seven day period at 0°C or below", "who": "On certain benefits. The 2026/27 dates have not yet been published." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "Ofgem, October 2026 price cap", "url": "https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/energy-price-cap-will-rise-4-october-2026" }, { "name": "Ofgem, unit rates and standing charges", "url": "https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/energy-price-cap-unit-rates-and-standing-charges" }, { "name": "Ofgem, cap tables period 17a", "url": "https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-08/17a-PDF-Cap-Tables.pdf" }, { "name": "gov.uk, VAT cut on household electricity", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-pm-cuts-tax-on-household-electricity-bills-to-give-breathing-space-on-cost-of-living" }, { "name": "gov.uk, Warm Home Discount", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme" } ], "caveats": [ "The date Ofgem will announce the January to March 2027 cap is not published. The quarterly pattern suggests late November, but we will not state a date we cannot source.", "The standard credit and prepayment unit rates on this page are derived from Ofgem's statutory tables rather than published directly in that form. The method reproduces every published figure exactly, but it is derived and labelled as such." ] }, { "bench": { "value": 639, "period": "a year", "placeholder": "639", "what": "your annual water and sewerage bill", "note": "Compared against the England and Wales average. Your own company average is often the fairer test, and it is in the table below." }, "slug": "water", "name": "Water and wastewater", "short": "Water", "tagline": "You cannot switch, so nobody sells you a comparison. Here is what every company charges anyway.", "headline": { "value": "£639", "unit": "/yr", "label": "Average household bill, England and Wales, 2026/27", "sub": "Water £309 plus sewerage £330. In force from 1 April 2026.", "direction": "up", "change": "+£33 (+5.4%)", "band": "elevated", "source": "Water UK", "as_of": "2026-04-01" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Cheapest company", "v": "£535", "n": "Northumbrian" }, { "k": "Dearest company", "v": "£759", "n": "Southern" }, { "k": "Scotland, via council tax", "v": "£532", "n": "+8.67%" }, { "k": "Northern Ireland households", "v": "£0", "n": "Charges deferred" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Water and sewerage companies, average annual bill 2026/27", "note": "Combined water and sewerage. Water UK publishes the combined figure only, so the split by company is not available from a primary source.", "cols": [ "Company", "Combined bill", "Change", "Change %" ], "rows": [ [ "Southern Water", "£759", "+£55", "8%" ], [ "South West Water", "£740", "+£39", "6%" ], [ "Wessex Water", "£695", "+£17", "3%" ], [ "Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water", "£683", "+£31", "5%" ], [ "Anglian Water", "£674", "+£44", "7%" ], [ "United Utilities", "£660", "+£57", "9%" ], [ "Thames Water", "£658", "+£3", "0.4%" ], [ "Yorkshire Water", "£636", "+£34", "6%" ], [ "Hafren Dyfrdwy", "£635", "+£54", "9%" ], [ "Severn Trent Water", "£587", "+£52", "10%" ], [ "Northumbrian Water", "£535", "+£31", "6%" ] ] }, { "title": "Water only companies, water element 2026/27", "note": "These figures are the water element alone. Your sewerage is billed separately by the regional wastewater company on top, so your total bill is higher than the number shown. Two names on older lists have gone: Bournemouth Water transferred its licence to South West Water in 2016 and was dissolved in 2024, and Essex and Suffolk is a trading name of Northumbrian rather than a separate company.", "cols": [ "Company", "Water element", "Change", "Change %" ], "rows": [ [ "Essex and Suffolk Water", "£333", "+£15", "5%" ], [ "South East Water", "£324", "+£21", "7%" ], [ "Affinity Water, South East", "£294", "+£3", "1%" ], [ "Affinity Water, East", "£280", "+£1", "0.4%" ], [ "Affinity Water, Central", "£266", "+£31", "13%" ], [ "Bristol Water", "£264", "+£29", "12%" ], [ "SES Water", "£257", "+£26", "11%" ], [ "South Staffs Water", "£230", "+£6", "2%" ], [ "South Staffs, Cambridge region", "£210", "+£7", "3%" ], [ "Portsmouth Water", "£162", "+£13", "8%" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "Households in England and Wales cannot switch water supplier. Supply is a regional monopoly and the 2014 reforms deliberately excluded domestic customers.", "Businesses can switch retailer in England, and have been able to since 1 April 2017. In Wales only sites using more than 50 megalitres a year are eligible.", "You have a legal right to request a meter, free, under section 144A of the Water Industry Act 1991. You can switch back to unmetered within 12 months, or 24 months with Welsh Water.", "As a rough rule, a meter saves money if you have more bedrooms than people.", "Where a meter cannot be fitted, the company must offer assessed charges based on the property rather than usage.", "Bills are rising because of PR24. Ofwat approved £104bn of investment for 2025 to 2030, taking the average bill from £440 to £597 before inflation, a 36% rise front loaded into the first year.", "Five companies challenged that settlement. The Competition and Markets Authority ruled on 10 March 2026, awarding them £463m more, about 17% of what they asked for, worth roughly 2.2% on their customers' bills.", "There is no national social tariff. Support is company by company, which the consumer body CCW calls a postcode lottery, with reductions ranging from £120 to £314.", "Households in Northern Ireland pay nothing for water. Domestic charges have been deferred since 2007 and are funded through the regional rate instead.", "Scotland is different again. There is no separate water bill; charges are collected with council tax and banded, and the average is £532." ], "support": [ { "name": "WaterSure", "what": "Caps your bill at the company's average household bill. Average saving £325 a year. 260,800 households on it.", "who": "You need a meter, a means tested benefit, and either a medical condition requiring extra water or three or more children under 19 in full time education." }, { "name": "Company social tariffs", "what": "Discounts from roughly 20% to 99%, set by each company. 1.96 million customers, average reduction £190.", "who": "Income based. Thresholds vary by company, typically £17,000 to £30,000 household income. Severn Trent's Big Difference Scheme goes up to £411 off below £24,454." }, { "name": "Leak allowance", "what": "Rebates water lost through a leak on your own supply pipe, and can adjust sewerage charges too.", "who": "Metered customers. Largely discretionary and the policies differ by company. Typically you must repair within 30 days of finding it." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "Water UK, average bill changes 2026/27", "url": "https://www.water.org.uk/annual-average-bill-changes-2026-27" }, { "name": "Discover Water, annual bill", "url": "https://www.discoverwater.co.uk/annual-bill" }, { "name": "CMA, PR24 final redeterminations", "url": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69afb3e2917847c0a4c89a23/PR24_Final_determinations_summary.pdf" }, { "name": "Defra, A New Vision for Water white paper", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-new-vision-for-water-white-paper/a-new-vision-for-water" }, { "name": "gov.uk, WaterSure reform", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reduced-bills-for-around-300000-households-in-watersure-reform" }, { "name": "CCW, help with bills", "url": "https://www.ccw.org.uk/save-money-and-water/help-with-bills/" } ], "caveats": [ "Water UK publishes a combined figure per company. The split between water and sewerage by company is not available from a primary source, only the national split of £309 and £330.", "Ofwat's own website refused every automated request while this page was built. The Ofwat material here comes from the official press mirror, the CMA and gov.uk rather than from Ofwat directly.", "There is no published year by year bill path for 2026/27 to 2029/30. Only the start and end points of the price review are official. Anything showing a year by year trajectory is somebody's projection.", "Water company boundaries follow river catchments, not postcodes. Where we match a postcode to a company we say so is approximate, and where an area is split between two companies we show both rather than guess.", "Bristol Water applied in 2022 to merge its licence into South West Water and we could not confirm whether that completed. It still bills under its own name." ] }, { "bench": { "value": 31.05, "period": "a month", "placeholder": "31", "what": "your monthly broadband bill", "note": "Ofcom average standalone broadband spend. If you are out of contract, expect to be about 25% above it." }, "slug": "broadband-and-mobile", "name": "Broadband and mobile", "short": "Broadband", "tagline": "Ofcom banned inflation linked price rises. Three quarters of customers ended up worse off. Here is what your provider is actually charging you.", "headline": { "value": "£31.05", "unit": "/mth", "label": "Average broadband bill, Ofcom", "sub": "The biggest mid contract rise applied in April 2026 was £4 a month. On a £28 budget package that is a 14% rise, against inflation of 3.2%.", "direction": "up", "change": "+£4/mth in April", "band": "elevated", "source": "Provider price lists", "as_of": "2026-04-01" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Standalone broadband spend", "v": "£31.05", "n": "Ofcom, per month" }, { "k": "SIM only mobile spend", "v": "£18", "n": "Ofcom, per month" }, { "k": "Out of contract, paying more", "v": "28%", "n": "Of broadband customers" }, { "k": "Out of contract penalty", "v": "+£7.20", "n": "25% more, standalone" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Mid contract price rises applied in 2026", "note": "In pounds and pence per month, as Ofcom now requires. The amount depends on when you signed, which is why two people with the same package pay different rises. Sky is the outlier: it did not adopt fixed pounds and pence for existing customers, so a Sky customer has no contractual certainty about year two.", "cols": [ "Provider", "Service", "Rise", "Applied", "Cohort" ], "rows": [ [ "EE", "Broadband", "£4.00", "31 Mar 2026", "Signed from 6 Aug 2025" ], [ "EE", "Handset plans", "£4.00", "31 Mar 2026", "Signed from 10 Sep 2024" ], [ "EE", "SIM only", "£2.50", "31 Mar 2026", "Signed from 31 Jul 2025" ], [ "BT", "Broadband, in contract", "£3.00 to £4.00", "31 Mar 2026", "By signing date" ], [ "BT", "Broadband, out of contract", "£4.00", "1 Mar 2026", "All" ], [ "Virgin Media", "Broadband, TV, phone", "£4.00", "Apr 2026", "Signed from 2 Oct 2025" ], [ "Virgin Media", "Broadband, TV, phone", "£3.50", "Apr 2026", "Jan to Oct 2025" ], [ "TalkTalk", "Broadband", "£4.00", "Apr 2026", "Signed from 16 Nov 2025" ], [ "TalkTalk", "Broadband", "£3.00", "Apr 2026", "Aug 2024 to Nov 2025" ], [ "Vodafone", "Home broadband", "£3.50", "1 Apr 2026", "All" ], [ "Vodafone", "Pay monthly mobile", "£2.50", "1 Apr 2026", "Airtime only, device plans excluded" ], [ "Sky", "Broadband", "£3.00", "1 Apr 2026", "Notified, not contractually fixed" ], [ "O2", "Pay monthly and SIM only", "£2.50", "Apr 2026", "Raised from £1.80 in Oct 2025" ], [ "Three", "Mobile, 100GB and above", "£2.30", "1 Apr 2026", "Signed from 9 Nov 2025" ], [ "Three", "Mobile, 5 to 99GB", "£1.90", "1 Apr 2026", "Signed from 9 Nov 2025" ], [ "Three", "Mobile, 4GB and under", "£1.80", "1 Apr 2026", "Signed from 9 Nov 2025" ], [ "Three", "Home broadband", "£3.50", "1 Apr 2026", "Signed from 9 Nov 2025" ] ] }, { "title": "Providers that do not apply mid contract rises", "note": "Only the two marked confirmed were verified on the provider's own website. The rest are reported by consumer press and should be checked against your own contract before you rely on them. Two providers widely listed as no rise, toob and Hyperoptic, appear to be wrong: toob's own site displays scheduled 2027 prices.", "cols": [ "Provider", "Commitment", "Verified" ], "rows": [ [ "Zen Internet", "No in contract increases on all plans, full term", "Confirmed" ], [ "SMARTY", "No annual rises on rolling one month plans", "Confirmed" ], [ "giffgaff", "No mid contract rises on 18 month and rolling", "Reported" ], [ "iD Mobile", "No rises on SIM only. Handset contracts excluded", "Reported" ], [ "Lebara", "Fixed pricing since 2020", "Reported" ], [ "Talkmobile", "No rises on 12 month and 1 month SIM only", "Reported" ], [ "ASDA Mobile", "No in contract rises, 12 and 24 month SIM only", "Reported" ], [ "VOXI", "No annual rises on rolling subscriptions", "Reported" ], [ "Ecotalk", "No price rises ever, 30 day rolling", "Reported" ] ] }, { "title": "Broadband and mobile social tariffs", "note": "Ofcom's list, last updated 17 August 2026. Standard eligibility means Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support. Ofcom found 70% of eligible households do not know these exist. Only 532,000 people are on one.", "cols": [ "Provider", "Price", "Speed", "Where" ], "rows": [ [ "Hyperoptic Fair Fibre Fast", "£12.00", "50Mb", "England, Scotland, Wales" ], [ "EE Basics", "£12.00", "25Mb", "UK" ], [ "Community Fibre Essential", "£12.50", "35Mb", "London" ], [ "Virgin Media Essential", "£12.50", "15Mb", "UK" ], [ "Hyperoptic Fair Fibre Superfast", "£13.00", "150Mb", "England, Scotland, Wales" ], [ "4th Utility", "£13.99", "30Mb", "England" ], [ "Fibrus Full Fibre Essential", "£14.99", "50Mb", "Northern Ireland, Cumbria" ], [ "KCOM Full Fibre Flex", "£14.99", "30Mb", "Hull" ], [ "toob essentials", "£15.00", "50Mb", "Hampshire, Southampton, Surrey" ], [ "G.Network Essential", "£15.00", "50Mb", "London" ], [ "Sky Broadband Basics", "£20.00", "36Mb", "UK" ], [ "Vodafone Fibre 2 Essentials", "£20.00", "73Mb", "UK" ], [ "O2 Essential Plan, mobile", "£10.00", "5G", "UK" ], [ "VOXI For Now, mobile", "£10.00", "5G", "UK" ], [ "SMARTY Social, mobile", "£12.00", "5G", "UK" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "Since 17 January 2025 any mid contract rise must be stated in pounds and pence, and stated before you sign. Percentage and inflation linked terms are banned in new contracts.", "The rules were not applied retrospectively. If you signed before January 2025 you may still be on CPI plus 3.9%.", "Ofcom set no cap on the size of a fixed rise, which is the heart of the criticism.", "Citizens Advice concluded in February 2026 that the rules have failed. Awareness of price rises rose only to 38% for mobile and 36% for broadband.", "MoneySavingExpert analysed 47,000 tariffs in June 2026 and found three in four customers are worse off than under the old inflation linked system, and 99% face above inflation rises.", "The rises are regressive. A £4 rise is 6% on a £66.99 premium package and 14% on a £28 budget one.", "Almost every advertised price is a 24 month introductory rate for new customers. A £20.99 deal is contractually £24.99 from March 2027 and £28.99 from March 2028.", "Ofcom has not published its own assessment of whether the pounds and pence rules worked. The only assessments are from Citizens Advice and MoneySavingExpert." ], "support": [], "sources": [ { "name": "Ofcom, ban on inflation linked price rises", "url": "https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/ofcom-bans-mid-contract-price-rises-linked-to-inflation" }, { "name": "Ofcom, pricing and consumer engagement report", "url": "https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/multi-sector/pricing/2025/pricing-and-consumer-engagement-report.pdf" }, { "name": "Ofcom, social tariffs list", "url": "https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs" }, { "name": "Citizens Advice, the rules have failed", "url": "https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/ofcoms-new-rules-on-mid-contract-price-rises-have-failed-aec2238c0ae1" }, { "name": "MoneySavingExpert, 47,000 tariff analysis", "url": "https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2026/06/mobile-broadband-price-hike-research/" }, { "name": "EE, annual price changes", "url": "https://ee.co.uk/help/billing-payments/guide-to-bill/about-annual-prices-changes" }, { "name": "Openreach, PSTN switch off", "url": "https://www.openreach.com/news/time-for-a-big-switch-up-as-pstn-switch-off-looms/" } ], "caveats": [ "Retail prices are postcode dependent and change weekly. Treat any advertised price as indicative and check your own address.", "BT's and Sky's own pages deliberately omit the pounds and pence figures and direct customers to their individual notification. Those two rows come from consumer press rather than the provider.", "The no rise commitments marked reported were not confirmed on the provider's own site. Do not rely on them without checking your contract." ] }, { "bench": { "value": 2392, "period": "a year", "placeholder": "2392", "what": "your annual council tax bill", "note": "Compared against the England Band D average. If you are not in Band D this will read high or low for that reason alone, and the band ratios are in the table below." }, "slug": "council-tax", "name": "Council tax", "short": "Council tax", "tagline": "Banded on what your house was worth in 1991, capped at 5%, and nine councils were given permission to go further.", "headline": { "value": "£2,392", "unit": "/yr", "label": "Average Band D, England, 2026/27", "sub": "Including parish precepts. In force from 1 April 2026.", "direction": "up", "change": "+£111 (+4.9%)", "band": "elevated", "source": "MHCLG", "as_of": "2026-04-01" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Highest in England", "v": "£2,765", "n": "Dorset" }, { "k": "Lowest in England", "v": "£1,028", "n": "Wandsworth" }, { "k": "Referendum threshold", "v": "5%", "n": "3% core plus 2% social care" }, { "k": "Councils allowed to exceed it", "v": "9", "n": "Up to 9%" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Councils permitted to exceed the 5% cap in 2026/27", "note": "Every other English authority was held to 5%, being 3% core plus a 2% adult social care precept. No authority exceeded its own principle, and 274 used the maximum flexibility available to them.", "cols": [ "Authority", "Permitted increase", "Made up of" ], "rows": [ [ "North Somerset", "9%", "2% social care plus 7%" ], [ "Shropshire", "9%", "2% social care plus 7%" ], [ "Worcestershire", "9%", "2% social care plus 7%" ], [ "Trafford", "7.5%", "2% social care plus 5.5%" ], [ "Warrington", "7.5%", "2% social care plus 5.5%" ], [ "Windsor and Maidenhead", "7.5%", "2% social care plus 5.5%" ], [ "Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole", "6.75%", "2% social care plus 4.75%" ] ] }, { "title": "Average Band D by class of authority, England 2026/27", "cols": [ "Class", "Band D", "Change" ], "rows": [ [ "London", "£2,068", "+4.4%" ], [ "Metropolitan", "£2,409", "+5.2%" ], [ "Unitary", "£2,490", "+5.3%" ], [ "Shire", "£2,452", "+4.6%" ], [ "Average per dwelling, all bands", "£1,868", "+5.5%" ] ] }, { "title": "The bands, and what they multiply", "note": "Band D is the reference. Every other band is a fixed statutory fraction of it, so if you know your council's Band D you can work out any band. English and Scottish bands are based on what the property was worth on 1 April 1991. Welsh bands use 1 April 2003 and there are nine of them.", "cols": [ "Band", "England and Wales ratio", "1991 value, England" ], "rows": [ [ "A", "6/9 of Band D", "Up to £40,000" ], [ "B", "7/9", "£40,001 to £52,000" ], [ "C", "8/9", "£52,001 to £68,000" ], [ "D", "9/9", "£68,001 to £88,000" ], [ "E", "11/9", "£88,001 to £120,000" ], [ "F", "13/9", "£120,001 to £160,000" ], [ "G", "15/9", "£160,001 to £320,000" ], [ "H", "18/9", "Over £320,000" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "England has had no council tax revaluation since 1991. Your band reflects what the property was worth 35 years ago.", "Wales legislated in 2024 for a five yearly revaluation cycle starting 1 April 2028. Scotland is consulting, and has legislated for two new top bands from 2028 for properties over £1m.", "The adult social care precept raised £688m in 2026/27, about £35 on a Band D bill.", "Total council tax collected in England in 2026/27 is £46.8bn, up 6.1%.", "Parish precepts averaged £100 on a Band D bill, up 8.2%, across 8,902 parishes.", "Councils can charge up to 100% extra on second homes since 1 April 2025, and up to 300% extra on homes empty more than ten years.", "Scotland has no referendum cap at all. There is no published national average Band D for Scotland in 2026/27." ], "support": [ { "name": "Single person discount", "what": "25% off", "who": "You are the only adult resident." }, { "name": "Full student household", "what": "Exempt entirely", "who": "Every resident is a full time student." }, { "name": "Severe mental impairment", "what": "Disregarded, and 50% off where everyone in the household is disregarded", "who": "Medically certified and receiving a qualifying benefit." }, { "name": "Disabled band reduction", "what": "Billed at the band below yours. If you are already Band A, 17% off.", "who": "The property has features essential to a disabled resident, such as an extra bathroom or space for a wheelchair." }, { "name": "Council Tax Reduction", "what": "Up to 100% off", "who": "Income based. Each English council runs its own scheme, so the rules differ by address." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "MHCLG, council tax levels 2026 to 2027", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2026-to-2027/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2026-to-2027" }, { "name": "Council Tax Referendum Principles Report 2026-27", "url": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6989c723d3f57710b50a9bb4/Council_Tax_Referendum_Principles_Report_2026-27.pdf" }, { "name": "gov.uk, who has to pay council tax", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/who-has-to-pay" }, { "name": "gov.uk, second homes and empty properties", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties" }, { "name": "StatsWales, band D composition", "url": "https://stats.gov.wales/en-GB/3ca971eb-7d9b-4b79-89fa-6d7f77431aad" } ], "caveats": [ "The Welsh headline average for 2026/27 is not published here. The Welsh Government website refused every automated request. The only Welsh figure we could verify is £1,830.62, which is the unitary and county element alone and excludes police and community precepts, so it is not comparable with the English figure.", "Scotland publishes no national average Band D for 2026/27. Its Band D series ends at 2025/26. Any site quoting a Scottish 2026/27 average is not quoting the government.", "MHCLG states the increase as £111 although the rounded levels imply £112. The official figure is computed from unrounded numbers, so £111 is correct." ] }, { "slug": "rent", "name": "Rent and housing", "short": "Rent", "bench": { "value": 1393, "period": "a month", "placeholder": "1393", "what": "your monthly rent", "note": "Compared against the UK average of £1,393. Rent varies more by postcode than any other bill on this site, so read this against your region rather than the national figure." }, "tagline": "The biggest bill most people pay, the one with the least regulation, and the one that just changed the most.", "headline": { "value": "£1,393", "unit": "/mth", "label": "Average UK private rent, July 2026", "sub": "Up 3.7% over twelve months. England £1,451, Wales £843, Scotland £1,016, Northern Ireland £875.", "direction": "up", "change": "+3.7% year on year", "band": "high", "source": "ONS", "as_of": "2026-07-31" }, "stats": [ { "k": "London", "v": "£2,317", "n": "Highest, up 3.0%" }, { "k": "North East", "v": "£783", "n": "Lowest, but rising fastest at 6.3%" }, { "k": "Average UK house price", "v": "£272,000", "n": "Up 2.0%" }, { "k": "Local Housing Allowance", "v": "Frozen", "n": "At January 2024 rates" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Average monthly rent by nation", "note": "ONS Private rent and house prices, published 19 August 2026. Rents reference July 2026, house prices June 2026, except Northern Ireland which lags.", "cols": [ "Nation", "Average rent", "Annual change", "Average house price", "Annual change" ], "rows": [ [ "United Kingdom", "£1,393", "+3.7%", "£272,000", "+2.0%" ], [ "England", "£1,451", "+3.8%", "£293,000", "+1.8%" ], [ "Wales", "£843", "+4.5%", "£213,000", "+1.8%" ], [ "Scotland", "£1,016", "+1.7%", "£195,000", "+2.3%" ], [ "Northern Ireland", "£875", "+2.3%", "£202,000", "+9.2%" ] ] }, { "title": "What your landlord can and cannot do in England", "note": "The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026 and changed this substantially. If you are reading advice written before that date it is out of date.", "cols": [ "Rule", "What it now means" ], "rows": [ [ "How often rent can rise", "Once a year, to market rate only" ], [ "Notice required", "At least two months, using a section 13 notice on Form 4A" ], [ "Challenging it", "Apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent takes effect. The Tribunal decides the open market rent." ], [ "The safety net", "The Tribunal can never make you pay more than the landlord asked for, and increases are no longer backdated. It can defer an increase by up to two months for hardship." ], [ "Section 21 no fault eviction", "Abolished" ], [ "Fixed terms", "Abolished. All assured shorthold tenancies became periodic with no end date." ], [ "Rent in advance", "Banned before signing. After signing, a maximum of one month." ], [ "Rental bidding", "Prohibited. The landlord must publish an asking rent and cannot accept more." ] ] }, { "title": "Scotland and Wales", "cols": [ "Nation", "The position" ], "rows": [ [ "Scotland", "Rent can rise once every 12 months even if the tenant changes. Challenge through a rent officer or the First-tier Tribunal. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 creates rent control areas capped at CPI plus 1% to a maximum of 6%, but local assessments only began on 1 April 2026 and reports are not due until 31 May 2027." ], [ "Wales", "The landlord varies rent by notice on Form RHW12, with a minimum two months' notice, and no more than once a year. There is no general rent control in Wales." ] ] } ], "facts": [ "London rents average £2,317 a month, almost three times the North East at £783.", "The North East has the lowest rents in England and the fastest rent inflation, at 6.3%.", "London house prices fell 2.5% in the year to June 2026 while rents rose 3.0%.", "Local Housing Allowance is frozen for 2026/27 at the rates set on 31 January 2024. It is not being recalculated against current rents, so the gap between the allowance and actual market rent widens every month.", "LHA was originally set at the 30th percentile of market rents as at January 2024. Rents have risen since and the allowance has not.", "The Renters' Rights Act abolished section 21 evictions and fixed terms on 1 May 2026. Every assured shorthold tenancy became a periodic tenancy with no end date.", "A tenant challenging a rent increase at Tribunal can no longer end up paying more than the landlord asked for. Before the Act, they could.", "From 1 October 2030 private rented properties must reach EPC C or hold a valid exemption." ], "support": [ { "name": "Challenging a rent increase", "what": "The First-tier Tribunal determines the open market rent, free to apply", "who": "Any assured tenant in England served a section 13 notice. You must apply before the new rent's effective date. You cannot be made to pay more than the landlord asked." }, { "name": "Local Housing Allowance", "what": "Housing element of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, based on your broad rental market area", "who": "Renting privately and on a qualifying benefit. Rates are frozen at January 2024 levels until at least March 2027, so check the rate for your area rather than assuming it covers your rent." }, { "name": "Discretionary Housing Payment", "what": "A top up from your council where your housing benefit does not cover your rent", "who": "Anyone getting Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who still cannot meet the rent. Apply to your local council. It is cash limited and discretionary, so apply early in the year." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "ONS, private rent and house prices August 2026", "url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/august2026" }, { "name": "MHCLG, guide to the Renters' Rights Act", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act" }, { "name": "Renters' Rights Act commencement regulations", "url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/421/made" }, { "name": "gov.uk, assured tenancy forms including Form 4A", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/guidance/assured-tenancy-forms" }, { "name": "Rent Officers Modification Order 2026, LHA freeze", "url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/5/made" }, { "name": "Scottish Government, rent controls", "url": "https://www.gov.scot/policies/private-renting/rent-controls/" }, { "name": "Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 section 104", "url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2016/1/section/104" } ], "caveats": [ "ONS names only London, the North East and the South East in its bulletin narrative. Average rents for the other six English regions are in the underlying dataset, which we have not published here rather than transcribe figures we did not read at source.", "No rent control area had been designated in Scotland as at the date of the government policy page we could read. The current position as at August 2026 is unverified.", "We could not verify the challenge procedure for Welsh contract holders from a primary source, so no Welsh challenge route is described." ] }, { "slug": "rail-fares", "name": "Rail fares", "short": "Rail", "tagline": "Frozen for the first time in thirty years, in three nations at once, and all of it expires around March 2027.", "headline": { "value": "0%", "unit": "", "label": "Regulated rail fare rise in England, 2026", "sub": "Frozen from 2 March 2026, the first freeze in 30 years. Would have been 5.8% under the usual formula.", "direction": "down", "change": "Frozen, saving £600m a year", "band": "calm", "source": "DfT", "as_of": "2026-03-02" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Share of fares regulated", "v": "45%", "n": "The rest are operator set" }, { "k": "Most railcards", "v": "£35", "n": "A third off, pays back fast" }, { "k": "Disabled Persons Railcard", "v": "£20", "n": "Cheapest, and valid any time" }, { "k": "London bus single", "v": "£1.75", "n": "Until 1 November 2026" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Railcards, and the catch on each", "note": "A third off means most railcards pay for themselves in two or three journeys. The minimum fare rules are where people get caught out.", "cols": [ "Railcard", "1 year", "3 years", "Discount", "The catch" ], "rows": [ [ "16-25", "£35", "£80", "A third off", "£12 minimum fare on weekday journeys starting between 04:30 and 09:59. No minimum in July and August or on public holidays." ], [ "26-30", "£35", "Not offered", "A third off", "Digital only." ], [ "16-17 Saver", "£35", "Not offered", "Half off", "England and Wales only, but it covers season tickets too." ], [ "Two Together", "£35", "Not offered", "A third off", "Both named people must travel together. After 09:30 on weekdays." ], [ "Family and Friends", "£35", "£80", "A third off adults, 60% off children", "Up to 4 adults and 4 children." ], [ "Senior, 60 and over", "£35", "£80", "A third off", "Not valid in the morning peak within the Network Railcard area." ], [ "Network", "£35", "Not offered", "A third off", "London and the South East only. £13 minimum weekday fare." ], [ "Veterans", "£35", "£80", "A third off", "Covers the holder plus one adult and up to four children." ], [ "Disabled Persons", "£20", "£54", "A third off", "Valid any time, any day, and covers an adult companion. The most generous card and the cheapest." ] ] }, { "title": "Delay Repay, roughly", "note": "This is NOT standardised. National Rail is explicit that each operator sets its own threshold and the Conditions of Travel set only a minimum. The table below is the common Delay Repay 15 structure, verified against Southern. Check your own operator.", "cols": [ "Delay", "Single or return", "Season ticket" ], "rows": [ [ "15 to 29 minutes", "At least 25% of the fare", "25% of the single journey value" ], [ "30 to 59 minutes", "At least 50% of the fare", "50% of the single journey value" ], [ "60 to 119 minutes", "100% of a single, or at least 50% of a return", "100% of the single journey value" ], [ "120 minutes or more", "100% of the total fare", "100% of the return journey cost" ] ] }, { "title": "Transport for London, from 1 March 2026", "note": "Average rise of 3.2%. Caps and Travelcards are frozen until March 2027 to mirror national policy, but the bus fare freeze ends sooner.", "cols": [ "Fare", "Price", "Note" ], "rows": [ [ "Bus or tram single", "£1.75", "Frozen since March 2023. Rises to £1.85 on 2 November 2026." ], [ "Bus and tram daily cap", "£5.25", "Rises to £5.55 on 2 November 2026." ], [ "Tube peak single, one zone including zone 1", "£3.10", "Up from £2.90" ], [ "Tube off peak single, one zone including zone 1", "£3.00", "Up from £2.80" ], [ "Daily pay as you go cap, zones 1 to 2", "£8.90", "Frozen" ], [ "7 day Travelcard, zones 1 to 2", "£44.70", "Frozen" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "The freeze covers standard class season tickets, anytime and off peak fares in England. It does not cover first class, premium standard or advance fares.", "Regulated fares are about 45% of all fares, concentrated on commuter routes where people have no practical alternative.", "Scotland abolished peak fares on ScotRail permanently on 1 September 2025, then froze all fares for 12 months in February 2026.", "Wales froze every Transport for Wales fare from 1 March 2026, regulated and unregulated alike.", "The Office of Rail and Road measured all Great Britain fares as unchanged over the year to March 2026 while RPI rose 4.1%.", "A flexi season gives you any 8 days of travel in 28, at a minimum 20% discount on a monthly season, and you must activate each day before boarding.", "From 1 April 2026 you can only claim a refund on an unused ticket bought before you travelled, an anti fraud measure the DfT expects to save about £40m a year.", "Contactless pay as you go now reaches about 103 stations, with 20 Greater Anglia stations including Stansted added in summer 2026." ], "support": [ { "name": "Disabled Persons Railcard", "what": "A third off for you and an adult companion, valid any time. £20 a year or £54 for three.", "who": "You receive certain disability benefits, are registered visually impaired or deaf, have epilepsy, or buy or lease a vehicle through a disability scheme." }, { "name": "16-17 Saver", "what": "Half price travel including season tickets", "who": "16 and 17 year olds in England and Wales. Half off is far better than the third off most cards give." }, { "name": "Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card", "what": "Half off selected fares, and half off flexi seasons", "who": "Issued through Jobcentre Plus if you are unemployed and claiming certain benefits. Ask, because it is not offered automatically." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "DfT, rail fare freeze starts", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/passengers-save-millions-as-rail-fare-freeze-starts" }, { "name": "DfT, Railways Bill fares factsheet", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/railways-bill/railways-bill-fares" }, { "name": "DfT, rail fares index 2026", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rail-fares-index-2026" }, { "name": "National Rail, flexi season tickets", "url": "https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-and-offers/ticket-types/flexi-season-tickets/" }, { "name": "National Rail, compensation and refunds", "url": "https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/help-and-assistance/compensation-and-refunds/" }, { "name": "Railcard", "url": "https://www.railcard.co.uk/" }, { "name": "GLA, March 2026 TfL fare changes", "url": "https://www.london.gov.uk/md3464-march-2026-transport-london-fare-changes" }, { "name": "Scottish Government, ScotRail fares frozen", "url": "https://www.gov.scot/news/scotrail-fares-frozen-for-12-months/" }, { "name": "Welsh Government, TfW fare freeze", "url": "https://media.service.gov.wales/news/freeze-on-tfw-rail-fares-for-the-next-year" } ], "caveats": [ "No decision has been published on what happens to regulated fares after the freeze ends in March 2027. We will not print a 2027 figure, and neither should anyone else.", "Delay Repay thresholds are not standardised. The table here is the common structure verified against one operator. We could not obtain the statutory minimum in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.", "Minimum fare rules are confirmed only for the 16-25, Senior and Network railcards. The others may have restrictions we could not verify.", "The Railways Bill had not received Royal Assent at the time of writing, so no Great British Railways launch date is shown." ] }, { "slug": "nhs-charges", "name": "NHS charges", "short": "NHS", "tagline": "Free at the point of use, except for the bits that are not. Prescriptions are frozen. Dentistry is not.", "headline": { "value": "£9.90", "unit": "/item", "label": "NHS prescription charge in England, 2026/27", "sub": "Frozen for a second year. It last rose on 1 May 2024. Free everywhere else in the UK.", "direction": "up", "change": "Prescriptions frozen, dental up 1.66%", "band": "elevated", "source": "DHSC", "as_of": "2026-04-01" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Prepayment certificate, 3 months", "v": "£32.05", "n": "Worth it from 4 items" }, { "k": "Prepayment certificate, 12 months", "v": "£114.50", "n": "Worth it above 11 items" }, { "k": "HRT certificate, 12 months", "v": "£19.80", "n": "Any number of HRT items" }, { "k": "Dental band 1", "v": "£27.90", "n": "Up 1.66% in April" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Prescription charges in England", "note": "Frozen for 2026/27, confirmed by written statement in November 2025. This is the second successive freeze. Prescriptions are free for everyone in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.", "cols": [ "What", "Price", "Worth buying if" ], "rows": [ [ "Single item", "£9.90", "You need one or two items occasionally" ], [ "Prepayment certificate, 3 months", "£32.05", "You need 4 or more items in 3 months. Four items cost £39.60." ], [ "Prepayment certificate, 12 months", "£114.50", "You need more than 11 items in a year" ], [ "HRT prepayment certificate, 12 months", "£19.80", "You are prescribed any listed HRT medicine. No income test, no limit on the number of items." ] ] }, { "title": "NHS dental charges in England, from 1 April 2026", "note": "Up about 1.66% on 1 April 2026. Urgent treatment is charged at one band 1 fee even if it needs more than one appointment.", "cols": [ "Band", "Price", "Covers" ], "rows": [ [ "Band 1", "£27.90", "Examination, diagnosis, advice, X rays, scale and polish if needed" ], [ "Band 2", "£76.60", "Everything in band 1 plus fillings, root canal, extractions" ], [ "Band 3", "£332.10", "Everything in bands 1 and 2 plus crowns, dentures, bridges" ], [ "Urgent treatment", "£27.90", "One band 1 charge however many appointments it takes" ] ] }, { "title": "What you pay across the four nations", "note": "The gap between England and everywhere else is the single most useful thing on this page. Wales replaced its band system with a percentage contribution on 1 April 2026.", "cols": [ "Nation", "Prescriptions", "Dental" ], "rows": [ [ "England", "£9.90 an item", "Bands at £27.90, £76.60 and £332.10" ], [ "Wales", "Free for all residents since 2007", "50% of the value of your care package, capped at £384, from 1 April 2026" ], [ "Scotland", "Free for all since 2011", "Examinations free to everyone. Treatment is 80% of cost capped at £384, and all treatment is free under 26." ], [ "Northern Ireland", "Free for everyone, including wigs and appliances", "80% of gross cost capped at £384. Free under 18, and at 18 in full time education." ] ] } ], "facts": [ "The prescription charge in England has been frozen at £9.90 for two years running. It last rose on 1 May 2024, by 25p.", "A 12 month prepayment certificate costs £114.50 and pays for itself at 12 items. If you take a regular medicine you are almost certainly better off with one.", "The HRT certificate is separate and cheap at £19.80 a year, covering any number of listed HRT items.", "Everyone aged 60 or over gets free prescriptions and free sight tests in England.", "Universal Credit exemption is assessed per assessment period, so it can switch on and off month to month. That is a common cause of penalty charge notices for people who assumed they were covered.", "Contraceptives are always free, and so is anything given to you as a hospital inpatient.", "Wigs and fabric supports were also frozen for 2026/27: a surgical brassiere is £32.50 and a full bespoke human hair wig £310.55." ], "support": [ { "name": "Prepayment certificate", "what": "£32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12, payable by instalments", "who": "Anyone in England. No income test. Straight arithmetic: 4 items in 3 months cost £39.60 against a £32.05 certificate, and 12 items in a year cost £118.80 against £114.50." }, { "name": "Medical exemption certificate", "what": "All prescriptions free", "who": "Cancer or its effects or treatment, a permanent fistula, hypoadrenalism including Addison's, diabetes insipidus and other hypopituitarism, diabetes mellitus unless diet controlled, hypoparathyroidism, myasthenia gravis, hypothyroidism needing replacement, epilepsy needing continuous therapy, or a continuing physical disability meaning you cannot go out unaided. Apply through your GP. It is backdated one month." }, { "name": "Maternity exemption certificate", "what": "Free prescriptions and free NHS dental treatment", "who": "Pregnant, or you have given birth in the last 12 months. Apply through your midwife, GP or health visitor." }, { "name": "NHS Low Income Scheme", "what": "Full help through an HC2 certificate, or partial help through HC3. Covers prescriptions, dental, sight tests, glasses, travel to treatment and wigs.", "who": "Income assessed. You cannot apply with over £16,000 in savings, or £23,250 if you live permanently in a care home." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "Written statement HLWS1092, prescription freeze", "url": "https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-11-25/hlws1092" }, { "name": "Written statement HCWS1392, dental charges", "url": "https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-03-10/hcws1392" }, { "name": "NHSBSA, prepayment certificates", "url": "https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-prescription-prepayment-certificate-ppc" }, { "name": "NHSBSA, medical exemption certificates", "url": "https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/medical-exemption-certificates" }, { "name": "NHSBSA, NHS Low Income Scheme", "url": "https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme" }, { "name": "NHS, help with health costs on Universal Credit", "url": "https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/help-with-health-costs-for-people-getting-universal-credit/" }, { "name": "NI Direct, help with health costs", "url": "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/help-health-costs" }, { "name": "NHS Scotland, dental charges and exemptions", "url": "https://www.nss.nhs.scot/patient-exemptions/dental-charges-and-exemptions/do-i-pay-for-dental-examinations/" } ], "caveats": [ "The Welsh dental figures here come from the Welsh Government's press release republished elsewhere, because gov.wales refused every automated request. The 50% and £384 cap structure is sound but we have not published per treatment Welsh figures, because we could not read them at source.", "NHSBSA's own HC11 leaflet still shows the 2025/26 dental charges. The figures on this page are the 2026/27 ones from the ministerial statement and the NHS England poster.", "Optical voucher values are the amounts currently published, but we could not confirm an April 2026 uprating date for them, so treat them as current published rather than confirmed 2026/27 figures." ] }, { "slug": "childcare", "name": "Childcare", "short": "Childcare", "bench": { "value": 189, "period": "a week", "placeholder": "189", "what": "what you pay for a part time nursery place", "note": "Compared against £189 a week, which is what a family NOT eligible for the funded hours pays on average for a part time under two place in England. If you are getting funded hours you should be well below this." }, "tagline": "Thirty funded hours if you qualify, and about £189 a week for a part time place if you do not. The gap between those two numbers is the whole story.", "headline": { "value": "30", "unit": " hours", "label": "Funded hours a week for eligible working parents, England", "sub": "38 weeks a year, for children aged 9 months to school age. The rollout completed on 1 September 2025.", "direction": "down", "change": "Fully rolled out", "band": "calm", "source": "DfE", "as_of": "2025-09-01" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Tax Free Childcare", "v": "£2,000", "n": "Per child per year, £4,000 if disabled" }, { "k": "Universal Credit, one child", "v": "£1,071", "n": "Per month, 85% of costs" }, { "k": "Universal Credit, two or more", "v": "£1,836", "n": "Per month" }, { "k": "Earnings floor, each parent", "v": "£2,644", "n": "Over 3 months, aged 21+" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "What you can claim in England", "note": "Application deadlines are hard and people miss them constantly: 31 August for a September start, 31 December for January, 31 March for April.", "cols": [ "Entitlement", "Hours", "Ages", "Who qualifies" ], "rows": [ [ "Working parents", "30 a week, 38 weeks", "9 months to school age", "Both parents working above the earnings floor, neither earning over £100,000" ], [ "Universal entitlement", "15 a week, 38 weeks", "3 and 4 year olds", "Every child, no conditions at all" ], [ "Targeted entitlement", "15 a week, 38 weeks", "2 year olds", "Families on qualifying benefits, or children with additional needs" ], [ "Tax Free Childcare", "£2 added per £8 you pay", "0 to 11, or 16 if disabled", "Same earnings test. Cannot be held with Universal Credit or tax credits." ], [ "Universal Credit childcare", "85% of costs", "Any age in registered childcare", "On Universal Credit. Normally paid in arrears, which is a known cash flow trap." ] ] }, { "title": "What childcare costs if you do NOT qualify for funded hours", "note": "The full price, before any entitlement. This is what you pay if either parent earns over £100,000, or one of you is not working, or your child is under 9 months.", "cols": [ "Age and setting", "Part time, 25 hours a week" ], "rows": [ [ "Under 2, nursery", "£188.75" ], [ "Under 2, childminder", "£155.28" ], [ "2 year old, nursery", "£174.85" ], [ "3 to 4 year old, nursery", "£67.20" ] ] }, { "title": "What you pay if you DO qualify", "note": "These are Coram's figures for a full time, 50 hour place with the funded 30 hours already taken off, so you are paying for the remaining 20. That is why these numbers are lower than the part time ones above despite buying twice as much care. It is not a misprint, it is the entitlement doing its job.", "cols": [ "Age and setting", "Full time, 50 hours, after your funded hours" ], "rows": [ [ "Under 2, nursery", "£148.82" ], [ "Under 2, childminder", "£122.32" ], [ "2 year old, nursery", "£140.72" ], [ "3 to 4 year old, nursery", "£132.72" ] ] }, { "title": "The rest of the UK", "cols": [ "Nation", "What is offered" ], "rows": [ [ "Scotland", "1,140 hours a year for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds, regardless of whether the parents work. The only offer in the UK not tied to employment." ], [ "Wales", "Up to 30 hours a week for 48 weeks for 3 and 4 year olds, being 10 hours early education plus up to 20 hours childcare. Both parents working, household cap £100,000. Flying Start covers 2 year olds in designated areas." ], [ "Northern Ireland", "No working parent hours entitlement. A funded pre school programme, plus the Childcare Subsidy Scheme giving 15% off registered childcare bills, capped at £203 per child per month from April 2026." ] ] } ], "facts": [ "The England expansion is finished. From 1 September 2025 eligible working parents of children under 2 went from 15 funded hours to 30. There are no further stages scheduled.", "The earnings floor is roughly 16 hours a week at minimum wage over three months: £2,643.68 if you are 21 or over, £2,256.80 at 18 to 20, £1,664 under 18 or apprentice.", "If either parent expects to earn over £100,000 adjusted net income, the whole household loses the entitlement. There is no taper.", "Tax Free Childcare and Universal Credit cannot be held together. Run the numbers before opening a Tax Free Childcare account, because you may be worse off.", "You must reconfirm your eligibility code every three months or the funding stops.", "Government funding paid to providers in 2026/27 averages £12.04 an hour for under twos, £8.90 for two year olds and £6.42 for three and four year olds.", "Coram reports the England full time under two cost fell 39% against 2025, and that a part time place for an eligible under two is now theoretically free during term time.", "Three and four year olds are the exception to the pattern in the tables below. Their funded hours were already universal before the expansion, so the full time figure buys genuinely more care rather than reflecting a new entitlement." ], "support": [ { "name": "30 funded hours", "what": "30 hours a week for 38 weeks, worth thousands a year", "who": "Working parents of a child aged 9 months to school age, both above the earnings floor, neither over £100,000. Apply on gov.uk for a code and reconfirm every three months." }, { "name": "15 hours for every 3 and 4 year old", "what": "15 hours a week for 38 weeks", "who": "Every child. No income test, no work test, no conditions. This one is routinely not claimed simply because people do not know it is universal." }, { "name": "Tax Free Childcare", "what": "The government adds £2 for every £8, up to £2,000 a year per child or £4,000 if disabled", "who": "Working parents meeting the same earnings test. Not available alongside Universal Credit or tax credits." }, { "name": "Universal Credit childcare element", "what": "85% of your costs, up to £1,071.09 a month for one child or £1,836.16 for two or more", "who": "On Universal Credit and in work. Usually paid in arrears, so you pay first and claim back." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "gov.uk, 30 hours free childcare", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare" }, { "name": "gov.uk, check if you are eligible", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working" }, { "name": "gov.uk, Tax Free Childcare", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare" }, { "name": "gov.uk, childcare costs on Universal Credit", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/universal-credit" }, { "name": "DfE, early years funding 2026 to 2027", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2026-to-2027/early-years-entitlements-local-authority-funding-operational-guide-2026-to-2027" }, { "name": "Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026", "url": "https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/Childcare-Survey-2026-120326-compressed-final-1.pdf" }, { "name": "Scottish Government, early learning and childcare", "url": "https://www.gov.scot/policies/early-education-and-care/early-learning-and-childcare/" } ], "caveats": [ "The Coram full time figures are net of the funded entitlement and the part time ones are not, which is why full time looks cheaper than part time. That is Coram's own framing and we have kept it rather than silently recalculating, but it will look like an error if you skim the table.", "Coram's report table and its own press release disagree on the Wales under two part time figure, £163.33 against £166.33. We have not published a Wales cost figure rather than pick one.", "We could not obtain primary confirmation of the two 2024 rollout stages, so no dated history of the expansion is shown before September 2025." ] }, { "slug": "tv-licence", "name": "TV licence", "short": "TV licence", "bench": { "value": 180, "period": "a year", "placeholder": "180", "what": "what you pay for your TV licence", "note": "Everyone pays the same. If you are paying more than £180 a year you are on a payment plan with charges, or paying for something that is not a TV licence." }, "tagline": "One price for everybody, set by a government minister, and three concessions that go unclaimed.", "headline": { "value": "£180", "unit": "/yr", "label": "Standard colour TV licence, 2026/27", "sub": "In force from 1 April 2026. Up £5.50 from £174.50, an increase of 3.14%.", "direction": "up", "change": "+£5.50 (+3.14%)", "band": "elevated", "source": "gov.uk", "as_of": "2026-04-01" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Black and white", "v": "£60.50", "n": "Still a legal option" }, { "k": "Blind or severely sight impaired", "v": "£90", "n": "Half price" }, { "k": "Residential care, under 75", "v": "£7.50", "n": "The ARC scheme" }, { "k": "Over 75 on Pension Credit", "v": "£0", "n": "Free" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "Every rate, and who pays it", "note": "The licence covers everyone living at the address, whatever their age. Concessions must be in the name of the person who qualifies, which is the most common reason people miss out.", "cols": [ "Who", "Price", "Conditions" ], "rows": [ [ "Standard household", "£180 a year", "Colour television. The default." ], [ "Black and white only", "£60.50 a year", "A genuine option and still legal." ], [ "Blind or severely sight impaired", "£90 a year", "Half price. The licence must be in the blind person's name, so transfer it if it is not. Partially sighted does not qualify." ], [ "Residential or sheltered care, under 75", "£7.50 a year", "Apply through your warden or care home administrator, not directly. Do not cancel your existing licence until enrolment is confirmed." ], [ "Aged 75 or over on Pension Credit", "Free", "Age alone is not enough. You or a partner at the same address must receive Pension Credit. You can apply at 74." ] ] }, { "title": "When you actually need one", "note": "The rule catches more people than they expect, and lets others off who are paying without needing to.", "cols": [ "Activity", "Licence needed" ], "rows": [ [ "Watching or recording live TV on any channel", "Yes" ], [ "Watching live streams on any streaming service", "Yes" ], [ "Using BBC iPlayer at all, live, catch up or download", "Yes" ], [ "Netflix, Prime Video, ITVX, Channel 4 on demand only, never iPlayer", "No" ], [ "S4C programmes on demand", "No" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "The fee is set by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, not by the BBC.", "Under the 2022 licence fee settlement it rises with CPI each April until the end of the current Charter period.", "The next scheduled rise is 1 April 2027. No figure has been announced.", "The BBC's current Royal Charter expires on 31 December 2027 and the Charter Review consultation closed in March 2026. The Green Paper says the review will consider how the BBC is funded but proposes no replacement. Anybody telling you the licence fee is being abolished on a set date is going beyond the published evidence.", "gov.uk states the 2026 uplift was 3.14%. TV Licensing's own page says 3.15%. We use the government figure and note the discrepancy rather than quietly picking one." ], "support": [ { "name": "Free licence at 75", "what": "The whole fee, £180 a year", "who": "You are 75 or over and you or a partner at the same address receives Pension Credit. Apply from 74 and payments are adjusted to cover you until your birthday. Call 0300 790 6117." }, { "name": "Blind concession", "what": "Half price, saving £90 a year", "who": "Certified blind or severely sight impaired. Evidence can be a CVI, a BD8, a local authority certificate, an ophthalmologist's letter or an HMRC coding notice showing Blind Person's Allowance." }, { "name": "Simple Payment Plan", "what": "Spreads the fee fortnightly or monthly, and missed payments are spread across the remainder rather than doubled", "who": "Anyone in financial difficulty. Routes in include referral by a not for profit money advice organisation, or having had a licence cancelled for missed payments in the last six months." } ], "sources": [ { "name": "gov.uk, TV licence fee 2026/27", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cost-of-tv-licence-fee-set-for-202627" }, { "name": "TV Licensing, concessions", "url": "https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ23" }, { "name": "TV Licensing, residential care", "url": "https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ78" }, { "name": "gov.uk, when you need a TV licence", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/tv-licence" }, { "name": "BBC Charter Review green paper", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/britains-story-the-next-chapter-the-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation/britains-story-the-next-chapter-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation" } ], "caveats": [ "We could not verify the previous black and white fee from a primary source, so no 'was £X' figure is shown for it.", "gov.uk and TV Licensing disagree on whether the 2026 uplift was 3.14% or 3.15%. Both are shown above rather than blended." ] }, { "bench": { "value": 566, "period": "a year", "placeholder": "566", "what": "your annual motor premium", "note": "Compared against the ABI average premium actually paid. Premiums vary hugely by age, postcode and vehicle, so treat this as a rough bearing rather than a verdict on your insurer." }, "slug": "insurance", "name": "Insurance", "short": "Insurance", "tagline": "What people actually pay, from the industry's own tracker, and the rules that stop insurers charging you more for staying.", "headline": { "value": "£566", "unit": "/yr", "label": "Average motor premium paid, Q2 2026", "sub": "Across about 28 million private car policies a year. This is prices paid, not quotes.", "direction": "down", "change": "+1% on the quarter, falling in real terms", "band": "calm", "source": "ABI", "as_of": "2026-06-30" }, "stats": [ { "k": "Home, buildings and contents", "v": "£383", "n": "−2% year on year" }, { "k": "Buildings only", "v": "£309", "n": "−5% year on year" }, { "k": "Contents only", "v": "£118", "n": "−9% year on year" }, { "k": "Insurance Premium Tax", "v": "12%", "n": "20% on travel" } ], "tables": [ { "title": "What insurers must do at renewal", "note": "These are the rules, not advice. The price walking ban has been in force since 1 January 2022 and applies to home and motor policies sold to consumers.", "cols": [ "Rule", "What it requires", "Since" ], "rows": [ [ "No price walking", "A renewal price must not be higher than the equivalent new business price for the same customer through the same channel. ICOBS 6B.2.1R.", "1 Jan 2022" ], [ "Show last year's premium", "The renewal notice must show what you paid at inception of the expiring policy, presented so you can compare the two easily.", "In force" ], [ "Shop around wording", "From your fourth consecutive renewal the insurer must tell you, in prescribed words, that you may get the cover you want at a better price by shopping around.", "In force" ], [ "Auto renewal", "The notice must say whether the policy renews automatically, and cancelling auto renewal must be easy, by methods matching how you bought it. Health and pet insurance are excluded.", "1 Jan 2022" ], [ "Bundles", "Where home and motor are bundled, each element and the bundle price must independently pass the test.", "1 Jan 2022" ] ] } ], "facts": [ "Motor premiums have been broadly flat for three quarters after three consecutive quarterly falls. £566 in Q2 2026 is down about £14 year on year in real terms.", "Home premiums are falling while claims are rising sharply. The average home payout passed £7,000 for the first time in Q2 2026.", "The average subsidence claim hit a record £20,000 in Q2 2026 after hot weather. Weather damage averaged £8,548, up 12%.", "Motor claims cost £3.2bn in Q2 2026, up 7% year on year, with the average claim at £4,900.", "Insurance Premium Tax has been 12% standard and 20% higher rate since June 2017, with no change announced.", "Nearly half of all motor and home policies are paid monthly. The FCA found the cost of that credit has fallen since 2022, saving consumers about £157m a year, and decided in February 2026 not to cap it." ], "support": [], "sources": [ { "name": "ABI, motor insurance premium tracker Q2 2026", "url": "https://www.abi.org.uk/media-hub/news-post/record-32-billion-paid-out-to-support-motor-insurance-customers-in-q2-2026" }, { "name": "ABI, household insurance premium tracker Q2 2026", "url": "https://www.abi.org.uk/media-hub/news-post/average-claim-for-subsidence-reaches-record-20000-amidst-hot-weather" }, { "name": "FCA Handbook, ICOBS 6B pricing", "url": "https://handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/icobs6b" }, { "name": "FCA Handbook, ICOBS 6.5 renewals", "url": "https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/ICOBS/6/5.html" }, { "name": "FCA, PS21/5 general insurance pricing practices", "url": "https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/policy/ps21-5.pdf" }, { "name": "HMRC, Insurance Premium Tax rates", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-insurance-premium-tax/insurance-premium-tax-rates" } ], "caveats": [ "Tariff Tracker publishes insurance statistics and the regulatory rules. It does not provide quotes, does not pass your details to anyone, and is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to arrange insurance.", "The ABI tracker does not split comprehensive from other policy types. Any site quoting an ABI average comprehensive premium is not reproducing ABI output.", "Neither the ABI nor the FCA publishes average motor premiums by age band or by region. We will not invent them." ] } ], "next_cap": { "period": "1 January to 31 March 2027", "effective": "2027-01-01", "window_closes": "2026-11-18", "window_closes_confidence": "pattern", "announcement": "2026-11-25", "announcement_confidence": "pattern", "forecast": null, "forecast_source": null, "forecast_as_of": null, "current": 1723, "explainer": "Ofgem does not set the cap from today's gas price. It uses an observation window that closes about two months before the period starts, so the wholesale price this week lands on bills in roughly three to six months, not now. That is why a live wholesale ticker tells you almost nothing about your next bill, and why the date the window shuts is the date worth watching.", "track_record": { "what": "For the October 2026 cap, Cornwall Insight's final forecast was £1,729.31. Ofgem set £1,723.", "gap": "£6 out, about a third of one percent.", "why": "Forecasts are unreliable early and accurate late, because they firm up as the observation window fills. Anything published today about January is a guess. The final forecast lands the day the window shuts." }, "drivers": [ "Wholesale gas, which is the largest single component but a shrinking share of the bill", "Network charges, which are rising and are set separately", "Policy levies, including the nuclear regulated asset base charge", "The zero rate of VAT on electricity, which ends on 31 March 2027 and is worth about £45 a year" ], "sources": [ { "name": "Ofgem, energy price cap", "url": "https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-regulation/domestic-and-non-domestic/energy-pricing-rules/energy-price-cap" }, { "name": "Cornwall Insight, default tariff cap predictions", "url": "https://www.cornwall-insight.com/predictions-and-insights-into-the-default-tariff-cap/" } ] }, "deals": { "note": "Advertised monthly prices for new customers, checked against provider published price lists. Broadband pricing is postcode dependent, so treat these as indicative and confirm at your own address.", "assumption": "Contract total assumes a contract starting September 2026 and the annual April price rise applying in April 2027 and April 2028, at the amount each provider has already published. Providers with no scheduled rise are shown at a flat price.", "rows": [ { "provider": "Community Fibre", "package": "Full Fibre 150", "speed": "150Mb", "monthly": 17.99, "term": 24, "rise": 0.0, "note": "Fixed price promotion. Confirm it still applies when you sign." }, { "provider": "toob", "package": "Full Fibre 150", "speed": "150Mb", "monthly": 18.0, "term": 24, "rise": 3.0, "note": "toob publishes its future prices on the product page, which is unusually honest." }, { "provider": "Gigaclear", "package": "Fibre 300", "speed": "300Mb", "monthly": 19.0, "term": 18, "rise": 3.0, "note": "Limited footprint, rural focus." }, { "provider": "Onestream", "package": "Fibre 40", "speed": "40Mb", "monthly": 19.94, "term": 24, "rise": 3.0, "note": "Part fibre. This tier is being withdrawn ahead of the copper switch off." }, { "provider": "Community Fibre", "package": "Full Fibre 500", "speed": "500Mb", "monthly": 20.0, "term": 24, "rise": 0.0, "note": "London only." }, { "provider": "Plusnet", "package": "Full Fibre 74", "speed": "74Mb", "monthly": 20.99, "term": 24, "rise": 4.0, "note": "BT Group. The £4 rise applies twice over a 24 month term." }, { "provider": "toob", "package": "Full Fibre 900", "speed": "900Mb", "monthly": 22.0, "term": 24, "rise": 3.0, "note": "Same package on a rolling monthly term is £39." }, { "provider": "EE", "package": "Full Fibre 150", "speed": "150Mb", "monthly": 22.99, "term": 24, "rise": 4.0, "note": "BT Group." }, { "provider": "Sky", "package": "Full Fibre 150", "speed": "150Mb", "monthly": 23.0, "term": 24, "rise": 3.0, "note": "Sky does not fix its rise in pounds and pence for existing customers, so year two is not contractually certain." }, { "provider": "Community Fibre", "package": "Full Fibre 1 Gig", "speed": "1Gb", "monthly": 25.0, "term": 24, "rise": 0.0, "note": "London only." }, { "provider": "Vodafone", "package": "Fibre 2", "speed": "73Mb", "monthly": 26.0, "term": 24, "rise": 3.5, "note": "" }, { "provider": "toob", "package": "Full Fibre 2300", "speed": "2.3Gb", "monthly": 29.0, "term": 24, "rise": 3.0, "note": "" }, { "provider": "Virgin Media", "package": "M250", "speed": "250Mb", "monthly": 29.99, "term": 18, "rise": 4.0, "note": "" }, { "provider": "Zen Internet", "package": "Full Fibre 500", "speed": "500Mb", "monthly": 39.0, "term": 24, "rise": 0.0, "note": "Zen contractually promises no in contract increases for the full term. Confirmed on its own site." }, { "provider": "Zen Internet", "package": "Full Fibre 910", "speed": "910Mb", "monthly": 45.0, "term": 24, "rise": 0.0, "note": "No in contract increases." } ] }, "upcoming": [ { "date": "2026-11-02", "vertical": "rail-fares", "what": "London bus and tram single rises 10p to £1.85 and the daily cap 30p to £5.55, ending the freeze that has held since March 2023.", "source": "TfL" }, { "date": "2027-03-01", "vertical": "rail-fares", "what": "The England regulated fare freeze ends. No decision has been published on what replaces it, so nobody knows the 2027 figure yet.", "source": "DfT" }, { "date": "2027-04-01", "vertical": "tv-licence", "what": "TV licence rises with CPI under the 2022 settlement. The amount has not been announced.", "source": "gov.uk" }, { "date": "2027-04-01", "vertical": "nhs-charges", "what": "NHS dental charges are typically uplifted. Whether the prescription freeze continues into 2027/28 has not been announced.", "source": "DHSC" }, { "date": "2027-04-01", "vertical": "rent", "what": "Local Housing Allowance freeze at January 2024 rates is due to end. Nothing has been announced about 2027/28.", "source": "legislation.gov.uk" }, { "date": "2027-12-31", "vertical": "tv-licence", "what": "The BBC Royal Charter expires. The Charter Review will consider how the BBC is funded but has proposed no replacement model.", "source": "DCMS" }, { "date": "2030-10-01", "vertical": "rent", "what": "Private rented properties must reach EPC C or hold a valid exemption.", "source": "MHCLG" }, { "date": "2026-10-01", "vertical": "energy", "what": "The October price cap takes effect at £1,723, and VAT on domestic electricity drops from 5% to 0% across Great Britain.", "source": "Ofgem" }, { "date": "2026-10-01", "vertical": "energy", "what": "Warm Home Discount reopens for winter 2026/27 at £150.", "source": "gov.uk" }, { "date": "2026-10-01", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "what": "Openreach raises legacy copper and PSTN wholesale prices by a further 40%, roughly doubling 2025 rates cumulatively. Entry level part fibre packages get squeezed.", "source": "Openreach" }, { "date": "2027-01-01", "vertical": "energy", "what": "The January to March 2027 price cap takes effect. Ofgem has not published the announcement date.", "source": "Ofgem" }, { "date": "2027-01-31", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "what": "The analogue phone network is fully retired. About 2.8 million lines still to migrate.", "source": "Openreach" }, { "date": "2027-03-31", "vertical": "energy", "what": "The zero rate of VAT on electricity ends and reverts to 5%. Worth about £45 a year, a built in April bill rise with nothing to do with wholesale prices.", "source": "Ofgem" }, { "date": "2027-04-01", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "what": "Next annual round of mid contract rises, already written into contracts signed today.", "source": "Provider terms" }, { "date": "2027-04-01", "vertical": "water", "what": "WaterSure reform takes effect. Income cap £25,745, eligibility extended to PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance, automatic enrolment replaces application. About 53,000 more households.", "source": "gov.uk" }, { "date": "2028-04-01", "vertical": "council-tax", "what": "Wales holds its first council tax revaluation under a new five yearly cycle. Scotland introduces Bands I and J for properties over £1m.", "source": "Welsh and Scottish legislation" } ], "changes": [ { "id": "2026-08-19-ons-rents-july", "date": "2026-08-19", "effective": "2026-08-19", "vertical": "rent", "severity": "increase", "actor": "ONS", "title": "Average UK rent reaches £1,393 a month", "summary": "Private rents rose 3.7% in the year to July 2026 to a UK average of £1,393 a month. London averages £2,317 and the North East £783, but the North East has the fastest rent inflation in England at 6.3%. House prices rose 2.0% to £272,000, while London house prices actually fell 2.5%.", "note": "Local Housing Allowance remains frozen at January 2024 rates, so every month of rent inflation widens the gap between what the benefit pays and what a tenancy costs.", "source": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/august2026", "source_name": "ONS" }, { "id": "2026-05-01-renters-rights-act", "date": "2026-05-01", "effective": "2026-05-01", "vertical": "rent", "severity": "relief", "actor": "Government", "title": "Section 21 abolished and rent rises capped to once a year", "summary": "The main provisions of the Renters' Rights Act came into force. No fault section 21 evictions and fixed term assured shorthold tenancies are abolished, and every existing tenancy became periodic with no end date. Rent can rise once a year to market rate only, on two months' notice. A tenant challenging an increase at the First-tier Tribunal can no longer be ordered to pay more than the landlord asked for, and increases are no longer backdated. Rent in advance beyond one month is banned, and so is rental bidding above the advertised price.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act", "source_name": "MHCLG" }, { "id": "2026-04-01-tv-licence", "date": "2026-04-01", "effective": "2026-04-01", "vertical": "tv-licence", "severity": "increase", "actor": "DCMS", "title": "TV licence rises £5.50 to £180", "summary": "The standard colour licence rose from £174.50 to £180 on 1 April 2026, an uplift of 3.14% under the CPI indexation in the 2022 licence fee settlement. Black and white stays available at £60.50. The blind concession is half price at £90, residential care is £7.50, and over 75s on Pension Credit pay nothing.", "note": "gov.uk states the uplift was 3.14% while TV Licensing's own page says 3.15%. We publish the government figure and flag the disagreement.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cost-of-tv-licence-fee-set-for-202627", "source_name": "gov.uk" }, { "id": "2026-04-01-nhs-dental", "date": "2026-03-10", "effective": "2026-04-01", "vertical": "nhs-charges", "severity": "increase", "actor": "DHSC", "title": "Dental charges up 1.66% while prescriptions stay frozen", "summary": "NHS dental charges in England rose on 1 April 2026 to £27.90 for band 1, £76.60 for band 2 and £332.10 for band 3. The prescription charge was frozen at £9.90 for a second successive year, along with prepayment certificates at £32.05 for three months and £114.50 for twelve. Prescriptions remain free for everyone in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.", "source": "https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-03-10/hcws1392", "source_name": "DHSC" }, { "id": "2026-03-02-rail-freeze", "date": "2026-03-02", "effective": "2026-03-02", "vertical": "rail-fares", "severity": "relief", "actor": "DfT", "title": "Regulated rail fares frozen for the first time in thirty years", "summary": "Regulated fares in England were held at 0% from 2 March 2026 rather than rising 5.8% under the usual formula, which the Department for Transport says saves passengers £600m a year across more than a billion journeys. The freeze covers standard class season, anytime and off peak tickets and runs until March 2027. Scotland froze ScotRail fares for twelve months in February and Wales froze every Transport for Wales fare from 1 March.", "note": "Almost every rail figure on this site expires around March 2027, and the London bus fares expire sooner, on 1 November 2026.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/passengers-save-millions-as-rail-fare-freeze-starts", "source_name": "DfT" }, { "id": "2026-03-18-coram-childcare", "date": "2026-03-18", "effective": "2026-03-18", "vertical": "childcare", "severity": "relief", "actor": "Coram", "title": "Childcare costs fall sharply for families who qualify for funded hours", "summary": "Coram's Childcare Survey 2026 reports the cost of a full time under two nursery place in England fell 39% against 2025 for eligible families, following the completion of the 30 hour rollout in September 2025. A part time place for an eligible under two is now theoretically free during term time. Families who do not qualify still pay about £189 a week for the same part time place.", "note": "Coram's full time figures are net of the funded entitlement and its part time figures are not, which is why full time can appear cheaper than part time in the same table.", "source": "https://www.coram.org.uk/news/childcare-survey-2026/", "source_name": "Coram" }, { "id": "2026-01-30-lha-freeze", "date": "2026-01-30", "effective": "2026-04-01", "vertical": "rent", "severity": "increase", "actor": "DWP", "title": "Local Housing Allowance frozen at January 2024 rates for another year", "summary": "The Rent Officers Modification Order 2026 fixes Local Housing Allowance for every broad rental market area in England, Wales and Scotland at the rates determined on 31 January 2024, for the whole of 2026/27. Rates were originally set at the 30th percentile of market rents at that date and are not being recalculated against current rents, which have risen 3.7% in the last year alone.", "source": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/5/made", "source_name": "legislation.gov.uk" }, { "id": "2026-08-26-energy-cap-october", "date": "2026-08-26", "effective": "2026-10-01", "vertical": "energy", "severity": "increase", "actor": "Ofgem", "title": "Energy price cap rises 4% to £1,723 from October", "summary": "Announced at 07:00 this morning. The cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 is £1,723 a year for a typical dual fuel direct debit household, up £60 from £1,663. Gas bills rise about 8%; electricity is broadly flat because VAT on domestic electricity is being cut from 5% to 0% at the same moment. Standard credit goes to £1,861 and prepayment to £1,678. About 35% of households are on fixed tariffs and are unaffected.", "note": "At least one tariff site is currently publishing £1,935 for this period. Ofgem's own press release and its summary of changes both say £1,723.", "source": "https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/energy-price-cap-will-rise-4-october-2026", "source_name": "Ofgem" }, { "id": "2026-08-17-ofcom-social-tariffs", "date": "2026-08-17", "effective": "2026-08-17", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "severity": "relief", "actor": "Ofcom", "title": "Ofcom refreshes the broadband social tariff list", "summary": "Thirty three broadband tariffs and three mobile tariffs for people on means tested benefits, starting at £12 a month for 50Mb. Only 532,000 households are on one, and Ofcom's own research found 70% of eligible households do not know they exist.", "source": "https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs", "source_name": "Ofcom" }, { "id": "2026-08-03-abi-q2", "date": "2026-08-03", "effective": "2026-08-03", "vertical": "insurance", "severity": "increase", "actor": "ABI", "title": "Motor premiums edge up to £566 as claims costs keep climbing", "summary": "The average motor premium paid rose £6 to £566 in Q2 2026, still down about £14 year on year in real terms. Claims told a different story: £3.2bn paid out, up 7% year on year, with the average claim at £4,900. On the home side premiums fell to £383 combined while the average payout passed £7,000 for the first time and subsidence hit a record £20,000.", "source": "https://www.abi.org.uk/media-hub/news-post/record-32-billion-paid-out-to-support-motor-insurance-customers-in-q2-2026", "source_name": "ABI" }, { "id": "2026-06-29-mse-price-rises", "date": "2026-06-29", "effective": "2026-06-29", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "severity": "increase", "actor": "MoneySavingExpert", "title": "Three in four customers worse off under the pounds and pence rules", "summary": "An analysis of 47,000 tariffs covering April 2024 to March 2026 found 75% of customers are worse off than they would have been under the old inflation linked system, and 99% face above inflation rises. A low data mobile contract at £8 a month sees a 31% rise where the old rules would have given about 7.3%.", "note": "Ofcom has published no assessment of its own policy. The only two evaluations are from Citizens Advice and MoneySavingExpert, and both conclude it failed.", "source": "https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2026/06/mobile-broadband-price-hike-research/", "source_name": "MoneySavingExpert" }, { "id": "2026-04-01-council-tax-2627", "date": "2026-03-25", "effective": "2026-04-01", "vertical": "council-tax", "severity": "increase", "actor": "MHCLG", "title": "Average Band D council tax in England passes £2,392", "summary": "Up £111 or 4.9% on 2025/26, including parish precepts. Nine authorities were given permission to exceed the 5% referendum threshold, three of them up to 9%. No authority exceeded its own principle. The adult social care precept raised £688m, about £35 on a Band D bill. Dorset is highest at £2,765 and Wandsworth lowest at £1,028.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2026-to-2027/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2026-to-2027", "source_name": "MHCLG" }, { "id": "2026-04-01-telecoms-rises", "date": "2026-04-01", "effective": "2026-04-01", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "severity": "increase", "actor": "Providers", "title": "The April round of mid contract rises lands, up to £4 a month", "summary": "BT, EE, Virgin Media and TalkTalk applied £4 a month to their newest contract cohorts. Vodafone took £3.50 on home broadband and £2.50 on mobile airtime, O2 £2.50, Sky £3 on broadband, Three between £1.80 and £2.30 depending on data allowance. On a £28 budget package a £4 rise is 14%, against CPI of 3.2%.", "note": "Sky is the outlier. It did not adopt fixed pounds and pence for existing customers, so a Sky customer signing today has no contractual certainty about what year two costs.", "source": "https://ee.co.uk/help/billing-payments/guide-to-bill/about-annual-prices-changes", "source_name": "EE" }, { "id": "2026-04-01-water-2627", "date": "2026-01-29", "effective": "2026-04-01", "vertical": "water", "severity": "increase", "actor": "Water UK", "title": "Water bills rise £33 to an average of £639", "summary": "The average household bill in England and Wales for 2026/27 is £639, made up of £309 for water and £330 for sewerage, up 5.4%. Southern Water is dearest at £759 and Northumbrian cheapest at £535, a £224 spread for a service nobody can switch away from. Severn Trent took the largest rise among the big companies at 10%; Thames took 0.4%.", "source": "https://www.water.org.uk/annual-average-bill-changes-2026-27", "source_name": "Water UK" }, { "id": "2026-03-10-cma-pr24", "date": "2026-03-10", "effective": "2026-03-10", "vertical": "water", "severity": "increase", "actor": "CMA", "title": "Competition watchdog hands five water companies £463m more", "summary": "Anglian, Northumbrian, South East, Southern and Wessex disputed Ofwat's price review settlement. The CMA raised their allowed return from 4.03% to 4.20% and awarded £463m of additional revenue, about 17% of what they asked for. Expect roughly 2.2% on those customers' bills across the five year period. The five serve about seven million households.", "source": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69afb3e2917847c0a4c89a23/PR24_Final_determinations_summary.pdf", "source_name": "CMA" }, { "id": "2026-03-06-watersure-reform", "date": "2026-03-06", "effective": "2027-04-01", "vertical": "water", "severity": "relief", "actor": "Government", "title": "WaterSure reformed, about 300,000 households to benefit", "summary": "The income cap rises to £25,745 and eligibility extends to people receiving PIP, DLA or Attendance Allowance, bringing in about 53,000 more households. The medical practitioner's note is dropped for unlisted conditions and automatic enrolment replaces the application. A new single occupier cap is introduced. About 53,000 single households save an extra £100 and about 130,000 multi occupant households save around £26.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reduced-bills-for-around-300000-households-in-watersure-reform", "source_name": "gov.uk" }, { "id": "2026-02-20-citizens-advice-telecoms", "date": "2026-02-20", "effective": "2026-02-20", "vertical": "broadband-and-mobile", "severity": "increase", "actor": "Citizens Advice", "title": "Citizens Advice says Ofcom's price rise rules have failed", "summary": "Awareness of mid contract rises among people on new contracts rose only to 38% for mobile and 36% for broadband, from 30% and 29%. A £4 rise is about 11.1% on a typical bill against CPI of 3.2%, more than three times inflation, and it lands hardest on the cheapest packages. Citizens Advice is calling for mid contract rises to be banned outright.", "source": "https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/ofcoms-new-rules-on-mid-contract-price-rises-have-failed-aec2238c0ae1", "source_name": "Citizens Advice" }, { "id": "2026-02-03-fca-premium-finance", "date": "2026-02-03", "effective": "2026-02-03", "vertical": "insurance", "severity": "relief", "actor": "FCA", "title": "FCA declines to cap the cost of paying insurance monthly", "summary": "The premium finance market study found average APRs down 4.1 percentage points since 2022, saving consumers about £157m a year. The cost of paying monthly fell from £49 to £41 on motor and £18 to £15 on home. The FCA confirmed it will not impose a price cap and will not mandate interest free instalments, relying on fair value and Consumer Duty monitoring instead. Over 23 million policies are paid monthly.", "source": "https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/falling-cost-premium-finance-saving-consumers-around-157m-year", "source_name": "FCA" }, { "id": "2026-01-20-defra-white-paper", "date": "2026-01-20", "effective": "2026-01-20", "vertical": "water", "severity": "relief", "actor": "Defra", "title": "White paper confirms no national water social tariff", "summary": "A New Vision for Water confirms support stays company by company, with an average £640m a year available for low income customers to 2030 and an industry commitment to address water poverty by that date. It also proposes abolishing Ofwat in favour of a single integrated regulator, with no date set. Campaigners at CCW and Independent Age continue to press for one national scheme.", "note": "Do not assume a national scheme exists. What you get depends entirely on which company happens to serve your postcode.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-new-vision-for-water-white-paper/a-new-vision-for-water", "source_name": "Defra" } ] }