TV licences, dental appointments and prescriptions are all increasing in price this weekend

Price hikes coming into effect this weekend will cost UK consumers more than £2bn in total 

Caitlin Morrison
Saturday 31 March 2018 00:10 BST
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Bills and other necessities will become more expensive this week
Bills and other necessities will become more expensive this week

Prices for a range of goods and services are set to go up this Sunday, and British households will have to shell out an extra £100 over the next year to cover the costs, according to new research.

Financial comparison site money.co.uk has dubbed Easter Sunday 2018 “National Price Hike Day”, and warned of a raft of price hikes that will take effect over the weekend, costing more than £2bn in total across the UK.

The price rises include:

  • Increased NHS dental charges
  • Prescription costs will go up by 2.32 per cent, or 20p
  • TV licence costs will rise by £3.50 to £150.50
  • Air passenger duty on long haul flights (distances over 2,000 miles) will increase by 4 per cent, which will pull flight costs up

Energy firms E.ON, Engie and Bulb will hike bills later this month, while iSupply increased prices last month and water bills are set to grow by 2 per cent for the average household. Meanwhile, the price of stamps has already risen by 3 per cent.

"As you tuck into your Easter eggs this year, a raft of everyday things will cost you more from stamps to your TV licence. Your wallet could be hit left, right and centre on 1 April. These price hikes may appear small and ‘nothing to worry about’ but add them all together and they could cost you around £100 extra a year,” said Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief at money.co.uk.

“You won’t be able to avoid some of the increases, but you can certainly take control when it comes to managing the cost of your energy, phone and broadband. The more money you can keep in your pocket the better.”

Ms Maundrell said consumers should check they are on the best rates and switch providers to get a better deal where possible, as well as looking at where they might be able to cut small everyday costs like buying takeaway coffees.

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