Check how much your bills could rise in minutes with our new calculator

Household bills are set to change again from April. While some costs may fall slightly, others are expected to rise, which could push up your monthly spending.

To help you stay one step ahead, we’ve launched a free interactive household bills calculator.

It shows you a personalised estimate of how your monthly costs could change, so there are no surprises when the new bills arrive.

It only takes a couple of minutes to use, and the results are tailored to where you live.

Get a personalised forecast of your bills

Using the calculator is simple. Just enter your current monthly costs and your local council area, and the tool will estimate how much your bills could change over the coming year.

It provides a personalised outlook for:

• energy
• water
• council tax
• phone and broadband
• TV licence
• groceries
• vehicle tax

Once you’ve filled it in, you’ll see your current monthly spending, your estimated new costs, and the overall difference to your budget.

My results - a mixed bag

After trying it myself, the results were a bit of a mixed bag, though unfortunately there was more bad news than good.

The calculator estimated that while my energy bill would fall by £3.80 a month, all the others would rise, not by a huge amount, but significant.

It then added everything together and showed my total monthly household costs now compared with the expected costs from April, giving a clear picture of how much more I might need to budget for.

Overall, I can expect an increase of £38.78.

What bills are rising in April?

Here’s a quick look at some of the key changes expected this spring.

Water bills

If you live in England or Wales, your water bill is likely to rise from April.

On average, bills are expected to increase by 5.4%, adding roughly £33 a year, or about £2.70 a month.

Council tax

Many households will see council tax increase as well.

• councils with social care responsibilities can raise bills by up to 4.99%
• other councils can increase them by up to 2.99%
• larger increases would require a local referendum

You can check your band using this tool on the government website. 

TV licence

From April, the annual cost of a colour TV licence will rise to £180.

That’s an increase of £5.50 a year, or roughly 46p per month.

Car tax changes

Vehicle tax will also change in April:

• standard car tax will rise in line with RPI inflation
• electric vehicles will start paying vehicle tax
• changes to air passenger duty will also come into force

Broadband

Broadband prices are expected to rise for many UK customers in April 2026.

Several major providers are moving to fixed annual increases of around £3 - £4 per month.

Energy bills

There’s some good news on energy.

In February, the regulator Ofgem announced that the energy price cap will fall by 7% in April.

That means the typical dual-fuel household bill will drop by £117 a year to £1,641, around £10 a month less for homes using gas and electricity. The new price cap will run for three months until 30 June 2026.

Keep your household budget on track

Energy, water and council tax are just some of the costs that come with running a home. When several bills rise at once, it can quickly add pressure to your finances.

That’s why it’s worth creating a monthly budget. Knowing exactly how much money is coming in, and where it’s going, can help you:

• prioritise essential spending
• spot areas where you could cut back
• make room for savings
• stay prepared for rising bills

Once you’ve checked your costs with the household bills calculator, you can take the next step by using our free budget planner to map out your monthly finances. It’s free and easy to use.

If you’re struggling to keep up with household bills, support may be available. We can check you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to with our benefits calculator.