All the bills set to rise in April including broadband and council tax - how to cut costs

Families up and down the country are about to be hit with higher bills - but there are ways to cut costs.

Broadband, mobile and council tax are all set to become more expensive, as is the price you pay for water and your TV licence. If you’re worried about your bills going up, then now is the time to go through your finances and work out how you can fight back.

There are plenty of ways to lower your bills, from getting a better broadband package to checking if you're able to get a discount on your council tax. Here is everything you need to know.

Broadband, TV and mobile

Broadband and mobile customers will be hit with bill rises of up to 8.8% starting from March 31. Under current rules, telecom firms are allowed to increase prices mid-contract in line with inflation, plus up to 3.9% extra on top of this.

Most use Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation data for December, or Retail Prices Index (RPI) for January to decide their increases. You can read our company-by-company breakdown, including Sky, BT and TalkTalk, that shows how much your bill will rise here.

How to cut your bill: If you're out of contract, you can leave and go elsewhere or haggle down your current provider. Start by comparing prices elsewhere to see what other deals are available. Take a look at how many minutes, texts and how much data you currently use, so you can find similar plans that suit your needs.

You may find you're actually paying too much right now for allowances that you're not using. When haggling, explain the better deals you've seen elsewhere then ask if the company can match or beat that price. For mobile packages, you'll normally find SIM-only plans are the cheapest.

Council tax

Most households in England will see their council tax rise by around 5% from April 1. This is the maximum amount allowed without a referendum. However, four councils in England – Birmingham, Slough, Thurrock and Woking – have been granted special permission to impose a 10% rise. Use our council tax calculator to see how much your bill is going up by.

The majority of homes in Wales will see council tax rise by between around 5% and 10% while in Scotland, council tax bills have been frozen in the most places until April 2025. If you live in Northern Ireland, there is a rates system used for council tax.

How to cut your bill: You may be entitled to a council tax discount ranging between 25% to 100% off your bill, depending on your personal circumstances and living arrangements. For example, if you live alone, then you'll get a 25% discount.

Those who claim benefits may be entitled to help through a Council Tax Support or Council Tax Reduction scheme, which could see you get 100% off your bill. You may also be able to challenge your council tax bill if you think you're in the wrong band.

This could see you owed thousands of pounds back and pay lower council tax going forward. You need to do your research first though, as you could end up being moved up a council tax band - and this may also affect your neighbours.

Water

Water bills in England and Wales will rise by 6% on average from April 1. The typical household will see their yearly bill increase from £445 to £473, a rise of £27. Hafren Dyfrdwy customers will see the biggest percentage change, with the typical bill rising by 20% from £362 to £433 - an increase of £71.

Wessex Water and Anglian Water households will be hit with the biggest average bills, with their costs set to increase to £548 and £529 respectively. Water bills in Scotland will increase by an average of £35.95 a year, or 8.8%, from April.

How to cut your bill: Using less water is the most obvious way to cut your bill. You could see if a water meter would save you money. Martin Lewis suggests, as a general rule of thumb, that you could save cash if you have more or the same number of bedrooms in your house than people.

Check out the free water meter calculator on the Consumer Council for Water website. Households can also claim free water-saving devices through Save Water Save Money. The gadgets include shower heads which help regulate water usage, tap inserts to regulate water flow, and cistern bags, so each flush uses less water.

TV licence

The price of a TV licence will rise from £159 to £169.50 from April 1. You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV programmes on any channel. You also need a TV licence if you're using BBC iPlayer, regardless of whether you're watching a show on catch-up. If you're caught without a TV licence, you risk a £1,000 fine.

You don't need a TV licence if you're watching shows on catch-up using streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney Plus, YouTube, All 4 or My5. The rules are different if you’re watching live shows through these services, in which case you would need a TV licence.

How to cut your bill: If you're aged over 75 and you claim claiming Pension Credit, you can get a free TV licence. Students who are living away from home may also be covered if their parents have a TV licence, but only if they're watching TV on a device that isn't plugged into the mains, such as a phone, tablet or laptop.

If someone in your household is blind or severely sight-impaired, you'll get 50% off the cost of your TV licence. Or if you live in residential care or sheltered accommodation, you may be able to apply for a concessionary TV licence which costs £7.50 per room, flat or bungalow

Car tax

Car tax will increase in line with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation from April 1. How much you have to pay depends on when your car was registered and the type of fuel it uses. If your car was first registered on or after April 1, 2017, your annual car tax will increase from £180 to £190 for petrol and diesel cars.

You can check how much car tax you pay on your vehicle on GOV.UK. Some vehicles are charged £0 for car tax - but even if you don’t need to pay anything, you still need to renew your vehicle every year with the DVLA.

How to cut your bill: Pay your car tax bill for the year up front if you can. If you're due to change cars, it is worth looking at vehicles that produce a lower level of CO2.