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Your Money > Family Finances Articles > Beware extra April...
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By Rebecca Atkinson
According to the Office of National Statistics, food and petrol prices continue to rise, which means many people's personal inflation levels will continue to feel high. The situation is likely to get worse in April when a range of price increases come into force. While it might be hard to avoid some of the extra expenses, there are others that you could dodge by taking action now. Phone calls. BT plans to increase its phone line rental from £11.50 to £12.50 per month from 1 April - a move which will cost customers £150 a year, up from £138. Customers will also see the cost of call set up fees rise from 6.85p to 8p per call and the price of daytime phone calls by 0.59p per minute to 4.5p per minute. The price of calling features such as Call waiting, Ring Back and Call Diversion will also rise from 1 April 2009. However, those with a 12-month BT contract will escape many of the price rises, including the set up fees on any call made within their monthly allowance. There has been speculation that BT is trying to encourage more people to sign up to 12-month contracts. If you are affected by price rises then this is one option; alternatively, see if you could save elsewhere by looking at packages offered by rivals Sky (BSY), Virgin Media or Tesco. You can also slash your phone bill by opting for paperless bills or paying by direct debit. Water bills are set to increase by an average of 4.1% to £300 a year from 1 April. While there isn't a lot you can do to avoid above-inflation increase, you might want to consider getting a water meter fitted as this could potentially save you money. A meter means you only pay for what you use, rather than an estimate based on the number of people in your home, among other things. Generally speaking, water meters are most suitable for households with more bedrooms than occupants. If you are not sure as to whether or not you would benefit from switching to a meter it's worth speaking to your water company, which will be able to help you compare their measured and unmeasured tariffs with your household water consumption. Alternatively, you could check out the online water calculators that are available at uSwitch.com or at the Consumer Council for Water's website. Video Games Consoles. Nintendo is increasing the price of a Wii games console from by £20 from 1 April, to £200. The firm blames the weak pound for the price hike. Petrol prices. The postponed 2p increase in fuel duty finally comes into force on 1 April, and as a result drivers are likely to see the cost of petrol rise. The AA estimates that pump prices will increase this year by another 2.12p as a result of the tax change, with the cost of filling a typical tank with unleaded petrol 5.53p more expensive per litre compared to the start of the year. You can cut the price of petrol by shopping around for the cheapest pumps in your area, using websites such as petrolprices.co.uk, or by using credit cards that offer discounts on fuel. Supermarket forecourts also tend to be the cheapest place to fill your tank, while garages on motorways and other busy roads tend to charge a premium. TV licence. From 1 April, the cost of a colour television licence will increase from £139.50 to £142.50. A black and white licence, meanwhile, will rise from £47 to £48. Licence fees are based on a six-year BBC funding settlement that stated in April 2007. In year one (2008) and year two (2009), the licence fee increase is set at 3%. In years three (2010), four (2011) and five (2012), the increase is set at 2%. The BBC can set any increase in year six, up to 2%. Topping up your basic state pension. From 6 April, people who want to top-up their state pension by buying back missing National Insurance (NI) contributions will have to pay nearly 50% more to do so. The cost of buying back a year of NI contributions will increase from £420 to £626. The flipside is the basic state pension will increase by 5% from April, with the Government updating retirees' weekly entitlement in-line with the rate of inflation the previous September. Individuals receiving the basic state pension will see their income increase from £90.70 to £95.25 a week. Couples, meanwhile, will see their payments increase from £145.05 to £152.30. Stamps. Make sure you stock up on stamps before 6 April - from this date Royal Mail is increasing the cost of a first class stamp from 36p to 39p and a second class stamp from 25p to 30p. The price of special next-day delivery, meanwhile, will increase from £4.65 to £4.95 for mail up to 100g. Dentist fees. If it's been a while since you've been to see your dentist, then consider making an appointment before 1 April. After this date, the cost of a check-up for Band 2 treatment - such as a filing or root canal - will increase from £44.60 to £45.60. A check-up will also increase by 30p to £16.50. These increases only apply to people living in England. Prescription charges will increase this April, from £7.10 to £7.20. So, if possible, try and make a doctor's appointment before the 1 April and definitely make sure you collect any outstanding prescriptions before this date. Pre-paid prescription certificates - which can save you money if you need a regular prescriptions - will also rise in price in April. Currently, a three-month certificate costs £27.85 but this will increase to £28.25 from 1 April. An annual certificate will increase from £102.50 to £104. The good news is that from 1 April, cancer patients will no longer have to pay for prescriptions. Prescriptions are free in Wales, so the above changes only apply to English patients. People in Scotland and Northern Ireland will see their prescription costs reduce by £1 from 1 April, as part of plans to phase out these costs. Taxi fares. The average taxi fare in London will increase by 3.4% from 4 April. Transport for London says the increase will help drivers maintain their earnings and cover increased operating costs. Workers' statutory paid holiday entitlement increases from 1 April, from 4.8 weeks (or 24 days for a worker working a five-day week) to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday (or 28 days). As if people trying to sell their homes don't have enough to worry about, from 6 April every property must have a Home Information Pack in place and paid for - not just ordered - before it can be put on the market. Sellers will also be required to complete a new Property Information Questionnaire detailing pre-sale information such as the home's council tax band, parking arrangements, utilities and any structural alterations. ISAs. When the new tax year starts on 6 April, everyone over the age of 16 will be able to save up to £3,600 tax-free in a cash ISA. People aged 18 and over, meanwhile, will have the option to invest up to £7,200 in a stocks and shares ISA, minus any amount up to £3,600 saved in a cash ISA. If you haven't used your ISA allowance for the current tax year (2008/09) then you should consider doing so before 6 April, or this opportunity to grow your money free of tax will be lost forever. Useful links: |
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