Inflation Soars to Highest for More Than a Year in UKLondon, 21 May (ONA) — Inflation in the United Kingdom (UK) surged to its highest level for
more than a year last month (April 2025) after households were hit by a raft of
“awful April” bill increases, official figures have revealed.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index
(CPI) inflation hit 3.5% in April, up from 2.6% in March and the
highest since January 2024.
Economists had been expecting a rise to 3.3% last month.
It comes after Ofgem’s energy price cap rose by 6.4% in April, having
fallen a year earlier, alongside a raft of bill rises for
under-pressure households, including steep increases to water
charges, council tax, mobile and broadband tariffs.
ONS acting director-general Grant Fitzner said: “Significant
increases in household bills caused inflation to climb steeply”.
He added, “Gas and electricity bills rose this month compared with sharp falls
at the same time last year due to changes to the Ofgem energy price
cap”.
“Water and sewerage bills also rose strongly this year, as did
vehicle excise duty, which all pushed the headline rate up to its
highest level since the beginning of last year,” he said.
— Ends/Khalid