- Headline inflation fell to 2.8% in April largely due to the fall in the energy price cap (source: Consumer price inflation, UK: April 2026 – Office for National Statistics)
- But these figures do not tell the whole story – a number of prices have been rising significantly, from petrol to water bills, broadband and milk
- 10 price rises hidden behind today’s headline figures
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell, comments:
“Inflation officially fell in April, but anyone who has been near a supermarket or petrol station, or opened a bill, in the past couple of months knows that’s far from the full picture. While energy prices have dragged down the overall headline figure, lurking in the data are a myriad of painful price rises.
- Petrol and diesel
“The war in Iran tool a huge toll at the pumps. The spike in the oil price pushed up the cost of a tank of petrol faster than any time since September 2022. The average petrol price was up 16.6% between March and April to 156.8p per litre – its highest since November 2022. While the average diesel price was up 34.1% or 31.3p per litre, to 190p per litre – the highest level since July 2022.
“There are no easy solutions when prices are rising this fast, but it’s worth using a price comparison site to find the cheapest fuel near you, and considering when you use your car and how you drive in order to keep a lid on costs.
- Water
“Water bills actually helped bring the overall inflation figure down, but not because they got cheaper. In fact, water bills were up a painful 9% in a year and sewerage costs up 5.8%. The only reason this pushed inflation down was because price rises the same time last year were so horrendous – with water bills up 26.4% and sewerage 25.9%. It means we’re wrestling with even higher water bills in 2026.
“With shopping around out of the question, it’s worth considering a water meter. These can help you save money if you have more people than bedrooms in your home – or the same number. Once you have a meter you can look at saving water to bring bills down.
- Heating oil
“Anyone using oil for heating has seen the price soar after the outbreak of the Iran war, and prices rose 8.5% in April, compared with a fall of 7.7% a year ago. At this time of year, cutting back on use is fairly straightforward, but anyone with an oil heating system has to be concerned about what the winter could hold if there’s no peace agreement by then.
- Broadband
“Providers tend to jump on the ‘Awful April’ bandwagon and push up prices in March and April. This year was no exception, with broadband bills up 12.1% in a year. Rule changes designed to bring more transparency over price rises have made things even tougher for customers taking out a contract recently. Companies have moved from a percentage rise, based on inflation, to a fixed pounds and pence rise, made clear from day one. Unfortunately, these fixed rises have tended to be higher.
“When you’re shopping for a new deal, it pays to consider the full cost of the contract at the outset, so you’re not just comparing the price today, but what it could end up costing you years down the line after price hikes have kicked in.
- Beef
“Food inflation fell overall, but there were some striking price rises in the basket, including the cost of beef and veal, which is up 13.2% in a year. Farmers are wrestling with higher costs, including labour, energy and feed. Cattle farms also face structural issues because changes in farm subsidies have meant beef and veal production was 73,000 tonnes lower during the month than a year earlier.
- Milk
“The cost of whole milk is up 10.7% in a year. Milk tends to respond fairly quickly to rises in production costs, because it has such a short shelf life, so rising energy prices mean it’s more expensive to pasteurise and transport.
- Confectionary
“The price of sweets and chocolate is up 9.7% in a year, with chocolate responsible for much of the rise. It has been hit by climbing cocoa prices, because of poor harvests and supply chain problems caused by global instability.
- Fish
“The price of fresh and chilled fish is up 11.6%. This owes much to the decline of stocks and catch reductions. At the same time, the global demand for fish remains high, so there are plenty of alternative markets prepared to pay more.
“Cutting costs at the supermarket tends to involve considering alternatives, whether that’s different meat or fish, other sources of protein, or recipes that bulk out the expensive items to make them go further. Buying reduced items, making full use of the freezer and shopping around with the discounters can all help you manage your supermarket spending.
- Clothing and shoes
“Prices of clothing and shoes were up in April, compared to a fall this time last year. They weren’t rising through the roof, but the contrast with the year earlier was key. This owes a lot to the fact we had more discounts between March and April last year, but the odd warmer day this spring has encouraged people to refresh their wardrobes without the shops having to put them on sale so early.
- Hotels
“Prices in hotels were up 3.8%, compared to a fall the same time last year. There are real cost pressures on hotels from wages, energy and food price rises. The fact that demand has been steadily increasing means hotels have been able to pass some of these extra costs onto guests.”
