The latest cost of living news, headlines and analysis from The NE Times.
Households face a £221 increase in typical annual energy costs from 1 July after the regulator confirmed a 13% rise in the price cap, driven by higher wholesale gas prices linked to renewed conflict in the Middle East.
Annual food and drink inflation slowed from 3.0% to 2.2% in the year to May, the latest tracking shows, offering tentative relief to households even as the weekly shop remains far dearer than it was three years ago.
The Government has confirmed that regulated rail fares in England will be held flat in 2026, marking the first freeze in three decades, though London Underground and Elizabeth line passengers face rises.
The Office for National Statistics says the headline rate was unchanged from April, defying forecasts of a rise, as falling grocery prices balanced out the steepest jump in transport costs in more than three years.
Ofgem's new cap adds around £221 to the typical annual bill from 1 July, but regulators and campaigners say many households can dodge much of the rise by fixing.
The regulator's latest price cap will add around £18 a month to a typical dual-fuel bill from 1 July, with gas costs rising by almost a quarter as conflict abroad drives up wholesale prices.
Millions of households have absorbed broadband and mobile price rises of up to £4 a month this year, with new fixed-pound increases outstripping inflation and many customers unaware they can often switch away penalty-free.
A Which? basket of 95 everyday groceries cost almost 40% less at Aldi than at Waitrose in May, with Lidl close behind in the race for shoppers' pounds.
The average new let now costs £1,321 a month, up 2.1% in a year, but Zoopla's data shows rents climbing fastest in the cheapest areas while pricier postcodes cool.
A conflict in the Middle East has sent crude prices soaring, lifting petrol prices, threatening higher household energy bills from July and reviving the cost-of-living squeeze just as Britain thought the worst was behind it.
The typical water and wastewater bill in England and Wales is climbing again in 2026-27, with regulators and companies clashing over whether the increases are fixing a fragile system or punishing customers.
From April 2026 a new crisis and resilience fund replaces the long-running Household Support Fund, offering essentials and cash payments of up to £300 to struggling households.
Average water bills have climbed above £600 and Band D council tax has passed £2,300, with families in some regions facing the steepest increases as infrastructure costs and council finances bite.