Bills Scotland: Here are all the bills and charges going up today - energy, council tax, National Insurance

It has been branded ‘April Cruel Day’ by some campaigner groups, as consumers prepare for their hip pockets to be hit.

April 1 marks the day a host of bills, costs and charges will rise, as the new financial year officially starts across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Energy and water bills, as well as ScotRail fares, are among those all going up on April 1 | NationalWorld/PA

Here, The Scotsman explains exactly what bills are going up - and by roughly how much.

Energy bills

Energy charges - principally gas and electricity - are all rising sharply.

Almost half of Scots are worried about being able to afford their energy bills over the coming year

The third consecutive increase to Ofgem’s price cap takes effect from Tuesday, and will mean the bill of a typical household paying by direct debit rising 6.4 per cent.

This is an increase of £111 a year or £9.25 a month after it went up by 10 per cent in October and another 1.2 per cent rise in January.

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The unit price of gas is increasing from 6.34p per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 6.99p per kWh, and electricity is going up from 24.86p/kWh to 27.03p/kWh.

Council tax

Council tax for all households in Scotland will increase, but the rate of the rise will depend on which local authority a person lives in.

The plans had been lodged with Falkirk Council (Picture: Michael Gillen, National World)

Falkirk Council has set Scotland's largest council tax increase after councillors agreed a 15.6 per cent rise. But other authorities also agreed hefty increases, with East Lothian, Scottish Borders and North Lanarkshire approving 10 per cent rises in council tax.

Edinburgh agreed to an 8 per cent increase, Fife 8.2 per cent and Glasgow 7.5 per cent.

Train fares

All fares on ScotRail services are rising as of April 1, with the RMT union insisting the rise in ticket prices was one the publicly-owned operator “cannot justify”.

A ScotRail train has caught on fire | PA

Ticket prices have increased by 3.8 per cent. The rise is lower than the 8.7 per cent that came into force last year, but remains above the rate of inflation seen in December – 2.5 per cent.

The fare rise will lift the price of an anytime return ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh to £32.60. The uplift was confirmed after peak ScotRail fares returned on September 30 last year, with the Government choosing to scrap the trial of having all tickets set at off-peak prices.

Water bills

The cost-of-living crisis will also bite when it comes to water bills, which are rising today by 9.9 per cent.

This means, according to Scottish Water, the average monthly household bill will increase by £3.68 per month or £44 per year.

Scottish Water said existing infrastructure was put under “significant pressure” as weather conditions become more extreme, with more periods of both drought and intense rainfall, and more investment is needed.

The 9.9 per cent increase follows a 8.8 per cent rise last year.

Rent

The rent cap, limiting rent increases to 12 per cent, ends as of today, meaning landlords will have the flexibility to raise rents by more than the threshold.

The Scottish Government has been told it has “prioritised landlords” in not supporting an extension of the rent cap. Analysis by tenants union, Living Rent, of Scottish Government figures showed adjudications by Rent Service Scotland saw rents increase by £71 on average, while landlords proposed hikes of £154 on average.

National Insurance

This one may only apply to businesses, rather than householders, but it will hit especially hard for those owners of smaller firms in particular.

From April 1, employers' National Insurance Contributions (NICs) have increased to 15 per cent from the previous 13.8 per cent, and the secondary threshold - the point at which employers start paying NICs - will fall from £9,100 to £5,000.

Mobile and broadband

Some customers will see rises in line with inflation, while others may face fixed hikes depending on when they signed up or upgraded.

For those on inflation-linked contracts, broadband prices will rise by an average of £21.99 annually, with some newer plans seeing increases of up to £42 a year, according to Uswitch.

Mobile users face similar increases, with an average increase of £15.90 for inflation-linked contracts, and up to £48 for newer deals.

Broadband customers should check their contract status to see if it is possible to switch without incurring a penalty. Switching to a new broadband deal after the initial contract has ended could save up to £180 a year.

Vodafone, Virgin Media and Community Fibre are some of the providers freezing prices until 2026 for those who switch before the April increases.

Mobile customers can text INFO to 85075 to check the status of their contract and any exit fees, or consider lowering their data plan to save money.

TV licence

April’s increases will see the price of a standard colour TV licence rise by £5 to £174.50 a year. The price of a black-and-white licence will also go up from £57 to £58.50.

You can claim a free TV licence if you are 75 or older and claim pension credit, or live with a partner who receives the benefit, by calling 0300 790 6071.

Car tax

The standard rate of tax for cars registered after April 2017 will rise to £195 from the start of April, an increase of £5. Some owners may pay more, or less, if their car was first registered before 2017.

The rate is dependent on when a car was first registered and the type of fuel it consumes.

Owners of electric vehicles (EVs) will be subject to car tax for the first time. Any EVs registered since April 2025 will be subject to the lowest rate of tax of £10 in the first year, before moving to the standard rate of £195.