HOUSEHOLDS are facing a barrage of bill hikes this month.
As the new tax year starts on Thursday it is D-Day for your finances, as many price increases kick in.
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But with the help of a few clever tactical manoeuvres, Leah Milner explains how you can start to fight back against the assault on your bank balance.
Here is our Operation Awful April action plan.
Blitz on broadband
MOST phone, internet and TV providers are raising prices by at least 14 per cent.
The combined impact of these hikes will add around £142 a year for a typical home, according to financial help site Nous.
Check if you are out of contract by phoning your supplier or logging into your account.
Then find the best deals through comparison sites.
Use these to haggle with your supplier.
Mobile customers who pay monthly can save an average of £321 by keeping their handset and switching to the cheapest sim-only deals, according to Uswitch.
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Lebara has a deal with unlimited minutes and texts and 3GB of data for 99p a month for the first six months and £4.90 after, via MoneySavingExpert.com until April 24.
Broadband customers could save an average of £230 by switching, according to Broadband Genie.
Others on benefits could cut costs on social broadband tariffs from major suppliers.
Engage energy savings
THE Government’s energy price guarantee has been extended until July, bringing welcome relief for many.
It means a household with typical use will continue paying £2,500 a year until then, whereas bills had been expected to jump to £3,000 a year from this month.
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But another part of the Government’s help package, the energy bill support scheme, has ended, adding £67 to most monthly bills.
If you are struggling, speak to your energy provider and ask about its hardship fund.
Simple changes to your habits around the home can save you a fortune.
The Energy Saving Trust has a list of tweaks that could amount to savings of up to £564 a year, including draught-proofing, turning appliances off standby and not overfilling the kettle (see energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub).
Switching to direct debit rather than paying on receipt of bill is around £160 a year cheaper.
War on water hikes
BILLS are about to rise by around 7.5 per cent a year from this month in England and Wales, or five per cent in Scotland.
That is a rise of £31 a year for a typical home, the biggest jump in almost 20 years.
If you have fewer people in your home than there are bedrooms it’s likely you could save with a meter.
The Consumer Council for Water reckons the average household saves £200 a year by installing one and it has a calculator you can check, at ccw.org.uk, plus lots more advice.
Cutting showers from eight minutes to four could save £112 a year, says energy firm Utilita.
You can buy an aerated shower head for less than £40, to cut water use without losing pressure, and toilet cistern bags cost around £7.
Many water suppliers give away gadgets.
If you need a lot of water for medical reasons, or have three or more kids and are on low-income benefits, you may qualify for capped bills under the WaterSure scheme.
Operation food fight
SUPERMARKET inflation is running at a record high, hitting 17.5 per cent last month.
That amounts to an annual increase of £837 for an average family.
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Pay attention to shelf labels to look at the price per kilo when comparing costs on meat and other items.
Switching from branded products to the supermarket’s essentials range can save you more than £1,000 a year.
Sun Money runs lots of tests to help you find the cheaper own-brand options that can be just as good or better than big-name brands.
See thesun.co.uk/topic/taste-tests to find all our top picks.
Use apps such as TooGoodToGo and Olio to fill your freezer with free or cheap food that would otherwise go to waste.
And use the comparison tool at Trolley.co.uk to find the cheapest supermarket for your weekly shop.
Mortgage manuevers
MORE than 1.4million borrowers are on fixed- rate deals that will expire this year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Of these, nearly 800,000 are paying less than two per cent.
It means those coming off cheap deals face a payment shock as the average standard variable rate borrowers roll on to at the end of a deal now stands at more than seven per cent, according to comparison site Moneyfactscompare.co.uk.
But new deals have been improving and you can get five-year fixed rates below four per cent.
David Hollingworth, of broker L&C Mortgages, said: “Borrowers eyeing a new fixed deal would be better to take a deal now and keep it under review, rather than hold off in the hope of lower rates to come.”
Offers are valid for up to six months so you can secure a new rate well ahead of your current deal expiring.
Find an independent broker at Unbiased.co.uk.
Taxes tactics
MOST council tax bills are increasing by around five per cent.
That means a jump of £99 a year for the average Band D property to almost £2,000.
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But as many as 400,000 homes are in the wrong band, according to Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com.
The website has guides on how to check and challenge your band.
Start by examining what neighbouring properties are paying, at gov.uk/council-tax-bands.
You could end up with a back payment but the council may decide you’re paying too little.
Speak to it if you are on low-income benefits, as many offer discounts.
OAPs on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit do not have to pay council tax.
If you live on your own, with young kids or with students, claim a 25 per cent discount.
Students who live together don’t have to pay, or people with a severe mental impairment.
