Barrows and Forrester, the estate and lettings agent, reveal that council tax has increased by up to £145.

The tax that helps councils pay for the services they provide is another household cost that is steadily increasing and impacting people in the UK who own or rent a home.

The research reveals that in England the average household is paying 4.5% (£64) more than they were in 2021.

Largest and smallest council tax increases 

The area with the largest council tax increase is Ashford, Kent. Not only has the annual cost risen by 9.1% but it is one of the 18 locations in England where the annual cost of council tax has increased by more than £100.

Runnymede, Woking, Elmbridge, Bedford, Croydon, St Albans, Reigate and Banstead, Broxbourne, Mole Valley, Craven, Guildford, Mid Devon, Rutland, East Cambridgeshire, Watford, Waverley, and South Oxfordshire have all also seen tax increases of more than £100.

The estate and lettings agent also compared the price this year and last year. Manchester saw an increase of 8.7%, Bedford (8.1%), Salford (8.1%), Croydon (7.8%), Hyndburn (7.6%), Broxbourne (7.4%), Islington (7.4%), Runnymede (7.4%), and Haringey (7.2%).

Locations with the smallest yearly increases in council tax include South Somerset (1.3%), Eden (1.5%), and Bristol (1.8%).

Managing director of Barrows and Forrester, James Forrester, concludes: “It’s certainly shaping up to be a bleak year for many households with the increasing cost of living squeezing our finances on all sides, whether it be the price of petrol, our weekly food shop, energy prices or council tax.”

“There’s a very strong chance we will also see mortgage costs continue to climb as the year goes on, while the cost of renting also looks set to increase and this will put further strain on those that are already cutting back to the extreme in order to get by.” 

“At the same time, wages have failed to keep pace and the Government has done little to help, with the most significant offering being a very marginal reduction in National Insurance which isn’t due to be implemented until July. For those really up against it, this meagre offering is likely to be far too little too late and we need to see more action being taken now to address this dire situation.”