Southern Water customers are expected to endure the largest increase in their water bills (Picture: Chris Ison/PA Wire)
People across the UK are set to be hit with a 26% rise in their annual average water bill.
This means the average water bill will rise from £480 to £603 – an increase of £123 from April 1 this year.
The rise, announced by industry body Water UK, equates to a £10 average increase a month – from £40 to £50.
But millions are set to face even steeper rises than this including customers who use Southern Water which will see a 47% increase.
This means those who use Southern Water will endure a £703 yearly increase.
Hafren Dyfrdwy and South West Water bills will rise by 32%, Thames Water customers bills will be hiked by 31% and Yorkshire Water customers will see a 29% rise.
Protesters who gathered outside the High Court in December over the Thames Water bailout(Picture: EPA)
Matthew Topham, Lead Campaigner at We Own It, told Metro: ‘It is an outrage that the richest firms are profiting over water bill rises.
‘People up and down the UK are having to stomach unaffordable price rises.
‘We know this means that one in four people will cut back on everyday essentials like food to pay these bills.
‘While water bills are not as big as other energy bills, this will push some people over the edge during this sharp cost of living crisis.’
Why are water bills rising?
Households will now experience higher water bills despite a cost of living crisis (Picture: Shutterstock)
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
Water firms need to spend billions of pounds fixing sewers, drains and reservoirs that have dumped pollution into waterways up and down the country.
But because water firms are privatised they need to turn over a profit to get more investment from shareholders.
On top of this many are in debt, with the biggest water companies having a combined debt of £60billion.
Mr Topham explained to Metro: ‘These hikes are only necessary because firms underinvested in sewage and leak prevention while taking on billions in debts to make shareholders and creditors rich.
‘Now their debts are unaffordable and they’ve turned once again to us to pick up the tab. Ofwat has factored in a staggering rate of profit for the fat cats behind our firms.
‘Scotland’s publicly owned water firm has hiked bills by a fraction of those in England. Why? Because every penny they make goes towards the actual business, not shareholders, and it’s cheaper to run.’
What role does Ofwat play?
Water companies have come under scrutiny for hiking water bill prices (Picture: Getty Images)
All regional water companies submit plans to Ofwat every five years which include how much they will spend upgrading sewers, drains and reservoirs.
Ofwat sends a draft ruling in July and then six months of negotiations start about how much firms can charge.
Ofwat then publishes its final decision in December and Water UK announces the increases.
But these increases are higher than those announced by Ofwat in December because they include inflation.
Water UK chief executive David Henderson said: ‘We understand increasing bills is never welcome and, while we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult.
‘Water companies will invest a record £20 billion in 2025-26 to support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.’
Water UK argue that the water bill increases are only 5% higher than in 2010.
What have critics said?
Critics argue the problem of rising water bills has worsened since privatisation in 1989.
For example, not a single reservoir has been built in England and Wales in those 30 plus years.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron hit out at the water firms and said it is ‘a national scandal’.
He said companies are ‘failing to invest in fixing leaky infrastructure, whilst company executives are stuffing their pockets with bonuses’.
What has the government said?
Protesters wearing masks of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Environment Secretary Steve Reed (Picture: Shutterstock)
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has launched an independent commission to review how Ofwat operates.
He said: ‘The public are right to be angry after they have been left to pay the price of Conservative failure.
‘This Labour government will ringfence money earmarked for investment so it can never be diverted for bonuses and shareholder payouts. We will clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.’
What happens next?
People across the UK are now coming to terms with massive hikes to their water bills.
Mr Topham added: ‘The simple answer is to bring water companies under public ownership, something that the UN has called for.
‘This is a fairer way of doing this and 90% of the world already does it.’
Minreet Kaur, 42, has always lived at home with her parents (Picture: Belinda Jiao)
There are many reasons why Minreet Kaur has never moved out of her parents’ house, but none of them are to do with money.
At 43 years old, Minreet’s mum and dad are her best friends. She’s lived in the same West London two-bed terrace with them, which they’ve owned since the 1970s, for more than four decades.
Every morning, Minreet and her mum, Pritpal, 73, make a cup of Indian tea, before going for a walk or a swim. They enjoy baking cakes, and Minreet’s introduced her mum to Netflix. The family are all avid runners; Pritpal completed the London Marathon in 2023, while Minreet crossed the finish line with her dad, Rajinder, 76, this year.
Minreet, a journalist, has slept in the same bedroom since childhood. The white cupboards, pink walls and white door have been there for 40 years.
‘All random colours chosen by my dad, who’s never wanted to change anything,’ Minreet tells Metro. She hasn’t added too much in the way of personal effects as she ‘doesn’t feel it’s her room.’
But she says that living with her parents is infinitely more comfortable than any home she’d be able to make for herself. She worries she’d feel isolated living alone.
Pritpal and Rajinder love having Minreet at home (Picture: Belinda Jiao)
‘They let me do what I want, and they leave decisions to me as they know I’ve always taken care of them,’ Minreet shares.
‘When I changed career, they told me not to worry if I have to do some unpaid work as they can support me — that’s a really nice thing for them to do too.’
Minreet contributes to the household bills and pays for the weekly food shop, petrol, and insurance policies — and she never asks her parents to chip in.
‘They have worked all their lives. It’s my duty to look after them,’ she says.
She spends around £500 per year on car insurance, £100 per month on energy bills, £37 per month on water and £50 per week on food. She’s also now a carer for Pritpal who lives with myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer.
Can Minreet ever see herself moving out? Yes — but only if her parents came with her.
Minreet helps care for her mum, who has myeloma (Picture: Belinda Jiao)
‘I want to buy a house as a first-time buyer, but I would still move my parents in with me,’ she says.
Of course, there are challenges to living with your parents in your 40s. Organising plans can be difficult, as her parents like to know where she’s going and when she’ll be home. ‘I feel guilty if I’m out and want to come home whenever I like. They will stay up and wait — it’s an Indian cultural thing and they worry a lot,’ Minreet adds.
Minreet, who is single, says dating is also tricky. She says men are ‘put off’ by her living arrangements — and there are other challenges too. Rajinder sleeps downstairs, and Minreet says she’d never want to wake him up when coming home late, whether with friends or with a date.
For Pritpal and Rajinder though, having their daughter at home is a blessing.
‘It’s brought us closer together,’ Pritpal tells Metro. ‘She brings a lot of warmth and noise to the house in a good way. She makes us laugh, and we are so blessed to have her.’
Minreet has had the same bedroom since she was little (Picture: Belinda Jiao)
But, Pritpal does encourage her daughter to move out: ‘We do worry about her, as we would hate to see her on her own when we aren’t here anymore.’
It’s little surprise that adult children are actively choosing to stay at home. For many, money – and the general state of the housing market – is a huge obstacle.
It’s estimated that Gen Z are facing average monthly mortgage payments of £1,739 – double the Millennial average of £863, and almost thrice that of their Boomer grandparents who have paid around £775. And, in 2023, just 20.1% of 25 to 34-year-olds and 28.4% of 35 to 44-year-olds were homeowners.
And, in other cultures, multi-generational households are nothing unusual. In Italy, grandparents play a significant role in family life, and there’s even a Grandparents’ Day: Festa dei Nonni. In India, according to a national survey, only 40% of elderly coupleslive without their children (or only with their unmarried children).
And in 2025, fresh research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) finds that the number of 25 to 34-year-olds living with their parents has now increased by more than a third since 2006.
Then, 13% of this cohort were living at home, while by 2024, this figure had increased to 18%, equating to around 450,000 more young adults.
‘Stronger bond’
Back in the UK, Conor Lindsay, 27, is at the age you’d expect he’d fly the nest, but he’s enjoying fostering a closer relationship with his parents.
Conor hasn’t always lived at home in adulthood. He spent time in Australia, and has also lived with a friend. But after returning to the UK, with a small amount of savings and no job, he temporarily moved back in with his mum, Carmel, 56, and dad, Gary, 57 — a set-up which has now become long-term.
Conor lives with his parents, Carmel and Gary (Picture: Mark Ferguson)
Conor, who lives in central Scotland, tells Metro: ‘I’ve always got on well with my parents as they’re quite laidback, but the older I’ve got, I think it’s turned into more of a friendship, rather than just being parented by them. It’s made our bond 10 times stronger.’
Conor pays £250 per month for both rent and bills. He does a separate food shops, but they share household items, like butter and milk.
‘We all do our own housework but I clash with Mum over cleaning,’ Conor says, dubbing Carmel a ‘clean freak’ before adding that, deep down, ‘I know she’s right.’
The family also have shared hobbies. Both Gary and Carmel, who have an older daughter, Jess, 30, play dominos together most nights. ‘I’ll join in and play which is nice,’ Conor adds. Conor and his dad also enjoy a weekend ‘tradition’ of watching Soccer Saturday.
Conor would rather live with his parents than friends (Picture: Mark Ferguson)
The electrical engineer adds that he likes having a ‘support system’ around him. ‘As a single man, living alone can be very quiet. I don’t struggle with loneliness, but living alone is a lot less homely. I don’t think that feeling can be replicated unless you live with your family.’
But there are a few drawbacks to his situation – namely that, since his parents work different shifts, there is always someone at home.
‘I can’t really bring a date to the house unless I’m sure it’s going to be serious,’ Conor adds. ‘Weirdly when I was younger it didn’t bother me, but now I cringe at the idea!’
By comparison, all of Conor’s friends are on the property ladder, but he acknowledges that he simply prioritised travel over buying a home.
Conor and his dad share joint interests, like music (Picture: Mark Ferguson)
‘I’d like to buy my own place one day, but it’s going to take a while to save,’ Conor shares.
Meanwhile, Carmel and Gary love having their son at home. ‘We all get on well together,’ says Carmel. ‘We have plenty of room and we all eat at different times. We set him an amount and it’s always paid. Conor’s respectful of us, so it all works.’
While Conor pays his parents, not all families opt for this set up.
‘The best part of every day’
Shakila Karim, 26, lives at home with her mum, Sultana, 49, and dad, Karim, 51, in Hertfordshire. As an aspiring musician with no fixed income, she doesn’t pay her parents any rent, bills, or money towards the family food shop.
‘If I want specific snacks or alcohol I buy that myself, as my parents don’t drink,’ says Shakila, who is the reason for her family’s Ferrero Rocher sweet tooth — a treat she likes to buy the family.
Shakila lives at home with her parents in Ware, Hertfordshire (Picture: Anita Maric / SWNS)
When it comes to other household expenses, she pays for her own phone bill and car.
Shakila says their living arrangement works because they’re all so close. ‘I help Mum with her makeup, especially applying false eyelashes!’ says Shakila. ‘And I’m always borrowing her accessories, especially if I need more traditional clothing for a wedding. One time I needed to borrow her clothes for a Bollywood night in Hackney.’
And, her parents are always keen to hear her new material. ‘My dad always wants to be the first to hear my songs,’ she says. ‘He’s not very good at giving constructive criticism — he’s always a fan.’
Sultana and Karim want to support Shakila as she builds her own career (Picture: Anita Maric / SWNS)
Like Conor, Shakila’s initial motives for living at home were financial — she can save money while building her career. But she adds that now, ‘even if she had the cash to move out’ she’s not sure she would.
‘My parents are from a South Asian culture so they don’t really push their kids to move out as soon as possible. For me, it’s a cultural thing as well.’
Sometimes though, living at home is challenging for Shakila, who feels that her parents might use her as a safety net. ‘They rely on me a bit too much to be available when it comes to things like giving lifts,’ she says, remembering a rather early drive to Stansted Airport.
And, her ex-boyfriend used to ‘mock’ her for living at home. ‘I’m happy to always introduce my family to new partners, but it is a bit annoying how early it has to be, because I don’t have much of a choice to avoid it.’
Shakila is hopeful she’ll get her lucky break in music soon (Picture: Anita Maric / SWNS)
But for Karim, continuing to live with his daughter has been nothing but positive.
‘My favourite thing is seeing her every day and having a chat whenever possible. I enjoy learning so much from Shakila,’ he says. ‘It’s beautiful to have someone who is so knowledgeable and compassionate.’
And, despite Shakila’s insistence that she enjoys living at home, Karim thinks her mind will change.
‘We don’t know how long she will be living with us, but we’re hopeful she will get a lucky break and have a career in music. I think she will want to live in her own property then.’
‘This can be a challenging dynamic’
‘When adult children live with their parents at the family home it can help to keep wider family relationships together. It can provide adult children with an opportunity to spend more time with extended family,’ Fiona Yassin, family psychotherapist, and founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic explains.
But, the arrangement can be a tricky one. ‘In adulthood, the child is no longer looking for the parent to be their guide or fixer. They now have developed viewpoints and opinions, and they won’t necessarily match the parent’s.
‘As a parent, you’re no longer providing the answers for a child. It’s now about two people expressing and sharing their own opinions, views and thoughts. This can be a really challenging dynamic. The key is to have respect and honesty.’
And, it can be all too easy to slip into old habits and behaviours.
‘The adult child will often slip into the role they had when they were younger – whether that’s through the language they use, mannerisms, or the way they expect things to be done,’ Fiona shares.
‘It’s likely the parent won’t want to take on a role of servitude, so the ‘old’ ways will need to shift. This should be the first boundary set – deciding the ‘new’ ways of living together.’
This article was originally published on November 19, 2024.
Emma Harris, 49, has been left struggling after she was made redundant in August 2024 (Picture: Emma Harris)
Millions of people who rent are just one paycheque away from being homeless, a charity has warned.
Shelter estimates that 1.7 million private renters don’t have enough savings to pay rent if they found themselves unemployed.
This happened to software developer Emma Harris, 49, from Birmingham who was made redundant in August.
She receives Universal Credit of £600, but rent for her three-bedroom house is £995, excluding bills. Currently she is in rent arrears of more than £2,000.
She told Metro: ‘It is a continuous struggle. It is very depressing trying to balance whether I eat or pay bills.
‘Since being made redundant, I’ve been paying my bills late including the phone and internet bill.
‘I’ve had to reduce the amount of rent I pay because I’ve got to eat.’
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the average rent across the UK increased by 9.1% to £1,362 for the 12 months ending in November 2024.
This is reflected through Shelter’s own stats that show 56% of private renters had their rent increased in the last year – putting immense strain on people’s finances.
Of these, one in three have had their rent increased by more than £100.
This is an issue experienced by Emma, who says her rent was increased, which on top of losing her job, has impacted her lifestyle.
She said: ‘I used to have certain hobbies like woodturning but I had to abandon that.
She’s also been forced to give up hobbies she previously had before being made redundant (Picture: Emma Harris)
‘I meet up with friends very rarely now so I experience isolation and always have to decide whether paying for petrol and driving is cheaper or using public transport.
‘I cancel hair appointments and other nice activities because I’ve got to eat.
‘I support what the Labour government are doing in terms of building 1.5 million homes but this housing must be affordable for those of the living wage or on Universal Credit.’
Meanwhile, Emma is actively looking for a new job and also considering retraining as a HGV driver and says she will hear back from a recent positive job interview tomorrow.
What is the Renters Rights Bill?
The new Labour government has introduced a Renters Rights Bill to transform private renting.
This follows record levels of evictions, rising rent rates and demands to pay several months rent in advance at the start of contracts.
Most significantly, it will scrap the section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and introduce more fairness to the system.
Shelter’s campaign to fix renting
Shelter has launched a campaign to fix the renting crisis across the UK.
This is to demand protections against unfair evictions and measures to stop rent hikes – which will help to make sure renting is a stable, more secure option.
The charity believes this will then ease the pressure on social housing waiting lists and reduce homelessness.
Over the last year, 26,150 households were threatened with homelessness after being served a section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction, according to Shelter.
As of October 2024, the bill is currently at the ‘committee stage’ of reading – where a cross party group of 17 MPs read through the legislation line by line, and debate any changes which could be made ahead of the next phase – ‘report stage’.
Shelter is calling for the government to commit investment in the Spring Spending Review to build the 90,000 social rent homes a year for ten years needed to give everyone a genuinely affordable secure home.
It is hoped the Renters Reform Bill will improve the rights of renters (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
How is the government supporting working renters?
In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, told Metro: ‘Our Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver on our promise to transform the private rented sector, so that people can put down roots and save for the future without fear of being evicted on a whim – including plans to end ‘no fault’ evictions for all existing and new tenants.
‘Through our Plan for Change, we will tackle the wider housing crisis we inherited head on, building the homes we need, delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation.’
What has Shelter said in response?
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, told Metro that crippling rents are leaving renters unable to save money.
She said: ‘Decades of failure to build social homes has forced millions into private renting, leaving renters paying out eyewatering sums for often shoddy rentals.
‘For so many, the worry of being slapped with an unaffordable rent increase that would force them out of their homes and into homelessness looms large.
‘The only genuinely affordable alternative to private renting is social homes with rents tied to local incomes.
‘Until the government delivers the 90,000 social homes a year needed to end the housing emergency, Shelter will continue to be there for people who are at risk of homelessness to provide vital support and advice.’
It’s safe to say, things have changed a fair bit (Picture: Getty Images)
It’s 2025, and that means if you were born in 1995 you’ll be – gasp! – celebrating your 30th birthday this year.
This might make you feel really really old, but it may also lead you to reflect on what a different place the world is now compared to how it was back then.
The past 30 years have seen our lives transformed by everything from social media to streaming platforms, but many of the other products and bills we bought and paid in the 90s are still very much present and correct.
The only difference being that the prices are quite different to how they were back then – as highlighted recently by the Instagram page My90sthings.
So just how much did it cost to purchase a house, pay your council tax and buy some of your favourite foods, drinks and treats back in 1995 compared to now?
Read on to take a step back thirty years, while staring dejectedly at the contents of your 2025 wallet…
1. A pint of milk
‘Don’t cry over spilt milk’ – unless you’re in 2025 (Picture: Getty Images)
How much is a pint of milk? It might have been a popular celebrity interview question back in the 90s, but back then it wasn’t remotely expensive to snap up some milk for your cuppa.
In 1995 the average pint cost around 36p, meaning you could get two for a little over 70p. Enough to top up your hot drinks for days.
Now though? Well, a pint of semi-skimmed has more than doubled and will set you back around 85p in Sainsbury’s. If you go to Waitrose you’ll have even less change from that pound coin since it’ll cost you 95p.
2. A pint of beer
In the 90s it would set you back a lot less (Picture: Getty Images)
From a pint of milk, we move on to a pint of something stronger. Popping to the pub remains as popular an activity in the UK in 2025 as it was in 1995 but back then it would set you back a whole lot less.
The average price of a pint of beer 30 years ago was a mere £1.68. And today? Well according to the Office For National Statistics, as of November 2024, your average pint costs around £4.81.
This, of course, varies depending on where you are in the country. This Is Money reported last year that Gloucester is the cheapest place in the country to enjoy a pint, at a cost of around £3.61 – while in London your after-work tipple could cost you as much as £6.75.
3. A cinema ticket
You’ll have to save up for a trip to the cinema these days (Picture: Getty Images)
Going to the movies was a pretty big deal in 1995 and with such films as Toy Story, Jumanji and Die Hard With A Vengeance hitting screens, it’s not hard to see why.
But how much would it have cost you to go and watch all those films at your local multiplex instead of waiting for them to be released on video?
Well, back in 1995 you could pay a mere £3.48 for the privilege of watching Buzz Lightyear lark around onscreen. These days? According to the UK Cinema Association, the average price of a cinema ticket in the UK is £7.92. Again it depends on where you are in the country, with some London cinemas – such as the one in Selfridges – costing as much as £20 a ticket.
4. A Mars bar
Expect to fork out four times as much (Picture: Getty Images)
So you’ve bought your milk, you’ve had your pint, you’ve stopped by the local Odeon to catch a flick and now you pick up a Mars bar to munch on your way home. How much is it costing you? Well if you’d done this back in 1995 you could expect to part with just 25p for the privilege of chowing down on the chocolate favourite.
These days if you get it in Tesco you can expect to pay a whopping 85p for one single Mars bar, while it’s even more expensive in other places, such as Waitrose where the chocolate costs £1. That’s a whole lot of money for your Mars.
5. A dozen eggs
They’re certainly on the rise (Picture: Getty Images)
As the saying goes, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs – and if you pick up a dozen you’ll have one big omelette on your hands. But just how much would that jumbo breakfast have cost you a few decades ago?
You could buy a box of 12 for a paltry – or poultry – 63p. Nowadays? A pack of medium free-range eggs from Tesco will cost you £2.65, and if you want large eggs it’ll set you back an even pricier £3.15. So much for that cheap weekend brunch.
6. A litre of petrol
Unsurprisingly, it’s more expensive (Picture: Getty Images)
If you drive on a regular basis, chances are you’ll be complaining about petrol prices. Back in 1995, a litre of petrol came in at a lowly 53p.
Now, according to RAC Fuel Watch, the average price of a litre across the UK is around £1.36 for your unleaded, and £1.41 for diesel. Which, while cheaper than it was a couple of years ago, could still make topping up your car pretty darned pricey.
7. A Manchester United season ticket
Sorry footie fans (Picture: Getty Images)
Hands up everyone who’d love to go and watch every Manchester United home game of the season? Nobody? Well if you do want to do that the easiest way to is invest in a season ticket, of course.
If you were going to Old Trafford in 1995 and wanted to show your dedication to the title-winning Red Devils, how much would it have cost you? Well, you’d have been expected to part with £228 for the privilege. These days? Well, Ticket Compare recently reported that the cheapest Man United season ticket costs £579 – over twice what you would have paid thirty years ago to watch a team half as good. Although it’s still cheap compared to Arsenal, whose cheapest season ticket is a whopping £1,073.
8. A Pot Noodle
Still a budget-friendly meal (Picture: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
Who doesn’t love a Pot Noodle from time to time? In 1995 a Pot Noodle would set you back around 67p. In 2025 your standard chicken and mushroom noodles will cost around £1.10 in both Tesco and Asda.
However prices vary, and supermarkets do sometimes have special offers on them which can knock the price down to 1995 levels, allowing you to relive the glory days.
9. A loaf of bread
You might actually save some money (Picture: Getty Images)
OK, so you don’t fancy a Pot Noodle – how about a sandwich, or a round of toast when you stumble in from that night out? Well back in 1995 that was competitively priced, with the average sandwich loaf costing you around 53p.
Astonishingly though this is one area where you could end up saving money compared to 1995, depending on which loaf you buy. Tesco’s cheapest loaf – HW Nevil’s white bread – currently costs 47p, while Sainsbury’s equivalent Stanford Street loaf is 50p.
Want anything fancier than a white sandwich loaf though? Then expect to pay more, with Tesco’s standard white bread costing 74p and a Warburton’s toastie loaf costing £1. And you might need a mortgage for sourdough.
10. Sony PlayStation
The PlayStation has lived longer than 30 years (Picture:Rasit Aydogan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
OK, so we get that the 90s may not have had all the trimmings when it came to the technology we rely on today (imagine, for example, living in a decade when mobile phones were used mainly for making phone calls). But one thing which did come along to distract us all that decade was the Sony PlayStation.
Originally hitting the market in Japan at the end of 1994 before arriving in Europe in September 1995, the first PlayStation would have set you back around £200. These days – and several generations of the console down the line – a brand new PS5 will cost you anything from £390 to just under £500 depending on which model you get and whether it comes with any games.
11. Fish and chips
Current prices are depressing, to say the least (Picture: Getty Images)
Ah, fish and chips. Wherever you live in the country, you can’t avoid this oh-so-British of delicacies. My90sthings reckons your Friday night takeaway would have set you back a mere £1.68p in 1995. Fast forward thirty years and, according to the Office for National Statistics, the average price of your fish supper in 2024 was around £9.88.
In some places, it can even be much, much more. For example, chippie chain Poppies in London charges a massive £22.95 for an equally massive cod or haddock with chips. Since we can’t confirm the price at every chip-selling establishment in the country, all we can say is the cost varies depending where you’re buying them. Expect to pay a fair bit more than £1.68 though.
12. A house
Good luck getting on the property ladder (Picture: Getty Images)
With so many struggling to get on the property ladder these days, it’s fair to say that the price of owning a home has soared over the past few decades – but how much did it cost back in 1995? Well, you could nab the keys to your own place for an average price of £55,762, which sounds like a bargain but it’s also worth remembering the average wage was lower, so buying a property wasn’t an option for everyone even back then.
Now? Zoopla reported in November that the average price of a house in the UK is £267,500 – and of course, it depends on what type of property you buy and where you live. Zoopla also revealed that the average property price in London is an eye-watering £537,500. Ouch.
How much was the average wage in 1995?
Thankfully wages are a little higher! (Picture: Getty Images)
So, we’ve told you how much everything cost back in 1995 and you may well have stared at all the figures in despair, willing those Mars bar prices to drop. But looking back, just how much was the average wage in 1995?
According to the Office for National Statistics, the average full-time male worker aged 30-39 would have earned around £389.70 per week, compared to £306.50 for a full-time female worker of the same age.
In 2024, the average annual weekly wage in the UK was £728. So while everything might have been cheaper, it’s worth remembering we all had a lot less money to buy it with.
Snowfall in Glencoe, Scotland (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
As the UK is hit with freezing temperatures, some households may be eligible for a special payment for cold weather.
If the mercury drops to 0°C or below for seven days in a row in a particular postcode, people living there could qualify for a payment of £25 to help with their heating costs.
It is now possible to check whether your area will be included and see whether you are entitled to the money by visiting the website of the Department for Work and Pensions.
When are cold weather payments made?
These Cold Weather Payments are made between November 1 and March 31 to people who receive a range of benefits across England and Wales.
They have not yet been issued this winter, but it is possible that the first payments could be made this month if the cold weather stays for seven days or longer.
The scheme links postcode districts to Met Office weather stations which report temperatures on a daily basis. Each postcode district is assigned to a weather station with the most similar climate in terms of 1981 to 2010 average winter temperature.
Who is eligible for the Cold Weather Payment?
The Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (CWP) scheme provides help to individuals on benefits who are the most vulnerable to the cold. This includes:
Income Support
Older people in receipt of Pension Credit
Homeowner receiving Support for Mortgage Interest: who has a severe/enhanced disability premium; has a pensioner premium; has a child who is disabled; has a child under 5 living with you or who gets Child Tax Credit that includes disability/serve disability
Disabled adults, families with a disabled child or families with a child under 5, who are in receipt of Universal Credit
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
The payments are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland and made separately.
How to check the latest Cold Weather Payment Postcodes
