UK CPI annual rate: housing, water, electricity and fuels
UK CPI annual rate: housing, water, electricity and fuels stood at 4.9% in Aug 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Consumer price inflation table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1989 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Consumer price inflation table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPI annual rate by division | |||||||||||
| Housing, water, electricity and fuels | 4.9 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 5.1 | |
| Furnishings and household equipment | 0.8 | 1 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.5 | -0.4 | 0.1 | -0.5 | -0.6 | -0.3 |
Understanding UK CPI annual rate: housing, water, electricity and fuels
Expenditure by households across the United Kingdom on domestic utilities, piped gas, electricity, liquid fuels, solid fuels, water supply, and municipal refuse collection is captured within this twelve-month price growth measure. The series covers recurring domestic overheads tied directly to residential property occupancy, while explicitly excluding mortgage interest payments, home purchase transactions, and major structural renovation works. By focusing strictly on running costs and utility tariffs, this division differs fundamentally from headline consumer price indicators that incorporate broader retail spending or owner-occupier housing imputation models.
Interpreting these figures requires close attention to regulatory price caps, wholesale energy market shifts, and seasonal consumption patterns driven by winter heating demand. Analysts must recognise that tariff changes announced by regulatory bodies often take effect on specific calendar dates, creating stair-step movements in the annual comparison rather than smooth trends. Comparing this division with discretionary categories like leisure or clothing can mislead researchers, because utility outlays represent unavoidable domestic running costs that households cannot easily reduce in the short term.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include council tax or domestic rates?
- No, local authority taxes and municipal levies are tracked under a separate administrative heading rather than utility running costs.
- How are renewable energy tariffs and green levies handled?
- All mandatory charges, environmental obligations, and standing fees billed directly through consumer energy tariffs are included in the price collection.
- Are heating oil and bottled gas captured alongside piped utilities?
- Yes, delivered fuels used for domestic heating and cooking purposes are fully incorporated into the fuel sub-indices.