As 2025 begins, how positive you feel about your finances will depend a lot on the stage of life you have reached. Hopes of sharp interest rate cuts have receded as inflation has started to rise again, which is bad news for borrowers but good news if you have money in the bank. The triple lock means a healthy increase in the state pension in April, while other benefits lag behind. Here are some of the important dates to look out for in the first months of the year:
January
Energy bills will rise in January as the energy price cap increases. Photograph: Jacob King/PA
1st The latest price cap on household gas and electricity prices comes into force, and at £1,738 for typical usage it’s 1.2% higher than that for the last three months. The headline figure is for direct debit customers using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas in a year – if you use more or pay in arrears you…
