Bank of England rate rises squeeze debt before they cool prices
A rate rise makes debt dearer months before it slows prices, and the squeeze lands on borrowers and renters long before it reaches anyone else.
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#cost-of-living.
Every story tagged #cost-of-living.
UK and US mortgage rates climb again as war unsettles markets
Mortgage rates rose again on both sides of the Atlantic in 2026, with US 30-year fixes past 7% and UK two-year fixes averaging 5.63%.
One cost of living figure never fits every household
A cost of living figure prices a fixed basket, and whose basket it is decides the answer. UK private renters saw 3.0% inflation to June 2026, retirees 2.5%.
No new UK cost of living payment, and where help comes from
The DWP plans no more Cost of Living Payments. English councils now run Crisis Payments, and Winter Fuel Payment is worth up to £300 for 2026 to 2027.
US importers pay the tariff, then pass part of it to shoppers
A US tariff is paid by the importer at the border. Federal Reserve research found at least 30% of 2025's China tariffs reached shelf prices, slowly.
Irish heating oil jumped about €200 a tank in one week
A week of renewed US-Iran fighting added about €200 to a full Irish heating-oil delivery in July 2026, reversing months of falling prices.
The UK's £400 energy bill grant cost £12bn and has closed
The UK's Energy Bills Support Scheme began as a £200 loan and became a £400 grant costing £12bn. It closed along with the seven other energy support schemes.