A British entrepreneur has warned soaring bills will leave households and businesses facing a "big, big struggle".
John Charlton, who owns several businesses in Hartlepool, spoke to GB News just hours after bills - from council tax to water bills - crept up yet again.
The exact amount extra that consumers will now need to pay depends on where they live and their personal circumstances.
Speaking to the People's Channel, Charlton explained: "We have a number of businesses in the local area and we predominantly employ part-time people.
John Charlton said battling the rise will be a "big struggle"
GB NEWS
"The increase that will be hitting our businesses is £1,500 in round figures per part-time employee per year.
"It's a huge amount that you've got to find without trying to pass those price increases onto our customers in the different businesses that we have."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Charlton added: "The last few weeks, we were looking at a new premises in another town in the North East, and we've decided to shelve that because of all of the increases that are coming our way.
"It just wouldn't add up. We couldn't make the figures stack up so that that's stifled the growth of our business.
"It's a big, big struggle. And it's not just the utilities, we're getting daily calls from suppliers saying that the 10 per cent going on price of goods, which 10 per cent at the wholesaler, when we put our 10 per cent on the compounding of those 10 per cents all add up.
"You've either got to pass that price on to the end user of the customer, or you've got to suck that up yourself and take a hit on your margins, which again puts the business under pressure."
Discussing the Spring Statement delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves last week, the local businessman added: "I didn't see any positives. The only definite is we will have more costs in our business going forward."
Many essential household bills are rising at the start of April, creating financial pressure for both families and businesses.
Citizens Advice has warned that single parents will be among the hardest hit by these April increases.
This is because a greater proportion of their money is taken up by essential spending.
Energy bills could reach record highsPAThe charity noted that the finances of millions of people on the lowest incomes were "already stretched to breaking point".
For households looking to reduce costs, experts suggest checking eligibility for council tax discounts, sending accurate meter readings to energy providers, and considering water meters.
Some may also benefit from spreading council tax payments over 12 months instead of 10.
