Power and food bills in the UK are rising at twice the rate they are in the European Union.

A report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development yesterday showed that British bills surged at the fastest rate of any EU nation in October.

Energy costs rose by 24.2% compared with the same time last year, the OECD said.

That was twice the gain in Finland, which recorded the second highest rate of power price inflation.

And UK grocery bills gained 10.1%, a rate matched only by Finland.

Across the EU, the average for food inflation was 5.5%, while energy costs were up 11.7%.

The OECD figures prove that UK consumers are still being hit hard by a rising cost of living despite the economic downturn.
More on this Story