How does Rest Less make money
We make money through advertising and commission from affiliate links, which enable us to offer Rest Less as a free service to our users. The content on this page may use affiliate links, which track traffic from our website to a third party provider and enable us to receive a commission or payment from any traffic we refer.
* Affiliate links on this page have an * next to them. We place enormous importance on our editorial independence and the integrity of our content which means that we will never change how we write about something as a result of an affiliate link.
The cost of living crisis combined with ongoing economic uncertainty and steeper taxes meant that 2025 was a particularly eventful financial year, and 2026 is likely to be no different.
It can be difficult keeping tabs on all the important financial dates in a year, whether they’re recurring events or one-offs, so we’ve put together this financial calendar for 2026 to help you keep track.
Bear in mind of course that some of these dates are uncertain at the moment, or may be subject to change, so we’ll be updating them when more dates are confirmed. Here’s what you need to know.
January
The Energy Price Cap rises
The Energy Price Cap will rise on the first day of the year from £1,755 to £1,758 for a typical home using an average amount of energy, thanks to the increased price of oil and gas.
The price cap limits the amount energy suppliers can charge for the amount of gas and electricity used by an “average” household – but you could be charged more if you use more than this, or less if you use a smaller amount of energy. Learn more in our article What is the energy price cap?
Tax return deadline
If you are required to complete a tax return for the 2024/25 tax year, then you’ll need to get your skates on as you must submit it online by January 31 at the latest. If you miss the deadline, you risk a fine starting at £100, which ramps up quickly the longer you leave it. Learn more about whether you need to complete a tax return and how to do so in our article Beat the 31 January tax deadline!
February
First Bank of England MPC Meeting
The Bank of England’s nine-person Monetary Policy Committee meets every six weeks to determine a new Bank of England base rate, and its first meeting of 2026 will be held on February 5. Our base rate news article is edited every time this happens so you can stay abreast of the new base rate and what it will mean for your mortgage and savings.
Energy Price Cap Announced
Ofgem will announce the new price cap for the April-June period on February 25.
March
Spring Statement
The Chancellor will deliver her usual spring budget on March 3, though it’s too soon to guess what kind of measures will be announced.
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will meet on March 19 to decide whether there should be any change to the base rate.
April
The 2025/26 tax year ends on April 5 and the new 2026/27 tax year begins on April 6, when new tax allowances come into effect. You can find out more about current allowances in our guide 2025/26 tax year: tax rates and allowances explained. This article will be updated with 2026/27 allowances when the new tax year starts.
New energy price cap begins
April’s energy price cap isn’t known yet, but it’s expected to be lower than the January-March price cap.
TV licence fee goes up
The cost of a TV licence is set to increase in line with inflation. This means it is expected to rise in April by September 2025’s rate of 4.8%, bringing the annual colour cost to more than £180. If you’re aged 75 or over and receive Pension Credit, you may be eligible for a free TV licence. Find out more in our guide Pension Credit explained.
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) increase
Vehicle Excise Duty, also known as car tax, will rise in April in line with the RPI rate of inflation.
Council tax rises
It’s currently unknown which local councils will be increasing council tax, and by how much, but April presents the opportunity for them to do so by up to 5%. Councils must hold a local referendum if they want to increase it further. Several councils have requested much higher increases, which if approved could see bills in certain areas rise by up to 10%.
National minimum wage rises
The Chancellor confirmed a sharp increase in the national minimum wage in her Autumn Budget. From April 2026, the UK’s National Living Wage increases to £12.71 an hour, with National Minimum Wage rates also rising for younger age groups, to £10.85 an hour for those aged 18-20 and to £8.00 an hour for those under 18 and apprentices.
Water bill price changes
Water bills are due to go up in April, in many cases by more than expected, after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last October said it would provisionally allow five of the biggest water companies to charge customers a combined extra £556m over the next five years. Read our article How to reduce your water bills for some tips to save money on your water bills.
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on April 30 to decide whether to cut, hold, or reduce interest rates.
Individual Savings Account (ISA) changes
You’ll receive a new £20,000 annual ISA allowance at the start of the 2026/27 tax year on April 6. This can be invested in stocks and shares, cash, or peer-to-peer lending through innovative finance ISAs. .Learn more about ISAs in our guide Everything you need to know about ISAs.
State Pension rises
The pension triple lock will remain in place for the time being, meaning that the State Pension will increase by 4.8% in April. If you are on a new full State Pension, you’ll receive £241.30 a week starting from April, while the old basic State Pension will rise to £184.90 a week.
Pension Credit will increase by the same rate to £238 for a single person, or £365.25 for a couple.
Benefits increase
Most working-age benefits will be uprated in line with the September CPI inflation of 3.8% from April 2026.
The standard element of Universal Credit will be increased by 6%, as announced in the Autumn Budget.
May
Energy Price Cap announced
Ofgem will announce the energy price cap for the July-September period on May 27.
June
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on June 18 to decide whether to cut, hold, or reduce interest rates.
July
Energy price cap changes
The energy price cap will change again on July 1. This is predicted to be lower than April’s cap, although the actual amount it will rise or fall by will depend on what’s happening with energy markets.
Payment on account deadline
If you’re self-employed, this is when your second payment on account for any tax owed is due. If you expect to earn less in the 2026/27 tax year than in the preceding tax year, you can apply to HMRC to reduce your payment.
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on July 30 to decide whether to cut, hold, or reduce interest rates.
August
Energy price cap announced
Ofgem will announce the energy price cap for the October-December period on August 26.
September
Fuel duty cut ends
Staged increases in fuel duty begin, with the duty gradually returning to its pre-cut level by March 2027, alongside inflation-linked increases starting in April 2027.
Earnings growth data released
The government has committed to maintaining the triple lock in 2026, which means that May-July’s earnings growth figure, announced in September, will be consequential. Under the triple lock, the highest figure between this one, September’s inflation figure (announced in October) or 2.5% is used to determine how much the State Pension increases by the following year.
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on July 30 to decide whether to cut, hold, or reduce interest rates.
October
Energy price cap changes
The final price cap change of the year is scheduled for October 1 – current estimates put it at higher than July’s cap.
Deadline to register for self-assessment
If you have started earning money that needs to be declared on a self-assessment tax return, the deadline to register is on October 5.
September inflation figure announced
September’s inflation figure – announced on October 21 – is used to calculate changes to benefits, tax credits and, as mentioned above, the State Pension.
Deadline to submit paper self-assessment tax return
Should you choose to file your tax return for the 2025/26 tax year by post rather than online, the deadline to do so is October 31.
November
Autumn Statement
The exact date of the Chancellor’s autumn statement isn’t known yet, but last year it was delivered in November.
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on November 5 to decide whether to cut, hold, or reduce interest rates.
December
Base rate decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on December 17 to decide whether to cut, hold, or reduce interest rates at it’s final meeting of the year.
Rest Less Money is on Instagram. Check out our account and give us a follow @rest_less_uk_money for all the latest Money News, updated daily.
Join the discussion
Read our full commenting terms and guidelines