Cost of living

Analysis

Whose inflation is it anyway? How the number is made, and why it never feels like yours

Official inflation is 3.1%. The public thinks it is 4.9%, and most people say their costs rose again last month. Both can be right. A deep dive into how the ONS builds the figure, who it does and doesn't describe, and what the evidence says about the gap between the statistic and the shopping trip.

Explainer

Energy price cap rises on 1 October: what it actually means for your bill

The cap for a typical home rises 4% to £1,723 a year on Thursday. Gas is up 8%, electricity is flat thanks to a VAT cut, and the cheap fixes have gone. What the numbers mean, who they cover, what help exists, and why the forecasts for January now say another 20% or more.