{
  "id": 1496306,
  "title": "UK Inflation Set to Rebound as Energy Bills Surge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/uk-inflation-set-to-rebound-as-energy-bills-surge",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-17T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "OilPrice",
    "slug": "oilprice",
    "url": "https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/UK-Inflation-Set-to-Rebound-as-Energy-Bills-Surge.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Inflation in the UK is expected to rebound as soaring energy bills contribute to a rise in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate. Economists predict that July's inflation rate will reach 2.9 per cent, up from June's 15-month low of 2.6 per cent. The energy regulator Ofgem has increased its energy price cap, causing the average gas and electricity bill to jump by 221, or 13 per cent, to £1,862 per year. This jump alone will add 0.5 percentage points to July's inflation reading. While the summer economy thrived due to frequent heatwaves and the World Cup, economists warn that the energy price cap hike will erase any progress towards the Bank of England's 2 per cent target. RSM chief economist Thomas Pugh added that the rise in energy prices will add to household budget pressures and complicate the outlook for interest rates. UK economic growth slowed to 0.4 per cent, with the first warning of an impending slowdown due to higher prices and borrowing costs stemming from the Iran war. Food inflation, already tipped to reach 10 per cent this year, could further complicate the situation, as heatwaves impact fruit, vegetable, and grain supply.",
  "summary": "Rising energy prices are poised to send UK inflation rearing back up, as economists warn that the summer boost to the economy could be fleeting. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is tipped to rise to 2.9 per cent in July, climbing from June’s 15-month low of 2.6 per cent, when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases its figures on Wednesday. While frequent heatwaves and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}