UK inflation accelerated to 3.5% in the year to September, up from 3.1% in August, as rising motor fuel prices added pressure to household budgets. The increase means consumers are facing renewed cost pressures even as food prices edged down over the month.
The latest figures, published on 21 October, show how a sharp rise in transport costs can lift the overall inflation rate while individual spending categories move in different directions. For drivers, the immediate impact is visible at the pump; for borrowers and savers, the implications are less straightforward.
