Households Face Rising Summer Costs in the US and UK

A new CreditFresh survey of 2,000 U.S. adults found that 70% report higher summer spending, with household budgets rising an average of 14.3%. Respondents said they spend about $143 more each week, roughly $1,859 over a typical 13‑week summer. Higher electricity bills were cited by 41% of participants, 40% pointed to food and groceries, and 35% to gas costs.

In the United Kingdom, inflation fell to 2.6% in June but cost‑of‑living pressures remain. A record 7.4 million households now cannot afford at least one essential item, up from 7.1 million a year earlier. The state pension increased by 4.8% in April, yet £24 billion in benefits go unclaimed each year. The Department for Work and Pensions offers a range of support payments in August, with bank‑holiday dates affecting benefit disbursements.