Overview
- Alcohol duty rose 3.66% on February 1, with industry estimates adding roughly 11p to a bottle of Prosecco, 14p to red wine and 38p to gin.
- HMRC began issuing immediate £100 fines on February 1 to self‑assessment taxpayers who missed the January 31 filing deadline, with additional penalties accruing over time.
- The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee meets on February 5 with the base rate at 3.75%, followed by fresh inflation data due on February 18.
- Nationwide will reduce rates across dozens of savings accounts from February 10, and NS&I will cut Direct Saver and Income Bonds rates from February 12.
- Sky Mobile bills will rise for most customers by £1.50 per month from February 14, and from February 23 Ofgem will require £40 compensation for qualifying smart‑meter installation failures or delays.