THE UK’S rate of inflation rose in July for the first time since December in a blow for households.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation hit 2.2% in the 12 months to July, said the Office for National Statistics.
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Economists and analysts had been predicting inflation would rise to 2.3% last month.
Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS, said the increase was due to domestic energy costs.
He commented: “Inflation ticked up a little in July as although domestic energy costs fell by less than a year ago.
“This was partially offset by hotel costs, which fell in July after strong growth in June.
“The increase in cost of goods leaving factories slowed a little in the year to July, led by falling petrol prices.
“Meanwhile, raw material prices picked up for the first time in over a year, driven by smaller falls in gas and electricity costs.”
The rise in the CPI measure of inflation in July is the first since December last year, when it increased from 3.9% to 4%.
It comes after inflation hit the Bank of England’s (BoE) 2% target in May and stayed there in June.
But it has slowed significantly since hitting a peak of 11.1% in October 2022.
