Household bills are rising from today and one group of people is set to be hit the hardest. The charity Citizens Advice said single parents will struggle the most because a large amount of their money was already taken up by essential spending.

Among the latest changes are an increase in water bills, energy bills and council tax bills. The costs of a TV licence, car tax and broadband and phone bills are also among those going up.

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "After years of cost-of-living pressures, households across the country are about to feel the extra shock of rising essential bills. For those on the lowest incomes, these unavoidable costs are already eating away at their finances, leaving their budgets stretched beyond breaking point."

According to the charity, households in the lowest 10% for income were already spending 41% of their earnings on water, energy, broadband and car insurance bills. Meanwhile, single-adult households, and particularly those with children, were more likely than others to be spending 20% or more of their post-housing income on these bills.

As reported by the BBC, Laura Roan, a 41-year-old single mother of two daughters from Cardiff, said she goes days without electric. She is using emergency credit on her energy meter and regularly dips into her overdraft.

She said: "Without my own mum helping, there would be some days when I would not have any electric. I got paid last Friday and it has all gone. I just live day to day."

Meanwhile, John Paine, a single dad of three autistic children, said he had £100 left over at the end of the month after he paid all of his bills. He said: "It goes quickly. It means we do not go out very much."

Despite the increase of household bills, benefits and state pension are going up in a week's time. The start of this month also brings and increase in the minimum wage.

The minimum wage for over-21s has gone up from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour. Meanwhile, the minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds has gone up from £8.60 to £10 an hour.

Emily Seymour, from the consumer group Which?, said: "Our research shows that switching providers if you're out of contract can slash broadband, pay TV and mobile bills by up to £235. It's also worth checking if you're eligible for any council tax reductions or exemptions and could save money by installing a water meter."