Here we share a round-up of some of the latest UK property news headlines …
Energy price cap to rise – what does this mean for bills?
Wintertime means that many families will once again be worrying about their heating bills. Anxieties may be heightened by a further rise in October of the energy price cap paid by all consumers on standard tariffs (there’ll be no change if you are on a fixed deal).
Reporting the increase online listings website Rightmove noted a 2% increase in the cap from July to September’s £1,720 to a new limit of £1,755.
Although this represents a £35 increase in the cap itself, the effect on household bills will depend on the relative energy efficiency of the home. For the most energy-efficient A-rated homes, for instance, average bills are likely to rise by just £11 a year while those that are poorly energy efficient (G-rated) may have to pay as much as £134 more.
The energy price cap is updated every four months, and this latest increase is almost double the amount that industry analysts had previously predicted.
Nationwide House Price Index: August 2025
Nationwide’s house price index for August suggests that the rate of growth in average prices has slowed – falling from an annual 2.4% in July to 2.1% in the current month. Allowing for seasonal variation, this is a 0.1% decline month on month.
Nationwide puts the hesitant state of the market down to continued affordability issues – the price of a home remains high compared to earnings, so raising the necessary deposit becomes a challenge, especially against the general background of the cost of living.
Furthermore, the cost of a mortgage also remains high – some three times greater than in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.
A report by the BBC on the 1st of September, advanced a further reason for the slowed rate of growth in average prices. Households are worried about the potential impact of possible changes to property taxes such as Stamp Duty – which the government has mooted in a bid to increase public revenues.
An estimated 1.2m PRS rental homes are affected by damp and mould
A story by Letting Agent Today recently reiterated estimates that as many as 1.2 million homes in the private rented sector are exposed to damp and mould. The report drew on earlier statistics revealing that 26% of all landlords in 2023 had identified damp or mould in the homes they let.
Landlords have a legal duty to provide homes free of health hazards, yet damp and mould pose serious risks to health.
That was the reasoning behind the formulation of “Awaab’s Law” – legislation that obliges landlords of social housing to rectify damp and mould within a defined, legally binding schedule. It followed the death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak fatally exposed to severe mould in his rented home.
Mortgage activity expected to rebound
A surge in mortgage applications is forecast in the third quarter of this year, according to a story by Property Wire on the 4th of September.
The year has had its ups and downs. Mortgage activity was buoyant in the first quarter, followed by a slump during the following three months. An upsurge during third quarter is therefore welcome – especially viewed from the perspective of more successful applications from first-time buyers.
