Britain Braces for Squeeze as Inflation Hits 2.9% and Royal Estates Fall Short

British households are facing another cost-of-living squeeze as inflation is expected to jump to around 2.9% in July, driven by soaring energy bills. Economists predict this rate will be higher than June's 2.6%, with gas and electricity costs linked to the Iran conflict's impact on global energy markets.

The Office for National Statistics will release these figures on Wednesday, which comes as the Bank of England weighs whether to raise interest rates as early as September amid concerns that stubborn inflation could become entrenched.

A separate investigation by The Guardian found that over 100 homes across King Charles and Prince William's royal estates fail to meet the legal minimum energy-efficiency standards for landlords. Around one in five properties let by the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and the Sandringham estate had Energy Performance Certificate ratings of F or G, despite a 2020 regulation barring landlords from renting homes below an E rating unless exempt.