You just woke up poorer

The first of April is a bad day to read the news. Previous years have seen spaghetti trees, condoms for dogs and many other ridiculous and made-up tales. Unfortunately for you, this isn't one of them; changes that come into force today will cost every household at least some money, while a few unfortunates will be hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

So brace yourself and read on; this is why you've just become poore.

Water bills rising

Today is the day that water bills across the UK rise, by an average of 2%, which is £8 for the average home. According to uSwitch, from today a typical home will spend £393 a year on water and sewage services,

Some unlucky customers are having to fork out even more, with Bristol Water customers facing a 5% rise in prices. Having said that, a few households will actually be better off - South West Water customers are actually going to see prices fall.

If rising prices are worrying you, there are steps you can take, such as switching to a meter and reducing the amount of water you use. Read our tips on saving water and feeling flush (excuse the poor pun).

Prescription charges hiked

If you go to the doctor for a prescription today then you'll notice an increase in what you pay. Prescription charges are rising 20p a time, up to £8.05. They'll rise to £8.25 next year.

However, if you need regular medicine and you don't qualify for free prescriptions then you can save money. Prescription payment certificates (sometimes called 'season tickets') can be bought in three-month or one-year instalments and prices for those are frozen for two years. The cost of a three-month certificate is staying at £29.10, while a one-year 'pass' is £104.

You'll save money this way if you use more than one prescription a month.

Dental treatment will cost more

It's not just medicine; from today you'll pay more for NHS dentistry too. Band 1 courses of treatment, such as examinations, are rising 50p in price to £18.50, while Band 2 treatments such as fillings go up £1.50 a time to £50.50.

But the worst news is for anyone needing a Band 3 treatment, such as crowns or bridges. These are rising by £5, meaning treatment will now cost £219.

Air Passenger Duty goes up

If all these price hikes make you wish for a holiday, then read this first. Today Air Passenger Duty will rise in line with inflation, meaning a charge of £13 for a standard journey of under 2,000 miles or £26 for those traveling in business class. If your journey is above 2,000 miles then you'll pay £69 in duty, or £138 if you're not travelling economy.

Price rises in line with inflation may seem fair, but this follows a rise of 8% back in April 2012, causing many airlines and passenger groups to begin campaigning for a fairer system.

The Office of Budget Responsibility predicts that over this tax year, Air Passenger Duty will bring £3.2 billion into the Treasury's coffers - which is to say, out of our pockets.

Council Tax Support goes down

Many of today's changes are relatively small, but anyone who has been receiving council tax support will find themselves considerably out of pocket.

Council Tax Support replaced Council Tax Benefit, which was abolished this time last year. From today, the government will no longer pay councils any additional money to support poorer households with their council tax bill. That means that most working age people will have to pay the first 20% of their council tax before they can receive help - even if they aren't working.

For the very poorest homes, this means an extra charge of around £200 a year - at a time when other benefits are being limited or cut. If you qualify for a single person discount then you'll still have to find an extra £150 a year.

Some of the price hikes listed here look like fairly small increases. However, when you add them all together, you can see that squeezed budgeters may feel even more squeezed over the next 12 months.

What do you think, are these price rises unreasonable? Will they affect you? Have your say using the comments below.