How much is your council tax going up by? Price hikes confirmed for Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Havant

Inflation in the UK currently stands at three per cent, and so we are seeing just about everything get more expensive, from food and drink to household bills.

With the conflict in Iran escalating, oil prices have surged - and subsequently things like fuel and utilities are also at risk.

Over the past couple of weeks, our local authorities have also confirmed how much more council tax we will be paying in the next 12 months. Council tax pays for the provision of services by borough, city and county councils, including adult social care, education, and household waste collection.

How much council tax a household pays is dependent on the value of the property; cheaper homes pay less council tax, while more expensive properties come with higher rates. These are split into bands from A to H, with A being the lowest.

All four of our councils - Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Havant - have either announced or proposed price increases for council tax this coming year.

Portsmouth

On February 10, Portsmouth City Council voted through a council tax increase of 4.99 per cent, which is two per cent more than the maximum amount it can be put up by each year.

The council included an extra two per cent increase to exclusively pay for adult social care, offered by the government as a flexible social care precept. As a unitary authority, Portsmouth is the only local council with the power to exercise this right - as social care in the rest of the county is funded by Hampshire County Council.

Factoring in other council tax contributions like the Police and Crime Commissioner and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, means a significant increase to the annual total for Portsmouth residents.

Council tax for band A properties will increase from £1,453.95 to £1,527.80, an increase of around £6.16 per month. For band C homes, council tax will go up from £1,938.59 to £2,037.07 - almost £100 more.

Fareham

At the time of publication, Fareham has the lowest council tax rates of any authority in our area. But plans to potentially form a new unitary authority with other boroughs in the coming years means the council is pushing up council tax to be in-line with the rest of the local area.

Fareham will increase council tax by 2.99 per cent for 2026/27, with a median rise of £76.26 per year for the Fareham element of council tax. This works out at £3.81 per month for band A dwellings, £5.08 for band C and £5.72 per month for band D homes.

Gosport

Unlike other authorities, Gosport Borough Council is yet to vote on its proposed council tax changes for the year, with a council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 4.

The proposal is to increase council tax by 2.99 per cent, as with other local authorities in the area. For band A properties, this means an annual increase from £1,490.76 to £1,562.86, or £6.01 per month. Band C council tax will increase from £1,987.68 per year to £2,083.81.

Gosport Borough Council officers say this increase will fund not only the new food waste collection, but also council pay rises, rough sleeping and street cleaning uplifts.

Havant

Instead of pushing the maximum increase of 2.99 per cent, Havant Borough Council voted through a rise of 2.97 per cent to council tax in 2026/27.

Decided at a full council meeting last week, the increase will see council tax for a band A property go from £1,475 per year to £1,546.85. Band C properties will see council tax increased from £1,967 to £2,062.47 - and band H properties are going up from £4,426 to £4,640, an increase of £214 per year.