The average council tax bill in Britain has more than doubled since its introduction in 1993, far outpacing inflation during the period, a survey showed on Saturday. The average council tax bill per dwelling topped 1,000 pounds for the first time in 2005 against an average of 456 pounds when introduced in April 1993 - an increase of 121 percent, the Halifax survey showed.
The retail price index has increased by just 36 percent over the same period.
Halifax chief economist Martin Ellis said he was surprised by just how big the cumulative increase had been. He said wages had grown by about half as much (67 percent) over the period.
"Council tax is a big component of the cost of housing and a lot of our customers are homeowners," he said.
In September, the government shelved plans to revaluate council tax in England as it would have led to further bill increases for many people.
Local Government Minister David Miliband has said he does not expect any revaluation would take place during this parliament.
The government laid the blame for the sharp hikes on the local authorities.
"There is no excuse for excessive council tax increases," a spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said on Friday.
"All local authorities in England have received a grant increase this year in line with or above inflation for the third year running.
He said local government has had a 33 percent real-terms increase in funding since 1997.
According to the Halifax survey London saw both the steepest and smallest rises.
The average bill in Wandsworth was 571 pounds per year, a rise of just 45 percent since April 1993, making it Britain's cheapest borough.
In contrast Richmond-upon-Thames was the most expensive, with average bills, of 1,549 pounds.