5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, 27 August 2025.

Energy prices set to rise: Energy prices will be set for millions of households for this autumn and winter, when regulator Ofgem announces its latest price cap later. Analysts expect a slight rise in gas and electricity prices between October and December, despite having previously predicted a small fall. A price rise of about 1% a year is likely, which campaigners say will mean another winter of relatively high energy bills. [BBC]

More pain for Reeves as government borrowing cost nears 27-year high: The cost of UK government borrowing has jumped to near a 27-year high, piling pressure on Rachel Reeves to reveal how she will tackle the deficit in the public finances before the autumn budget. The yield, or interest rate, on the UK’s 30-year bond rose by eight basis points (0.08 of a percentage point) on Tuesday to 5.62%. That pushed the UK’s long-term borrowing costs close to a spike in April of 5.66%, when 30-year bond yields reached their highest since 1998. [Guardian]

UK to use AI to settle workplace disputes: Chatbots could be called in to help settle disputes between workers and their employers, as the UK’s state-funded conciliation body seeks ways to meet rising demand for its services within a tight budget. Acas chief executive Niall Mackenzie said rapid rollout of AI would be a critical part of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service’s strategy to cope with an expected surge in calls as ministers make sweeping reforms to employment law. [Financial Times]

UK on track for hottest summer on record: The Met Office thinks this summer will be the hottest on record. Official confirmation will come next week, but the forecaster said the meteorological summer would “almost certainly” be the UK’s warmest since records began in 1884. The average temperature from June 1 to August 25 has been 16.13, putting this year on course to break the previous record, 15.76 in 2018, by a wide margin. [The Times]