Advanced warning for smokers and vapers as huge price increase coming

Advanced warning for smokers and vapers as huge price increase comingNew taxes and tax increases will end 'pocket money price' vapes and push tobacco out of reach for manyCommentsMoneyNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)11:12, 13 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesVaping costs will soar this yearEveryone who smokes or vapes will see a marked increase in the price they have to pay when new rules come into force later this year. The Vaping Products Duty will be applied from October 1, with a one-off increase in tobacco duty on the same date.‌Jenny Edman, Finance Expert at Northerner, said: "Today, a 20-pack of cigarettes costs between £16 to £18, with premium brands nearing £18 to £19, due to increased duty and retail pricing. This October there will be a one-off increase of £2.20 per 100 cigarettes and £2.20 per 50g on all other tobacco products, including rolling tobacco.‌"This is to keep a price difference between cigarettes and vapes as the new Vaping Products Duty is introduced. The Vaping Products Duty will come into force on October 1, introducing a tax of £2.20 per 10ml of e-liquid. When combined with VAT, this could raise the price of a standard 10ml bottle to around £6.60–£6.70, up from roughly £3.99 today, with larger refill bottles likely to see even greater price increases."‌View 3 ImagesTobacco and vapes will both be more expensiveThe government has moved away from earlier proposals for a "tiered" tax based on nicotine strength. Instead, they are implementing a flat-rate excise duty. This means a 100ml shortfill that currently costs £15 will go up to £41.40.To ensure that vaping remains a cheaper alternative to smoking, as a "harm reduction" incentive, the government is hiking tobacco prices at the same time as the vape tax.‌One-off Increase: A specific hike of £2.20 per 100 cigarettes (or 50g of tobacco) will occur on October 1, 2026.The "Escalator": This is on top of the standard annual increases, wh...