OREANDA-NEWS. Residents of the UK, due to rising prices, began to buy everyday goods for the future, writes The Telegraph, citing a study by Barclaycard.

So, last month, more than a third of consumers made stocks of canned food, pasta, toilet paper, paracetamol and household items.

At the same time, prices for essentials increased by 18% compared to March 2019, when there was no coronavirus pandemic yet.

In turn, motorists said they are trying to use less personal vehicles in order to reduce gasoline costs.

Earlier it became known that in the UK, fuel prices rose by 26.1%, forcing residents of the country to refuse to travel by car. The Guardian writes about this, citing Barclaycard data.

According to the data presented, the expenses of the British in March rose by 17.7%, mainly due to rising prices for fuel and food. It is noted that residents often buy products in bulk to save money. In addition, 41% of people began walking and cycling more and reduced long car trips.

“Rising fuel prices and household bills are clearly starting to affect consumer behavior and many Britons are changing their travel and shopping habits to save money,” said José Carvalho, head of consumer products at Barclaycard.

Prior to this, Bloomberg reported that since April 1, UK residents have to spend a large part of their budget on utility bills, as gas and electricity prices increased by 54%. At the same time, social benefits rose by only 3.1%, less than half of the increase in the national minimum wage.