Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators: 13 February 2025

17th February 2025

In the week to 9 February 2025, both total Revolut debit card spending and overall retail footfall decreased by 6% and 4%, respectively, compared with the previous week. When compared with the equivalent week of 2024, total Revolut debit card spending increased by 6%, while overall retail footfall decreased by 1% (Revolut, MRI OnLocation).

In our latest Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN), most people reported that their cost of living had increased (56%) or stayed the same (42%) during January 2025 compared with December 2024, with only 2% reporting a decrease; people reported changes in behaviour because of increases in the cost of living, with around 61% spending less on non-essentials, 45% shopping around more, 39% spending less on food shopping and essentials and 39% using less gas and electricity in their homes (initial findings for January 2025 from our OPN, publishing on 21 February 2025).

Initial findings from our latest Business Insights and Conditions Survey show that 16% of businesses reported that turnover had increased for January 2025 when compared with the previous month; this was higher than the 14% of businesses reporting turnover had increased during December 2024 when compared with November 2024 (initial results from Wave 126 of the Business Insights and Conditions Survey).

The System Average Price (SAP) of gas increased by 5% to 4.662 pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) in the week to 9 February 2025 compared with the previous week, while the System Price of electricity increased by 14% to 12.061p/kWh over the same period (National Gas Transmission, Elexon).

The total number of Energy Performance Building Certificates (EPCs) in the week to 9 February 2025 for new dwellings across England and Wales decreased by 22% when compared with the equivalent week of 2024; for existing dwellings, it increased by 8% (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government).

In the week to 9 February 2025, both total ship visits to major UK ports and the average number of daily UK flights increased, by 9% and 5%, respectively; when compared with the equivalent week of 2024, ship visits to major UK ports decreased by 2%, whereas the number of flights remained broadly unchanged (exactEarth, EUROCONTROL).