WARNINGS are being issued to vape users about a brand-new rule that is hiking the cost of popular products.
Buyers may find themselves £137 out of pocket every year when it comes into force on October 1.
Brits buying vapes next month will be subject to a Vaping Products Duty, seeing a brand-new fee added onto various items.
From the beginning of October, there will be a flat rate of 22p per millilitre on vaping liquid, regardless of how much nicotine it contains.
The duty will be imposed on all e-liquid items produced in or imported into the UK.
Businesses have also been offered a six-month sell- through period to allow retailers to get rid of any stock, meaning there may not be an overnight price hike in all shops.
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With additional VAT added onto the duty fee, customers can expect to see a significant rise in how much they are spending.
According to Dr Marina Murphy, head of external affairs UK and scientific affairs at Haypp, how much more a person spends on vaping products is entirely down to the products they use and how often they buy them.
Murphy said: “A consumer who typically purchases a 10ml bottle of e-liquid for £3 would see an initial £2.20 added in duty.
“When the associated VAT on that duty is included, a further 44p, the retail price could jump from £3 to £5.64, representing a staggering 88% increase if retailers pass the full cost on.
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“For those who use just one 10ml bottle of e-liquid per week, this £2.64 weekly hike translates to roughly £11.44 every month, or £137.28 annually.”
A number of popular vaping products will see some of the highest price increases – one Lost Mary BM6000 Prefilled Pod Kit could cost an additional £3.16 a week, equating to more than £164 a year.
The fee comes as part of the Government’s plan to reduce the affordability and appeal of vaping, especially for young people and non-smokers.
Cigarette prices are also set to rise on October 1 due to a tobacco duty increase, adding around £1.21 to a standard pack of 20 and £2.54 to a 30g packet of hand-rolling tobacco.
The new Vaping Products Duty is coming into force on October 1, with the sell- through period concluding on March 31, 2027.