Craft beer and electronic cigarettes have been added to the basket of goods used to calculate inflation.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has changed the items it tracks to determine the consumer prices index. Sat-navs are being removed, partly because many drivers navigate using smart phones, but also because some new cars come with them built in.
The ONS collects about 180,000 prices each month for more than 700 goods and services, using information gathered by 300 “price collectors”.
“E-cigarettes have been added, as a substantial number of smokers have switched to them, often as an aid to giving up smoking,” it said.
“Off-sales of ‘craft’ beer have been introduced as these speciality and micro-brewery products are seeing an increase in both expenditure and