Today’s expected fall should principally be down to the sharp fall in the energy price cap in April, which pulled down domestic bills.
A fall close to the Bank of England’s target of 2% would mark a welcome return to normality, alongside the return to stronger than expected economic growth in the first three months of the year.
The Bank has already said, however, it will be looking at underlying measures of inflation, for example in the service sector, which has been impacted by volatility in hotels, cafes and restaurants.
April also saw some increases in mobile and broadband bills, as well as the introduction of a double digit rise in the national living wage.
All of this could lead to the risk of inflation remaining persistent, and encourage the Bank of England’s nine-member interest rate setting panel to keep interest rates on hold.
The government is also likely to point to a sharp fall as evidence of a turning point after three years of price shocks. The shadow chancellor this morning has said there was nothing to celebrate in “lines on a graph” and that prices in the shops were still sky high.