Cost of living surged 6.2 per cent for average household in year, but inflation slowing down

The average New Zealand household’s cost of living went up 6.2 per cent in the year to March 31, Stats NZ said today. The household living-costs price index for the March quarter was down slightly from the 7.0 per cent hike recorded in the year to December 31. But it was still well above the inflation rate of 4.0 per cent measured in the consumers price index (CPI) for the year to March 31. The ghoul responsible for this was …