Which of the following words could best replace the word "soaring" in the first sentence.*

Soaring council tax bills have pushed the cost of running a home up by four times the rate of inflation, new figures show. The average cost of running a property rose by 5% between 2003 and 2004, according to the Halifax. Money spent on repairing properties also rose by 9% during the period to average ￡576, accounting for 20% of the total rise. Meanwhile increases in the cost of household appliances, heating bills and routine maintenance all further pushed up the cost of running a property.