Household Bills
End of fixed price deals could cause £100 energy cost shock
Price increases of 42% or £381 in 2008 sent British consumers scrambling to secure a fixed or capped price energy deal. But with millions of customers due to come to the end of their fixed deal between now and the end of the year, uSwitch.com warns that people should be extra vigilant to prevent their energy costs rocketing.
Brits waste 85,000 tonnes of CO2 overcharging mobile phones
Mobiles are going green, yet despite the advent of eco mobile chargers, handsets made from recycled materials and the ability to easily recycle old handsets, Brits are still wasting energy and money by needlessly overcharging their mobiles according to research from the leading price comparison website moneysupermarket.com.
Switch to a better energy tariff, says Confused.com
With the onset of the hot weather signalling the start of summer, switching energy provider is likely to be the last thing on anyone's mind, as we assume the expensive months are over.
BT ups the ante by offering free 20MB broadband boost
Michael Phillips, product director at BroadbandChoices.co.uk commented: "This is great news for consumers - research we have conducted in the past has shown that broadband customers do not want to pay extra for a faster connection so BT has definitely upped the ante by giving a free broadband boost.
Millions to benefit from free 20Mb/s broadband boost
Millions of homes and businesses are set to enjoy a free broadband boost after BT announced it will more than double the headline speeds for its residential and business customers. Businesses will start to benefit from today.
Consumer confidence continues to creep up in May
The Nationwide Consumer Confidence Index rose by two points in May, a more moderate change following the sharp increase in April. The Expectations and Spending indices also recorded increases during the month to 76 and 101 respectively. The Present Situation Index fell to 17 in May from 21 in April.
OFGEM turns down the heat on energy suppliers
Gareth Kloet, head of energy at Confused.com, comments: "Consumers have been waiting with baited breath for OFGEM to come out with a report slamming suppliers for ripping them off, but the wait continues. OFGEM's analysis actually shows the market is working, and after an aggressive start with the ‘supply probe' last year, the regulator seems to be turning lukewarm on suppliers.
Are you ready for kick off this summer?
As the weather heats up so too does the summer schedule for sports fanatics - World Cup qualifiers, Lions Tour, Ashes Test Matches... the list is almost endless when it comes to the must see events of the summer sport season.
Households failing to take advantage of online energy deals
12.5 million households in the UK could be paying over the odds for their energy because they are on suppliers' standard tariffs rather than online energy plans.
Brits splash out over £600 to attend a wedding
With the wedding season fast approaching, new research by Halifax Current Accounts reveals the true cost of attending a wedding, and shows, that even in uncertain times, guests are not cutting back in showing their loved ones how much they care.
London experiences biggest fall in retail prices
London experienced the largest decline in retail prices over the past year with a 2.8% fall between 2008 quarter one and 2009 quarter one, according to new research by Halifax. This was more than twice the 1.3% fall for the UK as a whole.
Record Cold Weather Payment payout for Age Concern customers
Following the coldest winter for over a decade, almost 200,000 gas customers on the Age Concern Energy Services tariff, developed in conjunction with E.ON, are set to receive the highest ever Cold Weather Payment payout between May and July this year, the total sum of which will exceed £4 million - a record amount for Age Concern Energy Services and paid for by E.ON.
uSwitch: BBC broadband speeds report
Jason Glynn, Communications Expert, uSwitch.com comments on the BBC's broadband speeds report: "The BBC's investigation into broadband speeds in UK homes paints a worrying picture considering the government has promised to provide all homes in the UK with speeds of at least 2Mbps by 2012.
Digital switch-off: a mystery to millions
After years of preparation and millions of pounds spent on advertising, almost half of all British adults (45 per cent) still do not know what the digital switchover actually entails according to research from moneysupermarket.com (LON:MONY).
A valuable recession lesson
As G20 leaders voted for a new era of economic change, 78% of consumers are planning to follow suit, committing to change the way they manage their personal finances through increased saving, spending within their limits and reviewing their finances more often.