Household Bills
Consumers lose cheapest energy deal on market
British Gas has revealed that it is pulling its cheapest energy plan - Click Energy 5 - off the market and putting prices up by £305 for those consumers already signed up to it. It is also bringing out a new online plan - Click Energy 6.
O2 top broadband table but Brits still off the pace
The winner of moneysupermarket.com's second quarterly speed test of almost 60,000 internet connections is O2's 8 Mbps package.
Credit crunch lessons lost on Brits
Brits are ‘budgeting blind' through the credit crunch, according to new research from Norwich Union. Despite spending millions of hours researching financial products, most Britons have little idea about what more than half of their hard earned cash is buying.
Enhanced set of Hotel Services now available over mobile devices
GeoSentric Oyj’s GyPSii, the market-leading mobile digital lifestyle application and geo-mobility social networking platform, has announced an agreement with one of China's leading web-based travel companies eLong, Inc., to provide GyPSii-powered hotel information and reservation services to visitors to China, including such popular cities as Beijing and Shanghai.
Gas and electricity postcode lottery
Following the news of price hikes from the 'Big Six' UK energy companies, Fairinvestment.co.uk has found that gas and electricity costs really are a postcode lottery.
Tesco launches gas and electricity comparison service
Tescocompare.com has announced the expansion of its non-insurance based comparison services with the launch of its gas and electricity supplier comparison channel. Unlike some price comparison sites the Tescocompare.com search includes all of the big 6 suppliers.
Prepayment meters must be last resort for consumers
Recent Ofgem figures reveal that there are now 5.9 million energy customers using prepayment meters, but only around 1 million of these are actually repaying a debt. This means that at least 4.9 million customers could be paying up to £244 a year more for their household energy than they actually need to.
EPCs required for all properties from October onwards
Commenting on Energy Performance Certificates being required for all properties from October onwards, Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com, said: "The most surprising and invasive part of the requirement for an Energy Performance Certificate is that it will apply to landlords - and not just people looking to sell or build their home.
Ryanair to allow mobile calls on flights
Commenting on Ryanair's decision to allow mobile calls on flights, Rob Barnes, head of mobiles and broadband at moneysupermarket.com says: "It was only a matter of time before an airline began to offer this service, BMI have said they will provide the service but it'll be interesting to see which major airlines follow suit.
Grandparents become 3GB cash machines
More than half of grandparents in Great Britain have found themselves having to support two generations of their family in the past six months (57%), according to research from Engage Mutual.
Energy users can't get no satisfaction
As the spotlight grows on energy suppliers, Which? reveals that they are the lowest performing of all industries when it comes to customer satisfaction.
European Commission decision to cap text and data charges
Commenting on the European Commission's decision to cut the cost of texting and data downloading abroad, Rob Barnes, head of mobiles and broadband at moneysupermarket.com, said: "At last we're seeing a significant price cap put on the inflated charges imposed by mobile networks for texts and data.
Brain drain Britain
One in five young Britons (20%) are considering quitting the UK to try to escape the current market meltdown threatening an unprecedented “brain drain” – the disappearance of a whole young generation of talent into another country.
Universities call in FSA Money Doctors
As the new university term begins, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has set its sights on introducing its Money Doctors financial education programme to 50 more universities this year as research shows that young people are least able to manage their finances among UK adults.
Men spend more than women on non-essentials
Despite common stereotypes of women as shopaholics, Fairinvestment.co.uk has found that men are actually spending more money than women when it comes to entertainment, clothes and luxuries, despite the current financial climate.