Household Bills
New Year misery for households
Britain’s fourth largest energy supplier, npower, has announced that it is putting up prices from tomorrow, 5th January, 2008. The increases – an average of 17.2% or £92 for gas and 12.7% or £48 for electricity – will hit its standard tariffs, affecting almost 4.9 million customer accounts.
npower the first supplier to raise standard prices
npower has become the first supplier to raise prices on its standard energy tariffs. Prices will increase by 17.2 percent for gas and 12.7 percent for electricity.
npower price hike
Paul Schofield, head of utilities at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: "The great majority of npower’s customers will be hit by this hefty price hike. It is only those select few on non-Standard tariffs who will see prices unchanged.
npower increases energy prices
npower has announced new energy prices for domestic customers, with an average increase of 12.7% for electricity and 17.2% for gas from 5 January.
New Royal Mail postage prices for April 2008
Royal Mail said today the price of a First Class stamp for a standard letter weighing up to 100g would rise 2p to 36p from April 7 2008 in line with the price controls set by the regulator, Postcomm, in 2006.
Brits too scared to open post-Christmas bills
New figures from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) show that 48% of people are more likely to go on a diet or book a holiday than try to sort out their finances in January (13%), while just under a quarter (24%) of 16 to 44-year-olds are worried or scared about their bills arriving in the new year.
Brits see the New Year in on a modest budget
Staying in for New Year’s Eve is the new going out, according to a survey by leading independent personal finance information site Fool.co.uk.
Dear grandson, thx 4 the gr8 gift
Boxing Day is no longer spent hand-writing thank you letters to grandparents with less than one in ten over 50s expecting a written thank you note for Christmas gifts - many are now turning to new technology, according to new research.
Job security fears spur seasonal gloom
Consumer fears over the security of their jobs have hit a six-month high, despite recent official data demonstrating the health of the UK labour market, according to the latest Consumer Barometer from Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.
All I want for Christmas is to return my chavvy presents
As much as £78 million worth of Christmas presents could be unwanted, according to new research by online payment solution PayPal.
Twas the weekend before Christmas - gift gloom to beset Britain
As Brits prepare for a last-minute dash for Christmas gifts, be warned that your efforts could go to waste. An astonishing four in five of us (80 per cent) are likely to be po-faced on Christmas Day when we open presents we don't want or like.
Buy now, pay later mentality catching up with older generation
Despite the recent credit crunch, consumers are continuing to borrow money and debt levels are increasing with no sign of slowing down. But it’s not, as one may think, the younger generation that is getting themselves into the most amount debt, but instead the over 55’s.
Bargain Christmas for savvy shoppers
More than eight in ten (86%) consumers claim to be ‘savvy shoppers’,– looking for sale signs, money off vouchers and surfing the net for online bargains.
Mobile phone cashback rip-off
Many mobile phone cashback deals are a rip-off and should be banned, says which.co.uk.
Broadband still not up to speed
Commenting on Ofcom Consumer Panel's recommendations to Ofcom, Richard Mason director at moneysupermarket.com, said: “Whilst we welcome the recommendations from Ofcom’s Consumer Panel, we’re still yet to see any action taken by the industry regulator itself.