Household Bills
Pocket money pushovers
Pressure to ‘keep up with the Joneses' will see parents fork out a total of £1.8bn in pocket money this summer, according to new research.
Almost half of Brits in the dark about consumer rights
Government plans to overhaul consumer law may fall flat if action isn't taken to ensure that consumers understand their rights too, according to new research from uSwitch.com.
Fixed rate energy customers face imminent price shock
Hard pressed households could find themselves up to £318 worse off by failing to take action when their current fixed rate energy deal comes to an end, according to analysis by MoneySuperMarket.com.
M&S offers cheapest energy deal on market
M&S Energy has wrestled other suppliers off the top spot in the energy ‘best buy' tables by now offering the cheapest deal on the market. The plan, Fix & Save, which comes in at £1,139 a year is also fixed price, protecting customers from price hikes until the end of September (30th September 2014).
Consumers to benefit from easier broadband and landline switching
Ofcom has announced new measures to help consumers change landline and broadband providers with greater ease, confidence and convenience.
Average UK broadband speed continues to rise
Ofcom's latest report into fixed-line residential broadband speeds shows that the average actual UK speed has risen by 22% (2.7Mbit/s) in the six months to May 2013, and 64% (5.7Mbit/s) in the year since May 2012.
Half a million Scots have regretted buying something they couldn't afford
New research from Debt Advisory Centre Scotland shows how our minds can deceive us when we're shopping - as the vast majority of Scottish people (82%) have bought something and then regretted it.
British Gas makes it easier for customers to switch to the right deal
British Gas customers will no longer face early cancellation fees if they want to switch from one British Gas tariff to another.
Bank of Mum and Dad pays out £2,439 for first year Uni living expenses
As thousands of teenagers across the country await their A-level results and confirmation of university places, research reveals that the bank of mum and dad will contribute, on average, £2,439 to kit their offspring out for university and support them though their first year.
O2's 4G network to switch on from 29th August
O2 has set out its plans for its 4G network launch later this month, which will make it the fastest growing 4G network in the UK.
Energy inertia costs customers dearly
As MPs challenge energy providers and Ofgem about transparency of charges for bill payers, MoneySupermarket has found that British households who have spent the last five years languishing on their energy supplier's standard tariff will have forked out an additional £1,148 (or 19 per cent) on their bills.
Our £2.7 billion holiday overspend
Whilst three quarters of us (73% or 36.7m people) head off on holiday with a budget for spending-money, four in ten (16 million Brits) overspend once we are there, new research by thinkmoney suggests.
Sainsbury's enters the mobile market
Commenting on Sainsbury's launch into the mobile market, Jonathan Leggett, mobile expert at uSwitch.com, says: "This new service will give cash-strapped families and loyal Sainsbury's shoppers a chance to boost their Nectar balance simply by chatting on their mobile.
Top tips to avoid being burnt by ‘bill shock’ this summer
In time for the summer holiday exodus, Ofcom has published a new guide to help travellers protect themselves against ‘bill shock' when using their smartphones and tablets abroad.
Consumer sentiment reaches new high
The Lloyds TSB Spending Power Report for June reveals that confidence continued to improve during the month as the Consumer Sentiment Index reached its highest level on record (since November 2010) at 112 points.