Category Archives: Consumer affairs

Consumer watchdog calls on public to report social media influencers failing to disclose posts as ads

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Influencers who are in breach of the Australian Consumer Law can face penalties of up to $2.5m

Australia’s consumer watchdog is embarking on a dob-in-an-influencer campaign targeting social media stars who fail to declare their posts as advertisements.

This week the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) put out a call on social media, asking the public to send in examples of influencers who appeared to be promoting a brand or product online without disclosing it was an ad.

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Energy bills: calls for ‘social tariff’ when UK government support ends

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Charities and non-profit bodies urge Jeremy Hunt to introduce discount tariff from April 2024

Jeremy Hunt is facing calls for a “social energy tariff” providing cheaper gas and electricity for low income households to be introduced when government support ends next year.

In an open letter to the chancellor, 95 charities and non-profit organisations have urged the government to move quickly to legislate for a change in energy bills for “those in greatest need to ensure they are able to live in their homes comfortably”.

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Call to end forced installation of UK prepayment meters after millions suffer without power

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Report shows 3.2m people disconnected last year as they ran out of credit

Ministers are being urged to stop the forced installation of prepayment meters after revelations that 3.2 million people – the equivalent of one person every 10 seconds – were left with cold and dark homes last year as they ran out of credit.

As energy prices surged this winter, suppliers have stepped up the use of court warrants to force their way into homes to install prepayment meters, with some magistrates approving hundreds of applications at a time. For homes with smart meters, the change can be made remotely without even needing a warrant.

Rhiannon, a single parent with a baby who suffers from depression, fell behind on her payments after she separated with her partner. Her landlord allowed her supplier access to fit a prepayment meter. She has resorted to warming baby milk at her GP’s surgery and staying warm in her dad’s car.

Rona uses a wheelchair and lives with her daughter who has special educational needs. She is reliant on family to go to the Post Office to top up and was left without heating, lighting or means to make food over Christmas.

Alice, a woman with a lung condition who was moved on to a prepayment meter due to debt and couldn’t afford to top up. Her supplier told her she could not be helped again because she had been helped before, but being cut off prevents her charging her breathing machine.

Andy, a diabetic who was moved on to a prepayment meter and left without power for a week despite needing to keep his insulin in the fridge.

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Energy bill support for UK businesses to be cut by Jeremy Hunt

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New scheme for companies, charities and public sector organisations to offer discount on wholesale prices

The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is poised to announce a cut to the financial support offered to businesses to help with their energy bills.

A new scheme to provide support for businesses, charities and public sector organisations at a less generous level than the current scheme is expected to be presented in the House of Commons on Monday.

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Energy efficiency ‘war effort’ needed to cut bills and emissions, say MPs

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Ministers missed crucial opportunities but should use energy windfall tax to speed up insulation efforts, committee says

A national “war effort” on energy efficiency is required to cut energy bills, reduce climate-heating emissions and ensure energy security, according to a cross-party committee of MPs.

Boosting efficiency in homes and businesses is the fastest way to cut energy use but the government missed a “crucial window of opportunity” last summer, the report from the environmental audit committee (EAC) said. The energy bills crisis was sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, while political turmoil in the UK resulted in three prime ministers in office between July and October.

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Disabled people among hardest hit by cost of living crisis, finds study

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People with disabilities more likely to cut back on energy use and food, Resolution Foundation says

Disabled people in the UK are much more likely to struggle to heat their homes and cut back on food this winter, according to a report highlighting “massive” income gaps amid the cost of living squeeze.

Research from the Resolution Foundation found people with disabilities had an available amount to spend that was about 44% lower than that of other working-age adults, exposing them hugely to the rising cost of essentials.

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Why are wholesale gas prices falling and will it cut UK bills?

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Falls could lower cost of government subsidies and reduce risk of power cuts this winter

Economic forecasters could be forgiven for reading the outlook for 2023 through their fingers as strikes, cost of living pressures and a potential global recession paint a gloomy picture. But wholesale gas prices have offered a sliver of optimism, with a sharp fall in recent days. Here’s why they are tumbling – and what it means for consumers.

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Bank branches ‘still vital’ as squeezed UK households seek cash and advice

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Quarter of consumers more likely to visit branches amid struggles with surging energy, food and housing costs, finds KPMG survey

Cost of living pressures have increased the number of customers relying on bank branches to help manage their squeezed budgets, research shows.

While the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online-only banking, particularly during lockdowns, research from the accountancy firm KPMG showed a quarter of UK consumers were more likely to visit bank branches now that households were grappling with surging energy, food and housing costs.

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Sales shoppers say Australia’s cost of living crisis drives search for Boxing Day bargains

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Consumers are ‘freedom spending’ after an intense year, but on essentials rather than big-ticket items

With the cost of living crisis biting into budgets, Angela Jakovljebic decided to give her three daughters gift cards as presents, to spend on the post-Christmas sales.

Emily, Lilly and Mila weren’t too happy about their gifts when they received them, they say. But they felt better when they saw the sales in Parramatta.

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Royal Mail urges people to use or swap non-barcoded stamps

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Deadline is 31 January, although there will then be six-month grace period with such post still delivered

Do you have a book of stamps in your wallet, purse or drawer at home? Maybe you have stockpiled them to avoid future price rises.

If so, you need to be aware that the official deadline for using up stamps without barcodes – notably the regular first and second-class “everyday” stamps featuring the profile of the late Queen – is getting closer.

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£2 cap for many bus fares in England expected to save 2m car journeys

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Campaigners welcome DfT’s temporary £60m subsidy to cut emissions and congestion, but say it should go further

Bus fares in many places across England will be capped at £2 for the winter under a government-backed campaign to encourage people back on to public transport.

Single fares on most major operators’ services will be limited from January until March under the scheme.

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Citizens Advice says record number sought energy help in November

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Number of people unable to afford prepayment meter top-up is higher this year than in past six years combined

The monthly number of people that Citizens Advice helped with energy-related problems and issues rose to a record high in November, underlining the scale of the struggle with soaring costs of gas and electricity.

The charity said it was continuing to exceed its forecasts for the numbers of cash-strapped households turning to it for help because they cannot afford to top up their energy prepayment meter and therefore cannot perform basic tasks such as heating food.

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Hot water bottles sell out around UK as cold snap hits

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John Lewis said sales are up sixfold on last year as people look to save on their heating bills

Hot water bottles are selling out around the UK amid the cold snap and efforts to save on soaring energy bills.

John Lewis said sales were up sixfold on last year with several popular models currently out of stock online including the department store’s own-label version with a fake fur protective cover.

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UK power prices hit record high amid cold snap and lack of wind power

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Severely cold weather has come with low wind speeds, creating perfect storm to drive wholesale costs up

UK power prices have hit record levels as an icy cold snap and a fall in supplies of electricity generated by wind power have combined to push up wholesale costs.

The day-ahead price for power for delivery on Monday reached a record £675 a megawatt-hour on the Epex Spot SE exchange. The price for power at 5-6pm, typically around the time of peak power demand each day, passed an all-time high of £2,586 a megawatt-hour.

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Millions cannot afford to heat homes as UK faces Arctic cold snap

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As temperatures plunge, fears grow for households struggling to pay for heating, food and warm clothing

More than 3 million low-income UK households cannot afford to heat their homes, according to research, as a “dangerously cold” weather front arrived from the Arctic.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather alert recommending vulnerable people warm their homes to at least 18C, wear extra layers and eat hot food to protect themselves from plummeting temperatures.

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Kent family charged £80k in error after EDF sent £1m electricity bill

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‘It was quite amusing, until it actually happened,’ says customer, after being left £75,000 overdrawn

A family of four were told they owed nearly £1m to EDF for a year’s electricity and had £80,000 taken by direct debit, despite telling the company it was clearly incorrect.

The payment, which put Richard Baron and his family more than £75,000 over their overdraft limit, was refunded by their bank’s fraud team before any serious damage was done. However, after cancelling their direct debit, they were put on a higher tariff with the energy provider.

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Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster over tour sale debacle

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Lawsuit claims ‘millions of fans waited up to eight hours and were unable to purchase tickets as a result of insufficient ticket releases’

A group of Taylor Swift fans is suing Ticketmaster over what they call the “disastrous” recent debacle to secure tickets for her 2023 Eras US tour.

In November, Ticketmaster had to cancel the public on-sale date for the tour “due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand”, the company said at the time.

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Calls for UK ban on pre-payment meter installations made under court warrants

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End Fuel Poverty Coalition fears energy suppliers are using warrants to disconnect poorest ‘by the back door’

Campaigners have called for an immediate ban on pre-payment meter (PPM) installations made under court warrants because of fears that energy suppliers are using them to disconnect the poorest, most indebted customers “by the back door”.

Energy firms’ licence conditions protect many vulnerable people from formal disconnection over the winter, but the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said transferring households on to PPMs, which require regular top-ups and charge for energy at a higher rate, often prompted people in debt to “self-disconnect”.

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UK households have cut energy consumption by 10%, say suppliers

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E.ON reports up to 15% drop as Grant Shapps writes to firms customers cutting back on energy use should not face direct debit rise

Britons have cut their gas and electricity use by more than 10% since October in the first evidence of the impact of the energy crisis on household habits, according to two of Britain’s biggest suppliers.

E.ON, Britain’s second-largest supplier, and the owner of Utility Warehouse have reported “double-digit” declines in recent weeks.

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Sales boost for B&Q and Screwfix owner amid rush for energy-saving products

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Kingfisher says sales of loft insulation roll more than double while smart thermostats rose by nearly a third

The B&Q owner, Kingfisher, has reported higher sales as fears over higher gas and electricity costs boosted demand for energy-efficient products including insulation roll and smart thermostats.

The retail group, which also owns the hardware trade supplier Screwfix, said customers who invested in a raft of energy-saving DIY products helped increase group sales by 0.6% to £3.3bn in the three months to October. When stripping out the impact of the weaker pound, sales were up 1.7%.

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