business and finance

Mamata Banerjee faces development challenges in her second stint as CM

Allegations of corruption dented image of her party and opposition made it a prime issue during elections




business and finance

Mamata sworn in amid Federal Front buzz

The state units of major parties like BJP, Congress and the CPI(M) stayed away from the event in protest against poll-violence in the state




business and finance

British Gas prepayment customers vent anger at energy giant

Numerous British Gas customers with prepayment meters claim they are struggling to top-up since the energy giant switched from Paypoint to Payzone terminals.




business and finance

Ofgem opens investigations into Utilita and Gnergy as watchdog cracks down on bad practices

Ofgem has issued Gnergy with a notice of failure to comply with a final order over unpaid Renewables Obligation payments.




business and finance

DEALS OF THE WEEK: Trains to Paris from just £29; free pints and free cups of coffee

This week's deals include: a free pint of beer, a train to Paris from just £29, or - £58 return - with Eurostar and a free cup of coffee from Greggs.




business and finance

Britons donated £10bn last year: How to benefit from being charitable 

If one of your financial New Year's resolutions was to make this year as tax-efficient as possible, then it's the perfect time to apply it to your charitable giving plans.




business and finance

Postcodes in Britain with the most burglaries in 2019 with B5 top

Those in the B5 postal area, which includes Digbeth, Highgate and Lee Bank, have made the most burglary claims over the last two years, with a rate of 57.14 claims per 1,000 quotes.




business and finance

Fixed energy bills set to rocket by up to £190 in January 2020

Some 142,000 customers will see their bills go up by a collective £16m if they don't switch tariff by the end of January, a comparison website has warned.




business and finance

The magic numbers to end cold call hell: Free call-blocking codes

According to the latest figures from the Information Commissioner's Office, there was a 20 per cent increase in complaints about nuisance calls last year.




business and finance

Scottish Power must act now! We hand damning dossier to watchdog Ofgem

Carla and Tom Corbet, who have a two-year-old son, Charlie, had booked to have smart meters installed in their Essex home in December 2018. They hoped the gadgets would save them money.




business and finance

Ovo acquisition of SSE - what will it mean for customers?

Ovo's acquisition of energy giant SSE has been completed today, meaning the supplier will now be responsible for five million customers.




business and finance

I'm on a prepay energy meter - can I save money switching supplier?

Prepayment meter customers don't have to be stuck on their current tariffs and can save money, the same as standard energy customers, by switching supplier.




business and finance

What is HyperJar and can it really give you a 4.8% savings rate?

Defining itself as a 'pay now, buy later' scheme, HyperJar wants to put as much distance as possible between the 'toxic' buy now, pay later sites that lure in 'younger shoppers' and itself.




business and finance

A year on from the price cap: Have energy tariffs got cheaper? We reveal everything you need to know

There are now five times more gas and electricity deals costing less than £1,000 per year to choose from compared to last year, according to research from Which?.




business and finance

Energy suppliers accused of hindering smart meter scheme after failing to follow Ofgem rules

The smart meter rollout has suffered another blow after it was revealed that nine small suppliers have not yet signed up to be Data Communications Company (DCC) users.




business and finance

In an energy fix? You CAN move before energy prices go up over the next two months  

A total of 77 cheap deals are set to finish at the end of January or February meaning consumers will be shunted on to their provider's more expensive standard energy tariff.




business and finance

Four simple ways to cut energy usage to reduce bills and emissions

The power to reduce bills and emissions is in the hands of households. The Energy Saving Trust has four simple changes to help towards doing just that.




business and finance

Airtime Rewards: Could this app bring down your mobile bill?

Airtime Rewards, which has over 550,000 members, lets users get up to 10% back on purchases at certain retailers with the savings then used to reduce their mobile bill.




business and finance

World league table of monthly broadband costs 2020

Thanks to lower average speeds compared to much of Europe, Britain came 23rd out of 29 countries in Western Europe for value for money with a cost of 82p per 1Mbps of bandwidth, per month.




business and finance

Rise in households signing up to new energy tariffs on their doorstep

The number of customers who switched to a new deal following a face-to-face sales pitch rose by 38 per cent to 1.1million in the year to October, according to analysts Cornwall Insight.




business and finance

Mobile users unwittingly clicking on sites that push monthly fees

At some point on October 15, 2015, possibly in the dead of night while waiting for my then one-year-old to go back to sleep, two clicks on my mobile phone cost me £615, says JOANNA TWEEDY.




business and finance

Broadband customers are still paying £9m more A DAY than needed

Broadband customers are still paying £9m a day more than they should, according to data from check and challenge site, Is My Bill Fair.




business and finance

Five ways for shoppers to get the best price on an item they want

Televisions were the item that varied the most in price via retailer with the average price difference of £364.77, according to the price comparison website, Idealo.




business and finance

The best and worst firms in Britain for broadband, TV, mobile and landline 

Vodafone is the most complained about broadband, mobile and landline provider, new data has revealed. It is the second quarter in a row it has been voted the worst for broadband.




business and finance

Five MILLION in broadband slow lane can get more speed... for less cash 

Internet providers are ripping off up to five million customers with a shoddy snail's pace service - when they should be paying less for a faster broadband.




business and finance

DEALS OF THE WEEK: From half-price personalised pillows to free eye tests and discounted coffees

This week's deals include: half price personalised pillow costing £17.50, 50p off the cost of a coffee at Pret a Manger, a free eye test at Specsavers and a 'free' audiobook from the Amazon service Audible.




business and finance

Small energy firms top the energy satisfaction table: But where did your supplier rank? 

Octopus Energy has taken the top spot in Which?'s satisfaction survey yet again as small and medium sized energy suppliers dominate the rankings.




business and finance

Ovo Energy to pay out £8.9m after overcharging customers

Ofgem says Ovo has agreed to pay the voluntary redress after some customers were undercharged while some were overcharged due to problems with its IT systems.




business and finance

Car insurance is the most switched financial product of the decade

Proving that the 2010s was the decade households embraced switching, 80% moved at least one financial product to a rival firm in the 2010s, according to data from Go Compare.




business and finance

We reveal the 12 tips you can use to keep your energy bills low 

Fuel poverty is a problem that still affects thousands of Britons every year, resulting in an estimated 16,500 deaths in the winter of 2017 to 2018 - an average of 175 a day.




business and finance

GiffGaff makes changes to pay-as-you-go: Best 2020 mobile deals

GiffGaff is increasing costs for its standard pay as you go customers - whilst simultaneously providing bigger allowances for those who purchase its 'goodybag' bundles.




business and finance

Can smart home tech lower your insurance premiums? We ask insurers

Those who have the latest technology installed - could, in theory - pay lower premiums thanks to enhanced safety. But is this the view of the major insurers?




business and finance

Don't rush to rip out your landline - it could pay you to WAIT for the wireless 5G revolution

For better and for worse, our lives have been revolutionised by the internet. But a new high-tech innovation known as 5G is set to transform everything once again.




business and finance

Would YOU get a top credit card? Here's how to check your credit score

Checking your credit score is all the rage, with adverts from companies that can provide access to your report. And where once you had to pay a credit reference agency, it is now free.




business and finance

Big Six customers jet off to San Francisco with energy savings

Currently, 1.9 million Eon customers could be missing out on £283 by staying on a standard variable tariff, the equivalent of a return flight to San Francisco.




business and finance

Is Loop energy saving assistant better than a smart meter?

A new energy saving assistant is claiming that it can help users save money, electricity and the planet - but insists it isn't the same as smart meters.




business and finance

Veganuary: Would you pay £13 for 27g of watermelon 'meat?'

Watermelon is the tuna or steak, restaurants would have you believe. But just how much of the bland fruit do you get for your buck - and is it all a step too far?




business and finance

How £25bn a year is wasted on subscriptions Britons don't use

The typical adult spends £496 on regular payments each month, but £39 heads for unused direct debits, standing orders and recurring card payments, according to NatWest.




business and finance

EE tops mobile league table for data speed and reliability

EE recorded the fastest median download speed across the UK at an impressive 36.5Mbps - nearly double as fast as the second best speed of 19.8Mbps, delivered by Vodafone.




business and finance

Gyms classes that encourage parents to work out with their children

There are an increasing number of gyms offering more personal, family friendly classes that mean you don't need to ditch your child in a crèche and pay more.




business and finance

Five foolproof tips to spotting fake reviews on the internet

Negative reviews can make or break a business with 94% of people saying an online review has convinced them to avoid a business altogether.




business and finance

The eco boilers that cost £5K a year: A 'green' energy deal gone wrong

Lisa McGregor, pictured with three of her five children, saw her bills jump to more than £100 a week after Falkirk Council installed a new, eco-friendly boiler in her council property.




business and finance

EE customers see mobile bills rise 2.2% from March 

For customers paying £30 a month on their contract, the inflation-linked hike means an increase of 66p a month - or £7.92 a year.




business and finance

My Farm Fresh Box: I was charged £50 for leaving negative review

A frustrated customer has revealed that she was charged £50 after writing a supposedly negative review about a food subscription service she had ordered a free trial from.




business and finance

ScS told me I was sitting on my new sofa wrong after it sagged

A disgruntled couple have been left fuming by a furniture giant that claimed they were sitting on their new sofa incorrectly after complaining about it sagging




business and finance

Claim your marriage tax allowance before April or lose as much as £212

Introduced in 2015, marriage allowance entitles non-taxpayers to transfer up to 10 per cent of their annual personal allowance to a partner who pays 20 per cent basic rate tax.




business and finance

How to stop PayPal picking your pocket when you sell on eBay

American payment giant PayPal stands accused of 'pickpocketing' tens of thousands of people every month who turn their clutter into hard cash.




business and finance

Millions of unused Tesco Clubcard vouchers expire at the end of February

Tesco customers are advised to check their Clubcard vouchers this month after the supermarket revealed that millions of unused vouchers are set to expire at the end of February.




business and finance

Ski hell taught me not to cut corners on insurance, says LUCY WHITE

When Lucy White broke two vertebrae in a skiing accident in the French Alps, she was relieved to have bought insurance. But two hours after calling the emergency line, she was still being left on hold.




business and finance

New insurance rules could save holidaymakers with pre-existing medical conditions up to 40%

Millions of travellers with pre-existing medical conditions should soon be able to find appropriate cover more easily, according to new rules from the Financial Conduct Authority.