More homes were sold in the UK in July than in any other month this year, official figures show, but agents say buyers are showing more caution. Cost-of-living pressures were leading some to negotiate harder for a lower price, agents said. A total of 110,970 properties were sold in the UK during the month – […]
Workers at Chiltern Railways, Northern Trains and Transpennine Express say they will walk out in a dispute over pay but no dates have been set. A series of large-scale rail strikes have already happened this summer, causing disruption for millions. “Strikes are always the last resort, but you can see from the votes and turnout […]
The Isle of Man’s government has agreed to freeze electricity prices until March 2023 to shield residents and businesses from a sharp increase in bills this winter. The intervention announced on Wednesday will mean local customers are likely to pay some of the lowest electricity prices across the British Isles over the coming months. Residents […]
Food and drink industry bodies have sounded the alarm over potential carbon dioxide shortages, after one of the UK’s largest suppliers of the gas said surging energy costs were forcing it to pause production. The US firm CF Industries said soaring natural gas prices meant it would have to “temporarily halt” activity at its remaining […]
British households were on average £160 worse off in July than a year earlier, according to research by the supermarket Asda, as it said it would do more to help shoppers being squeezed by soaring food and energy costs. Asda bosses said they would keep “grocery bills in check” and do all they could to […]
Households in Great Britain face a leap in energy bills from October after the regulator raised the maximum that suppliers can charge to £3,549 a year. In a blow for hard-pressed consumers already struggling with soaring inflation, Ofgem approved the £1,578 increase on the current price cap of £1,971 for the average dual-fuel tariff – […]
Six per cent of businesses were affected by industrial action last month as disputes over pay, jobs and working conditions led to worker protests. Of businesses affected by strikes, nearly a third said their workforces had not been able to perform their roles as a result, while another 20 per cent said staff had been […]
Asda is to remove “best before” dates from almost 250 fresh fruit and vegetable products as it joins a movement among supermarkets to help customers cut waste and save money. The supermarket will leave the notes off produce including citrus fruits, potatoes, cauliflowers and carrots across all its UK stores from 1 September. It follows […]
Four days of postal strikes that begin tomorrow are set to deliver a £100 million blow to Royal Mail’s finances. The company is in deadlock with the Communication Workers Union in a dispute over pay and modernisation. About 115,000 Royal Mail workers plan 24-hour industrial actions tomorrow, on Wednesday next week and on September 8 […]
A regular energy industry exercise aimed at preparing the UK for the possibility of a gas supply emergency has been scaled up despite the government downplaying the threat of shortages this winter. The annual drill will see potential scenarios – including rationing electricity – simulated over four days, rather than the usual two, as energy […]