Latest news with #MartinLewis
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
UK told to prepare for war – Martin Lewis reveals emergency kit essentials
From batteries to wet wipes: 17 items the Government wants to put in your family emergency kit | Amazon This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. As the government urges households to prepare for a potential national emergency, Martin Lewis says stocking up on basic items like torches and tinned food is just common sense. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK government has warned that we must now be on a war footing — and consumer expert Martin Lewis says preparing for power cuts and disruption is just common sense. In a stark new national security strategy, ministers have said that the UK should "actively prepare for the possibility of the UK coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario". The report also warned of rising cyber attacks, biological threats and attacks on critical infrastructure, adding that hostile powers are already trying to stoke division and spread misinformation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The 2025 warning came just weeks after Martin Lewis said he was urging families to stock up on basics that would keep them safe during a power outage or supply chain failure — not out of fear, but because they are sensible precautions. Appearing on This Morning in May after widespread Spanish blackouts, he said: 'A torch and some spare batteries in your house, because we get power cuts for normal reasons – floods and weather incidents.' 'A bit of tinned food, a little bit of water always kept stocked up is useful.' 'A wind-up radio.' 'A power bank to charge your mobile phone – fully charged in your house – because that gives you a torch, a radio, and communication.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With the UK's new national strategy calling for an 'all-of-society effort' to become more secure and resilient, many families are already building up home emergency kits. These aren't about panic – they're about peace of mind, making sure you can cope for a few days without water, electricity or access to shops or services. Here's a basic emergency checklist based on UK government and British Red Cross guidance, with product links to help you source each item: The Red Cross also recommends keeping these items in one place, ideally near your front door or in a grab-and-go bag. For maximum convenience, you can also buy a ready-made 72-hour emergency kit for £241, including food, water, gloves, a first aid kit and torch — ideal to throw in the boot of your car or store at home. The government's wider strategy includes a major investment in border security, shipbuilding and AI development, as well as a new £1bn programme to establish national biosecurity centres across the UK. Ministers say these measures are a response to rising threats from countries like Russia and Iran, and efforts to protect the UK's energy supply and communications networks from disruption. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Martin Lewis was clear that his advice wasn't about stoking fear: 'None of these will ever be needed either. But it isn't unsensible to have those things.' The message is clear: don't panic – but do prepare. ⛱️ How to get airport lounge access from just £11 – without flying business class ✈️ You don't need a premium ticket to enjoy a quieter, more comfortable airport experience. Lounge access is available to all travellers – and you can now pre-book passes from just £11. Holiday Extras offers discounted lounge access at 22 UK airports with complimentary snacks, drinks, Wi-Fi and up to 60% off. 🌍 Flying further afield? Lounge Pass gives you entry to over 800 VIP lounges worldwide – perfect for international or return trips. And for one-off getaways or group travel, this Wowcher lounge voucher is just £2 and gives up to 25% off for you and up to six others. Most lounges include drinks, snacks and flight info screens – a simple travel upgrade that makes early check-ins a lot more enjoyable. 🍷
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why you must take a meter reading on Monday - or risk being overcharged
Households are being urged to submit meter readings before the newly lowered Ofgem price cap comes into force on July 1 2025. Consumers should submit readings before midnight on June 30 to avoid being overcharged, and to ensure that smart meters are working properly. Accurate readings prevent suppliers from estimating usage and applying previously higher prices to energy used after June 30, as Ofgem resets the cap on what suppliers can charge every three months. The latest change from £1,849 to a lower rate of £1,720 on July 1 represents a 7% drop, with average annual bills falling by around £122. Bad news! Ofgem's energy Price Cap that dictates the rate 2/3 homes in Eng, Scot & Wales pay, is now predicted to rise even more than before. I've knocked up this table showing today's new average predictions (from 3 big firms) for the Cap for someone on supposed 'typical use';… — Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 24, 2025 However, this is still £582 more than households were paying before the energy crisis began in autumn 2021. Advice Direct Scotland, a charity which runs the national energy advice service is among charities calling for a 'longer-term solution to the scourge of fuel poverty' with a UK-wide social energy tariff, to support low-income households which would automatically place the most vulnerable people on cheaper deals. It said that anyone unable to submit readings by June 30 should do so as close to the date as possible and advised taking a photo of the meter in case of disputes, and suggested checking for more favourable tariffs. The next price cap update will be announced by Ofgem in August, and many people are still struggling with record levels of debt. More on energy bills Martin Lewis' key Energy Price Cap changes advice Energy Price Cap warning for bill payers this summer The energy 'back billing' rules Martin Lewis wants you to share Conor Forbes, policy director at Advice Direct Scotland, says: 'Lower gas and electricity prices will come as a relief for households, but bills remain significantly higher than they were before the energy crisis began. 'It's important to submit meter readings before the new price cap comes into force, to prevent being overcharged. 'For extra peace of mind, take a dated photo of the meter. If you have a smart meter, make sure it's working. 'People can also take practical action by examining their bills, finding out how much they are paying, and checking if there are cheaper options available with other suppliers. 'Struggling customers should know they do not have to suffer in silence. Our expert team is on hand for anyone who needs help, no matter their circumstances. 'However, a longer-term solution to the scourge of fuel poverty is a UK-wide social energy tariff, which would automatically put vulnerable people on the cheapest deals.' Household energy debt has reached alarming levels, underscoring just how much pressure both consumers and suppliers are under. Overall arrears remain alarmingly high, with 75% of the total debt having no repayment plan in place. The average debt per customer is £1,200, exacerbating an already pressurised market and making it increasingly difficult for both customers and suppliers to manage rising costs. 'Today's figures from Ofgem show that household energy debt has continued to rise, with an increase of £300m in Q1 of 2025, having now grown for ten consecutive quarters," says Matt Turner-Tait, Senior Manager at specialist Energy & Utilities consultancy, BFY Group. "There have been some well-intended attempts by the government and regulatory bodies to relieve the issue – such as the Warm Home Discount becoming accessible to double the number of households previously, or Ofgem's prepayment meter review prompting suppliers to return £18.6m to customers through compensation and debt write offs. "However, these measures don't provide the much-needed long term relief that customers need. "Since the covid crisis, the UK retains the most expensive electricity bills out of 25 other European countries – which highlights the need for urgent, sustainable action at policy level. Suppliers can provide some relief to customers through early engagement, accessible advice, and smarter tools for managing bills - this will help customers retain some financial stability.'
The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Check your meter before Energy Price Cap changes on Monday
Accurate readings prevent suppliers from estimating usage and applying previously higher prices to energy used after June 30, as Ofgem resets the cap on what suppliers can charge every three months. The latest change from £1,849 to a lower rate of £1,720 on July 1 represents a 7% drop, with average annual bills falling by around £122. Bad news! Ofgem's energy Price Cap that dictates the rate 2/3 homes in Eng, Scot & Wales pay, is now predicted to rise even more than before. I've knocked up this table showing today's new average predictions (from 3 big firms) for the Cap for someone on supposed 'typical use';… — Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 24, 2025 However, this is still £582 more than households were paying before the energy crisis began in autumn 2021. Advice Direct Scotland, a charity which runs the national energy advice service is among charities calling for a 'longer-term solution to the scourge of fuel poverty' with a UK-wide social energy tariff, to support low-income households which would automatically place the most vulnerable people on cheaper deals. It said that anyone unable to submit readings by June 30 should do so as close to the date as possible and advised taking a photo of the meter in case of disputes, and suggested checking for more favourable tariffs. The next price cap update will be announced by Ofgem in August, and many people are still struggling with record levels of debt. More on energy bills Conor Forbes, policy director at Advice Direct Scotland, says: 'Lower gas and electricity prices will come as a relief for households, but bills remain significantly higher than they were before the energy crisis began. 'It's important to submit meter readings before the new price cap comes into force, to prevent being overcharged. 'For extra peace of mind, take a dated photo of the meter. If you have a smart meter, make sure it's working. 'People can also take practical action by examining their bills, finding out how much they are paying, and checking if there are cheaper options available with other suppliers. 'Struggling customers should know they do not have to suffer in silence. Our expert team is on hand for anyone who needs help, no matter their circumstances. 'However, a longer-term solution to the scourge of fuel poverty is a UK-wide social energy tariff, which would automatically put vulnerable people on the cheapest deals.' Ofgem latest debt figures signal that the UK's energy affordability crisis is nearing breaking point Household energy debt has reached alarming levels, underscoring just how much pressure both consumers and suppliers are under. Overall arrears remain alarmingly high, with 75% of the total debt having no repayment plan in place. The average debt per customer is £1,200, exacerbating an already pressurised market and making it increasingly difficult for both customers and suppliers to manage rising costs. 'Today's figures from Ofgem show that household energy debt has continued to rise, with an increase of £300m in Q1 of 2025, having now grown for ten consecutive quarters," says Matt Turner-Tait, Senior Manager at specialist Energy & Utilities consultancy, BFY Group. "There have been some well-intended attempts by the government and regulatory bodies to relieve the issue – such as the Warm Home Discount becoming accessible to double the number of households previously, or Ofgem's prepayment meter review prompting suppliers to return £18.6m to customers through compensation and debt write offs. "However, these measures don't provide the much-needed long term relief that customers need. "Since the covid crisis, the UK retains the most expensive electricity bills out of 25 other European countries – which highlights the need for urgent, sustainable action at policy level. Suppliers can provide some relief to customers through early engagement, accessible advice, and smarter tools for managing bills - this will help customers retain some financial stability.'
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Martin Lewis issues credit card warning to Brits abroad
You could be hit with some unexpected extra fees. Martin Lewis has issued an urgent alert to Brits about the use of credit cards while on holiday. The finance expert has drawn attention to the potential hazards of withdrawing cash with this type of card. Figuring out the most cost-effective way to spend money while on holiday can be a challenge. Some countries still largely rely on cash, whereas others are more open to card and mobile payments. And in certain destinations, such as Morocco, it's not possible to get local currency before leaving the UK. Regardless of where you're headed, Martin strongly discourages using your credit card for cash withdrawals. On his website Money Saving Expert, he expanded on his guidance. Martin said: "Withdrawing cash on a credit card abroad?". As reported by GlasgowLive, he highlighted that this habit could have a detrimental effect on your credit score. "It could impact your credit rating," he further explained. "We get this question a lot, as we warn against credit card ATM withdrawals in the UK, as it risks high interest and many lenders see it as a debt-problem indicator." However, infrequent use of this method is generally not an issue. He stated: "Yet if you only do it occasionally abroad on a specialist card, it's not a biggie, just don't overdo it and pay it off in full" He also mentioned that in some countries, using a UK card can be a "bit trickier". This includes: In Japan, you may need special ATMs to use international cards In China, hotels take cards, but elsewhere Alipay is easier In India, some shops and restaurants won't take international cards As well as using credit cards for cash withdrawals he also advised against using them to top up prepayment cards. He clarified: "You'll likely pay fees and interest. "Most credit-card providers count these as a cash transaction - so charge withdrawal fees and interest. It's always better to use a debit card if you can." For those planning a holiday and seeking to exchange currency beforehand, MSE's online travel money comparison tool here can be a handy resource.
New Statesman
15 hours ago
- Business
- New Statesman
Inside the false economy of Rachel Reeves's welfare cuts
Middle England was 'terrified'. This was the word I heard over and over from people on the street outside Biggleswade JobCentre, a low-slung shoebox of municipal green wedged between The Rose and Good Pheasant pubs – windows reflecting Union Jack bunting in a haberdashery opposite. This is a solid slice of commuterville England: war memorial on the green, mock-Tudor curry house, VE Day posters and Pride flyers plastered about. The government's welfare reforms – removing PIP from future claimants other than for the severest cases – will hit the post-industrial north and coastal towns hardest, better-off parts of Britain like this Bedfordshire market town will face an unexpected embarrassment of circumstances – one that ministers don't appear to have foreseen. A quarter of Personal Independence Payment recipients here in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency work – the highest proportion in Britain. Across the country, over half a million PIP claimants are in employment, at 573,620. Under the government's plans, people in their position, who need help to work, will lose their benefit. PIP, I am reminded repeatedly by claimants I speak to, is 'not an out-of-work benefit'. It was designed to help anyone with a disability or chronic illness, whatever their financial situation, to live an independent life. Taking it away, as the welfare bill still intends to, will hinder the ability of disabled people to keep working. Nearly two-thirds of working people receiving PIP would have to reduce or give up work if they lose it, according to a study by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, the charity led by consumer champion Martin Lewis – a man who knows a false economy when he sees one. This is despite ministers' rationale for the cuts: that they will incentivise the rising number of 'economically-inactive' people into work. One Biggleswade resident whose PIP helps with her PTSD found that past welfare reductions pushed her into a 'cycle of losing a job and falling into dire straits', warned her carer. 'This is supposed to be a Labour government. Now they're doing what the Tories did, what's the difference?' She's not alone. I hear from people around the country relying on PIP for transport, personal care, domestic work, energy, food, adjustments to their homes, medical equipment, wheelchair costs – all vital for holding down their jobs. 'I'm preparing for retirement – how do I carry on?' asked Bethany Colburn, 31, a senior systems engineer for the aerospace and defence industry in Dorset, who receives £290 a month of PIP to help with her cerebral palsy. 'If my disability benefit gets taken away, I don't see how I get back up.' Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe From contributing to her cleaner and physio, an adapted bungalow, car and savings for a new wheelchair, PIP is 'a fundamental part of my life' and 'the reason why I am where I am and have achieved what I have'. Crying and shaking, she told me that removing or reducing her support would 'pull the rug out from under me – I'm genuinely terrified'. In Oxford, Jo, a 44-year-old retail store manager with impaired vision and complex post-traumatic stress disorder uses her monthly £500 to pay for her bus fare and taxis to and from her full-time job, specialist glasses every six months, magnifying screens and other equipment. She would have to stop working if she lost her PIP. 'It allows you to live a life. That means you can keep that job up,' she told me. 'I'd be worse off not working, so I'd need to go on Universal Credit' – therefore costing the state more. 'We're not all benefits scroungers. Being disabled is expensive.' Labour MPs have been reading stories like these in their inboxes day after day. They also know from their own local labour markets that the jobs don't exist for this hypothetical new workforce of the disabled and sick. 'There just simply aren't enough vacancies to match up to the government's employment ambitions from these reforms, and that's even starker when we look at disability-confident vacancies,' finds Sam Tims, lead analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation poverty charity. 'These cuts, rather than motivating someone to find work, are going to create additional hardship, and that will push people further away from the labour market.' Perhaps ministers assumed voters were still stuck in the New Labour and coalition era of public revulsion towards benefit 'scroungers'. A time of tabloid demonisation, Benefits Street, and George Osborne's 'strivers versus skivers'. Fairness and graft are indeed rooted deep in the British psyche, but life has changed. Many 'strivers' can only do so with the help of the welfare state: one in six people on PIP and four in ten people on Universal Credit work. Covid meant so many more voters and their friends and relatives – across the class and geographical spectrum – came into contact with the social security system. Welfare is mainstream. In the post-pandemic year of 2021, the proportion of Brits who felt benefits were too low exceeded those who felt they were too high for the first time in 20 years, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey. Today, most voters across parties wanted the government to reverse its decision to cut PIP, found More in Common polling. It offends their sense of fairness that someone who cannot wash below the waist, or cook a meal, would no longer be eligible for disability benefit. In Biggleswade, anger throbs beneath the sunshine and hanging baskets. 'Believe me, I'd be back in work like a shot; I'd swap places with anyone,' said Julia, a care worker injured in a car accident who can no longer use her left leg. She had to leave her job because the care home was unable to make reasonable adjustments for her disability. 'If politicians think you're sat on your arse getting handouts, they're out of touch.' [See also: Welcome to HMO Britain] Related
