Latest news with #valueForMoney
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Britain's best energy suppliers revealed in industry awards – where does yours rank?
BRITAIN'S best energy provider has been crowned today - and it's not British Gas or EDF. Comparison website Uswitch has named the energy provider that is the best for overall customer satisfaction, customer service and value for money. 1 The awards, which are based on a survey of 15,000 energy customers, also reveal the best overall improvement and best small supplier. Octopus Energy came out on top, winning the Uswitch Energy Awards for Overall Customer Satisfaction and Customer Service. Utility Warehouse was named as the second best provider in both categories, while Utilita was the runner-up. Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy, said: 'Uswitch has recognised that customers are at the heart of everything we do at Octopus. 'It doesn't matter how many awards we win, we're only as good as the service we give. We'll keep working hard to deliver brilliant customer service and fighting to keep prices down.' Octopus Energy was also crowned the joint winner of the award for Value for Money after tying with Utility Warehouse. Customers praised Utility Warehouse for its money-saving bundles, Cashback Card and competitive prices. Rob Harris, COO at Utility Warehouse, said: 'We're really proud to be consistently recognised for our great value and excellent customer service by Uswitch.' British Gas was given the award for Best Overall Improvement for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, 100Green received the award for Best Small Supplier. Will Owen, energy expert at said it has been good to see energy suppliers competing with each other to offer better deals, which has led households to feel they are getting better value for money. He said: 'It's reassuring to see that customers are regaining confidence in their energy providers, with overall satisfaction almost back to the levels we saw before the energy crisis." But he added that it's important to remember that bills are still much more expensive than before the energy crisis, so there is still a lot of work to be done by providers. He said: 'To stay competitive, suppliers must focus on driving prices down for households, which includes competitive pricing as well as expanding offers such as innovative tariffs and rewarding demand flexibility schemes.' The study also found that household satisfaction with the value for money they have get from their energy provider has risen by 10% in the past year. In part, this is because competition between suppliers has led to more deals that are cheaper than the price cap. There are now 24 fixed energy deals available that are cheaper than July's price cap, which is set at £1,720 a year. This is a 12-fold increase on the same time last year. Meanwhile, overall customer satisfaction with energy suppliers is up 5% in the past year to 75%. This is close to the 77% record seen just before the energy crisis. As a result, more than three quarters of customers would recommend their energy provider, which is the highest level in the past five years. In comparison, during the energy crisis in 2023, less than half of customers would have encouraged others to use their energy supplier. Customer service satisfaction is also 10% higher than last year, while satisfaction with suppliers' mobile apps has soared from 35% before the energy crisis to 83% this year. This shows that suppliers are making progress in offering a convenient, digital customer experience, Uswitch said. Save on your energy bill Switching energy providers may sound like a hassle but it's actually pretty straightforward and could save you lots of cash. Use a comparison website such as or Uswitch to see which deals are available to you and how much they cost. The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals, which means you will pay a fixed amount for a set period, which is usually around 12 months. Once you have found a deal that you like, all you need to do is contact your new supplier. It helps if you have your postcode, name of existing supplier, the name of your existing deal, how much you pay and an up to date meter reading to hand. You can usually find this on your bill. It will then speak to your current supplier and will begin the switch. It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply will not be interrupted during this time. What energy bill help is available? There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by. If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter. This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period. If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal. Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000. British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund. EDF, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too. Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill. Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling. Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
Telegraph
05-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
English classes for migrants face the axe under Reform-led council
A Reform-led council could abolish English language classes for immigrants, its leader has said. Linden Kemkaran, the new leader of Kent county council, has launched an investigation into how much the authority is paying for English lessons. And the Reform UK councillor, who is trying to tackle the council's £780 million debt, said the classes were 'going' if they did not provide 'value for money'. She told the Daily T podcast: 'I have asked my cabinet member to find me the figures and show me how much it's costing us, and if I don't think that's value for money for the taxpayer it's going, simple as that.' It comes as part of Reform's push at local government level to root out waste, influenced by the work of Elon Musk's department of government efficiency (Doge) in the US. 'They can use Duolingo' Cllr Kemkaran, whose council is the largest led by Reform, told the podcast that immigrants could use language apps such as Duolingo free. She explained: 'I've just come out of my first informal cabinet meeting five minutes ago, talking to my cabinet member for education and skills. 'She has found out that Kent county council is paying for classes in adult education centres up and down the county that are teaching English as a second language. 'Now I'm saying to my cabinet member, 'Could we look into this? How much is this costing us? Why are we paying to teach people English as a second language? Shouldn't the onus be on the individual if you come to this country?' 'You can use Duolingo on your phone for nothing. You can use apps.' Local authorities in England are allotted Central Government funding from the Department for Education to offer adult education programmes. That budget is used to fund provision for a range of programmes, such as technical qualifications, maths, digital skills and English as a Foreign Language (ESOL) courses. Local authorities can decide how to allocate the cash, subject to statutory requirements. Kent county council could in principle stop funding ESOL provision and direct the money elsewhere. The council cannot choose, however, to use the central Government funding for anything other than adult skills programmes. Some councils put additional money into funding adult education courses, but it is unclear if Kent does so. Asked whether her position was compatible with Reform's push for migrants to speak English to integrate, she said: 'We can absolutely be Reformers cancelling English classes for people who don't speak the lingo, if it's costing KCC a lot of money'. Cllr Kemkaran said she would also be looking into whether the classes could be done remotely to save money. Kent is the first council in England to have a Doge unit set up, and the leader confirmed she had created a Doge position in her council cabinet, as well as a 'deputy Doge' role. A report into opportunity and integration led by Baroness Casey in 2016 recommended that community-based English language provision be improved to bolster social cohesion. In 2020, Robert Jenrick, as communities minister, announced a £5.1 million fund to provide language classes in 30 areas across England, which he said would help immigrants to make a 'positive contribution to the UK'. Funding has also been given in grants from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, now part of the Department for Education, since 2007. The number of students starting funded ESOL courses fell by 36 per cent between 2009-10 and 2016-17, the most up-to-date figures. Government funding from the adult education budget fell more sharply, by 56 per cent in real terms over the same period.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Value of Stormont Executive's office in Beijing questioned
The value for money of the Northern Ireland Executive's office in the Chinese capital has been questioned. The chair of the Assembly's scrutiny committee for the Executive Office suggested it cost around a quarter of a million pounds a year to run the office in Beijing. The Executive also has offices in Washington DC and Brussels. It has had a presence in Beijing since 2014, before then-first minister Arlene Foster opened an Executive bureau in December 2016. Executive Committee chair Paula Bradshaw said she had concerns around its value for money, after the committee heard from the three bureaux during a meeting last month. Executive Office official Brenda Henderson said she appreciated there is frustration around transparency and accounting for what they do. ' One of the things that I want to do is to get that coherency across all three bureaux and with the international relations team in Belfast to make sure that we have a clear narrative, that our communications plans can let you see, and let our ministers see, exactly who we're meeting, what is the outcome of that, what does it mean, the 'so what' question in terms of the Programme For Government,' she told MLAs. 'Work is already under way on that.' Ms Bradshaw followed up by asking at what point would they conclude it is not value for money, and that they could be doing other things with that money. Ms Henderson said there are different ways to measure value for money. 'One of the things that I know that the overseas offices do is that they build relationships, you have to build those relationships before you utilise them, but there are things about companies, investment, increased student places they bring,' she said. 'I think what we need to do is be more absolutely transparent about that and be clear about the metrics, what we can measure and that we stand in front of those.' Permanent Secretary David Malcolm said he can 'see behind the curtain', and knows what the Beijing office is doing, He expressed frustration it was not communicated. He said last month the vice minister for education in China visited Northern Ireland and signed an agreement with the Confucious Institute in Belfast and the Department for the Economy for a £34 million programme over the next 10 years. He also said in Beijing this St Patrick's Day, there were two community organisations led by Chris Hazzard, including young people who had never left Ireland before. 'There is significant work we're doing,' he said. 'We are also talking to the Chinese Consul about a mini conference here later on,' he said. 'The Chinese have agreed to fund three placements in Beijing through the Arts Council to give people the opportunity to break into the Chinese market. There is a tremendous amount we're doing.' He added: 'Not just in Beijing, in Washington, we punch miles above our weight in the representational role we get, and indeed in Brussels.'
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I got hold of Aldi's reformer pilates machine – the straps are comfortable but you need to watch out for a key part
SHOPPERS have been going wild for Aldi's reformer pilates machine, which is £1.75k cheaper than the original version. One lucky person who managed to get hold of one has revealed their 'honest' review after assembling it and doing their first workout. 5 5 Toni Jeffrey uploaded a video captioned 'is it worth the hype' and broke down its features one-by-one. On her @toni_jeffrey account, she gave the machine a solid seven out of 10 and said it was a good reformer machine for someone like her who 'hasn't got a scoobys' but wants to 'improve flexibility.' She said she was 'happy' with her purchase as it has 'all the basic features' and is 'definitely value for money', with the machine setting her back £149.99. Some shoppers who missed out in their store were left fuming to spot the machines being resold for £500 on eBay - and others got in fights to secure one in store. However, Toni was honest about the pros and cons of her new workout device. One of the negatives was that she nearly trapped her fingers three times while adjusting the resistance. She also didn't love the strap length adjusters, calling them 'annoying' as you have to one at a time and one of hers was 'slightly longer than the other.' She was also concerned about the quality of the material, saying she thought 'wear and tears would be visible after a while.' She added: 'The fabric isn't the best (you're getting what you paid for I suppose, it's doing the job.' However, she liked the 'comfortable straps', the fact it was 'easy to assemble' and that the foot bar is 'extremely sturdy.' Shocking moment chaos erupts in Aldi store as shoppers fight over viral £150 Pilates machine She also praised the length for her being 5ft 7, but said if you are really tall you may struggle. Overall, she was happy with her purchase but advised that if you are a serious pilates girl that you save for a better alternative. With the original reformer pilates machine costing £1899.99, it is no wonder that shoppers have raced to buy Aldi's £149.99 version this weekend. Aldi's purse-friendly machine arrived in stores on Sunday and has adaptable resistance levels with five resistance bands and adjustable height settings. 5 5 It has a smooth gliding functionality, and has transport wheels for easy movement, and foldable storage capabilities. Aldi is also selling lots of gym accessories to go with it. Also up for grabs is a pilates pad, a three piece pilates ball set, a pilates ring, and rotation ring, Each of the products are just £5.99 each, and will help with strength, balance, conditioning and coordination. For additional strength training, Aldi's adjustable step deck (£12.99) allows fitness gurus to add in cardio with ease, and even includes resistance handles and a balance board for a full-body workout. As with all Aldi Specialbuys, once they're gone, they're gone, so head to stores quickly if you want to grab them. The 5 best exercises to lose weight By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you? As a PT and fitness journalist, I've tried everything. I've taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates. Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas! The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit. My top five forms of exercise, especially if you're trying to lose weight, are: Walking Running Pilates High-intensity interval training (HIIT) Strength training
Bloomberg
24-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Michelin-Starred Team Embrace Hong Kong's New Frugality With Budget Cafe
Hong Kong's days of excess are in the past. The mainland Chinese shoppers who once shone in gaudy LVMH and Gucci outfits are gone, replaced by backpackers crowd-seeking experiences. Expats who partied on Wyndham Street departed for Singapore, Dubai or London, where they sometimes think of mountain trails and summer junks. Local residents, who protested against the creeping influence of Beijing, now prefer to spend their weekends across the border, where things are cheaper and the service often better. In such a tough market, Hong Kong restaurateurs are increasingly looking to boost business by offering value for money. Servo, a new cafe named after Australian slang for a petrol service station where drivers might pick up a meat pie and a coffee, is emblematic of this welcome trend. The restaurant, which is more like a coffee shop by day and wine bar by night, is the latest venture by the Arcane Collective's Shane Osborn, Michael Smith and Didier Yang. Located in Central's On Lan Street, opposite their one-Michelin-starred restaurant Arcane, Servo is as unobtrusive on the outside as it is muted on the inside. White walls, light wood tables, darkly dressed staff and metallic open kitchen are matched by the arid brown of the paired bottles of HP Sauce and Vegemite jars in a cabinet by the miniscule kitchen. The only non-neutral color is green — the shade favored by the painter Edward Hopper — seen in a tiny painting of a plant, in stacked plastic crates and outside, in an old sign advertising the site's predecessor Uncle Eric's Vintage Wine Bar.
