Ministers consider broadband for all

According to recent reports government ministers are now looking into broadband for all home amidst concerns over the disadvantages suffered by unconnected homes. Many officials have been expressing concern over the educational and other disadvantages that are being suffered by households where there is no broadband connection, and as a result of these concerns ministers are now said to be looking at the prospect of connecting all homes to broadband. Read more

Tags: Many officials, facility, broadband, BT Group, amidst

Two building societies to merge

It has recently been revealed that two building societies, the Yorkshire and the Barnsley Building Societies, are to merge, with the larger Yorkshire building Society agreeing to the merger with its smaller rival in a form of rescue bid. This is one of a number of recent mergers and takeovers in the world of banking in the UK. The smaller building society, Barnsley, approached its rival with a view to a merger after losing a possible £10 million in the Icelandic bank collapse. Read more

Tags: official, Yorkshire Building Society, exposure, end, nothing, building society, december

Is HSBC favouring its richer customers?

A recent report has suggested that High Street bank, HSBC, is giving more favourable treatment to its better off customers with its Internet arm First Direct than to its poorer HSBC customers. Officials claim that the customers of First Direct, who tend to be better off due to changes that were made by the bank a couple of years ago, are getting a far better deal than customers with its parent company, HSBC. Read more

Tags: cheque, surprise, monthly paper statement, rate cut, better deal, hsbc

Government takes steps to help homeowners

The government has recently taken steps to try and help homeowners by changing court protocols in order to make it more difficult for lenders to take court action without taking other steps first in cases where homeowners have fallen behind with mortgage repayments.

It is hoped that this will help to reduce repossession levels, and lenders will be expected to follow guidelines and take a number of other steps before taking court action. The lenders will need to demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps if the case does end up in the courts. Read more

Tags: Council, case, value, mortgage help, housing minister, government help, climate, number

Estimated energy bills can be inaccurate

Officials from a new consumer watchdog group have expressed concern that many consumers are receiving estimated energy bills that mean somewhere along the line they will end up paying more for their energy usage than they need to, netting the energy films more profit and leaving the consumer even more out of pocket. Read more

Tags: higher rate, oil, industry groups, meter, energy bills, response, Energy economics, Physics

Recent revelations from energy satisfaction survey

The big six energy firms in the UK have faced controversy for quite some time, with problems relating to customers service and billing, inaccurate prices, and of course in relation to the huge price hikes enforced, with two rounds of price increases having taken effect over the space of this year. Many households are facing fuel poverty, with officials claiming that since the start of this year gas bills have increased by over 50% and electricity bills by close to 30%. Read more

Tags: petrol, satisfaction tables, Consumer Focus, energy, satisfaction, energy prices, research, oil

Frightened banks pull mortgage deals

Recent figures have shown that since the start of October hundreds of mortgage deals have been pulled off the shelves by lenders who are becoming increasingly nervous in the current difficult financial market. Over the past year thousands of mortgage products have been taken off the shelves as lenders have become more and more concerned about lending money out. Read more

Tags: mortgage deals, market, shop around, consumers, Frightened

Government stick up for councils over Iceland cash

Following the collapse of Icelandic banks earlier this month it was revealed that over one hundred councils across the country had lost millions of pounds, which they had invested in the Icelandic banks, which then went bust. There was outrage amongst consumers, who wanted to know why the council had been putting money into these banks, and the government was unable to provide any guarantee that the councils would receive back their money. Read more

Tags: case basis, work, Local government in England, Politics, iceland banks, honour, right, compensation scheme guarantees

Did Darling know about the Icelandic bank collapse?

Earlier this month UK consumers were shocked after the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanki left many fearing for the savings that they had placed in UK branches of the bank. Many had been persuaded to put their cash in Icelandic accounts such as Icesave over the past couple of years due to the high rates of interest that were being offered. In fact Icesave spent a considerable amount of time at the top of the best buy tables because of the interest rates offered. Read more

Tags: official, iceland banks, Icelandic financial crisis, darling, deal, banks, uk

Why aren’t the energy firms reducing gas and electricity bills?

Over the past year the UK’s energy giants have increased gas and electricity bills twice, leaving many consumers paying a fortune for their energy usage and resulting in an increased level of fuel poverty amongst UK households. Many are concerned that energy companies are very quick to increase energy prices when oil prices and wholesale energy prices rise but when prices fall they are slow to pass on any price cuts. Read more

Tags: UK's energy giants, whilst, cut, environment, energy prices, energy suppliers

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