Major energy suppliers hand out £1,000s in compensation over energy meter scandal
MAJOR energy suppliers will hand out £1000,'s in compensation.
Tens of thousands of customers are set to receive thousands and see debts written off in response to the scandal over the force fitting of prepayment meters.
It follows a review by the energy regulator Ofgem.
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The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jonathan Reynolds mocks Nigel Farage's coal mines plan as an ‘absolute parody'
Jonathan Reynolds has mocked Nigel Farage for wanting to reopen the coal mines in Wales, dubbing him an 'absolute parody'. The business secretary, whose grandfather was a coal miner, admitted that Reform UK are Labour's biggest opponents – but said Mr Farage fails to understand 'the pride in where we're from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future'. Speaking at a media lunch in Parliament, Mr Reynolds also defended the UK's plan for closer trade ties with the US, saying: 'We might have different views but we have to engage with them'. His comments come after Mr Farage announced his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces and 're-industrialise Wales'. On a visit to South Wales, the leader of Reform UK said the resumption of traditional steelmaking and coal production is the party's long-term ambition if it comes to power. The speech came one year ahead of the Senedd elections in May next year, where the party is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination. But Mr Reynolds shot down the plan, telling reporters: 'When I see someone like Nigel Farage go to Wales and say to those people, 'I'm going to reopen the coal mines' and he thinks that's what working class people want - that is an absolute parody of what someone like Nigel Farage thinks that people like I grew up actually want.' He added: 'My grandfather was a coal miner, kind of much like everyone where I grew up… It was a position of real responsibility and family pride. 'He went down the mine fourteen years ago. He had one message for my dad, and that was 'don't go down the mine'. And he became a fireman. 'That's the bit that our opponents don't understand: the pride in where we're from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future.' Acknowledging that Reform is currently Labour's biggest opponent, he said the challenge facing the government is to persuade voters that 'mainstream politics can deliver for them'. Turning to the US trade deal, Mr Reynolds said the UK was able to negotiate one before other countries because Britain has made an effort to understand America's mindset. 'This is not US politics disrupting global trade. This is how global trade has disrupted US politics', he said. 'We might have different views but we have to engage with them.' The business secretary also recounted one phone call with his US counterpart Howard Lutnick, where he said he was worried he was 'going to sell the NHS' because of poor phone signal. 'The Woodhead Pass between South Yorkshire and Manchester is probably the only place in Britain with worse mobile phone reception than working in Parliament…. 'Howard starts talking, but because of the reception, every fifth or sixth word is genuinely cutting out of signal. 'I'm literally slightly worried I'm going to sell the f***ing NHS because of Britain's telecommunications infrastructure. I didn't. And I'm pleased to say we were the first country to get a deal.' The deal, announced last month by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, will see British tariffs on steel and automotive exports to the US slashed in exchange for greater access to the UK for some American goods. But the deal has still not been implemented, with both Washington and London yet to take the necessary steps to reduce tariffs. Mr Reynolds said the UK is 'ready to go' on implementing it's the deal, but is waiting for the White House to finalise it on their side. The business secretary added he was 'very hopeful' that the agreement would come into effect 'very soon', but acknowledged negotiations had not 'always been easy'. A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Labour are continuing to deindustrialise our towns and communities across the country. They don't blink when we lose thousands of well paid jobs in these crucial industries. 'Labour simply don't understand working people. Reform will continue to call for the re-industrialisation of Britain and with it, bring back thousands of well paid jobs.'
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Swinney 'deeply concerned' over Alexander Dennis job cuts
The first minister has said the Scottish government will do "everything it can" to support workers at bus manufacturer Alexander Swinney said he was "deeply concerned" the firm was planning to move its full operation to a site in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, putting 400 jobs at factories in Falkirk and Larbert at he faced criticism from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who claimed his government had ordered more buses from China than it had from the said most bus ordering decisions in Scotland were made by private operators, and the government had to comply with state subsidy rules in the way it supported businesses. At First Minister's Questions Swinney said: "This issue has been occupying a great deal of the focus and the attention of the deputy first minister and I and the UK government ministers since we became aware of the situation over the last few weeks, and then ultimately to the decision that was announced yesterday."He quoted a joint letter from the UK and Scottish governments, which pledged to "work closely with Alexander Dennis at this challenging time". Alexander Dennis (ADL) cited strong competition from the China, which has seen its market share grow from 10% to 35%, among its reasons for the firm also criticised UK policy, and called for jobs and local economic benefit to be factored in when taxpayers money is invested. Earlier Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham pointed to an order of 160 ADL buses for the publicly-owned "Bee Network" in the city, and questioned why the Scottish government could not do the same. In a statement, Burnham - who has previously visited the Falkirk site - said: "Our iconic Bee Network buses are a bit of Scotland right here in Greater Manchester."We have over 160 Alexander Dennis buses criss-crossing our city-region every day - connecting our communities to opportunity."If Greater Manchester can invest in world-class Scottish bus manufacturing, then why can't the SNP Scottish government?"Sarwar claimed the Scottish government had secured just 44 buses from ADL as part of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) scheme last fund was initially established in 2022 to "disrupt the bus and coach market" and allow operators the chance to make the move to zero-emission vehicles. Sarwar said that number was "five times" less than the number of buses ordered by Greater that figure only covered the second phase of the first phase, in which 276 buses were procured at a cost of about £62m, saw 137 buses ordered from additional 116 buses were ordered from Chinese manufacturer Yutong, while the rest were built in the UK, Ireland and predecessor, known as the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, also saw 207 electric buses ordered from ADL by operators between September 2020 and March 2021. Swinney said state aid regulations - in the form of the UK-wide Subsidy Control Act - prevented the government from directly procuring from a single Scotland, most public service buses are procured by private operators, who then run them on routes across the said: "What I am doing, what the deputy first minister is doing, is how can we find a way in which we can remain legally compliant with the Subsidy Control Act and enable these obstacles to be overcome?"We are going to do everything we can to find a way through the Subsidy Control Act provision, so the government can continue to work within the law, and so we can support manufacturing in Scotland."
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a Vinted expert and I've worked out exactly when to sell clothes to make the most money
A Vinted seller has shared her number one tip for quickly and efficiently selling your pre-loved clothes. UK-based mother and Vinted enthusiast Rachael, who goes by @RachShops on TikTok, sells second-hand clothing on the online marketplace. If her daughter's clothes no longer fit her, for example, she takes to the app and makes a profit from them, instead of leaving good quality clothes hanging in the wardrobe. But she says the key to selling fast on Vinted is timing - specifically which part of the month you list your items. In fact, Rachel explains, listing items towards the end of the month when most people are getting paid could mean they get snapped up more quickly - as it's 'prime selling time'. In a TikTok video posted towards the end of the month, Rachael said: 'This is my most popular Vinted selling tip - the plan is part of a strategy.' Holding up a tub of spring and summer clothes, Rachael said she planned to list them all on Vinted that evening. 'The bigger picture of me doing this tonight is because it's the 27th, it's near the end of the month and most people are getting paid. 'Believe me, this is prime selling time, so I always make sure I list around these days at the end of each month.' Rachael said that, as most people get paid around that time, they have the cash to spend. 'And they will be spending it on Vinted as well,' she said. The avid seller also offered some other timing tricks that she swears by for best results on the app. Rachael advised to make sure that clothes are being sold seasonally in order to maximise sales, for example when listing items during the spring and summer. 'Always think about that when you're listing stuff,' Rachael continued. 'Just make sure it's relative to the time of year and what people are actually looking to buy.' Rachael said that having suitable mailing bags already on hand saves both time and money, and prevents you from rushing at the last minute. 'The thing I would highly recommend you do if you are a Vinted seller is have mailing bags ready before you list anything so you're organised and prepared. Rachael says it all comes down to timing - and listing your items at the end of the month lines up with most people's paydays 'You should have mailing bags to start with - it saves the stress, first of all, of knowing what to package it up in. 'Second of all, you can post it really quickly, helping towards your positive feedback and good reviews.' And Rachael urged sellers to post their items quickly, for the simple reason that you'll 'get your money' faster as a result. Bu the successful seller is not the first to share her useful hacks for making the most of the app. Another secondhand online clothes seller who has made thousands of pounds on Vinted previously revealed her top tips for sales success. Maisie, who is from Yorkshire, searches cat boot sales, charity shops and online pre-loved websites for cheaply-priced garments with a high resale value. Although it started off as a side hustle, Maisie made reselling her full time career last year after earning £18,000 from flogging clothes. Now, she has helped others by telling them how they too can make a wage from the app - and according to her, it's very simple. Maisie said: 'I absolutely love buying on Vinted to resell on Vinted. It's so easy and it just goes to show the difference that a good quality picture with good lighting and a good background can honestly make.' She says that you should always list similar clothes sizes at the same time on Vinted, as people may browse your page and find other items that they like, resulting in more sales. 'They're more likely to get their money's worth by buying a bundle from you so it will boost your sales and your profit at the same time,' Maisie added. 'You're only having to ship out one parcel and the buyer is only having to pay one lot of postage and fees.'
