UK watchdog bans heat pump adverts over funding small print
The ads were found to be misleading as they failed to include crucial information regarding the eligibility criteria for government funding.
Both Aira's Meta ad and EDF Energy's Google ad prominently mentioned a £7,500 grant without making it clear that the funding was subject to conditions.
The ASA concluded that the omission of this material information was likely to mislead consumers, implying automatic eligibility for the grant.
This decision follows a similar ban last week on an Octopus Energy ad, with the ASA now requiring all future heat pump ads to clearly state grant eligibility and any included government funding.
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Reuters
16 minutes ago
- Reuters
Bank of England's Pill sees risks that could slow pace of rate cuts
LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill said on Friday that inflation pressures were likely to continue weakening, but there was a risk that future rate cuts could be delayed by shifts in longer-term price- and wage-setting behaviour in the economy. "If that's more the driver of this increase in the upside risk to inflation, that might lead us to ... have to question whether the pace at which we're reducing Bank Rate over the last year, a pace of one quarter-point cut every quarter, is that sustainable?," Pill said in an online briefing to businesses. "I think that's kind of where more of the dissenting members focus, the members of the committee who were voting ultimately to hold rates at 4.25% yesterday," he said. The BoE cut its benchmark Bank Rate to 4.0% from 4.25% on Thursday but Pill and three other Monetary Policy Committee members favoured keeping rates on hold due to inflation pressures, resulting in an unexpectedly tight 5-4 vote. The outcome raised the prospect of the BoE slowing its run of rate cuts. Investors are not fully pricing in a next quarter-point reduction before February.
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Citroen blasted for stop-drive safety recall
Citroen and its parent company Stellantis faces mounting pressure and criticism from a consumer group for failing owners of cars embroiled in a nationwide 'stop-drive' safety recall. Some 96,000 UK owners of Citroen C3 and DS3 models produced between 2009 and 2019 were informed at the end of June that their vehicles are unsafe due to faulty airbags that recently caused the death of a driver in France. On 20 June, Stellantis UK issued an urgent stop-drive order for these models, telling owners to park them up until the lethal parts could be replaced - and to seek alternative transport in the meantime. However, having already been without their cars for seven weeks, thousands of motorists are still in the dark about when their vehicles will be fixed and back on the road. With the company only providing courtesy cars to those with the 'most urgent needs', customers being refused or offered limited compensation towards alternative travel costs, and many given false information about the recall process - including having to personally arrange delivery of their cars to dealers for repair - Which? has said it's now time for the Government to get involved to resolve Stellantis' 'chaotic handling' of the situation. It comes just weeks after the we revealed the extraordinary lengths some drivers have gone to so that they can continue to get to work and carry out day-to-day tasks while their cars are deemed unroadworthy. Some have forked out for a cheap second vehicle to run until their Citroen is fixed, while others have resorted to reducing their working hours and even staying with friends who live closer to their jobs. Which? said the 'emotional and financial burden of the recall has fallen squarely on those least able to absorb it' and it's time for the government to 'step in and hold Stellantis to account'. The watchdog has blasted Stellantis' process so far for replacing faulty Takata airbags in cars and offering motorists appropriate compensation. It accused it of providing a 'seemingly deliberate lack of public clarity' over available recompense for customers who are paying through the nose for alternative transport options, including taxis, hire cars, train fares, bus tickets and begging lifts from friends, family and colleagues simply to get to work and back. The manufacturer last month told affected drivers to immediately stop driving their cars due to the risk of airbags rupturing in a collision and potentially firing mental shards and shrapnel into the bodies of drivers and passengers and has causes several deaths worldwide. Owners were urged to contact their dealer - or Stellantis' recall helpline - to arrange a free airbag replacement. However, customer support lines have been clogged-up by the near-100,000 motorists affected by the stop-drive notice, and the Daily Mail has seen evidence of dealers giving misinformation to owners about getting their motors repaired. Which?, like the Daily Mail, has heard from many distressed drivers over recent weeks. It has been contacted by the mum of a premature baby who needs regular hospital visits and a woman caring for her terminally ill husband who needs to get to life-extending hospital appointments but have faced weeks - and possibly months - without transport. Both are incurring significant expenses for hire cars, taxis, or insurance fees. 'These car owners have been given no clear timeline on when – or how – their original cars will be made safe,' Which? said. Owners given dangerous mis-information about recalls When the Daily Mail raised various cases of owners facing significant hardship without access to their cars last month, Stellantis apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured us that all recalled models would be repaired by the end of September at the very latest. However, we have been contacted by owners this week who have told us their cars are not booked in with dealers until October. Most worrying of all is that some customers have told Which? they have continued driving their cars despite the safety risks - and the fact it is illegal to do so. According to information given to the Daily Mail by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), ignoring a stop-drive order or any safety recall could result in legal repercussions. If involved in an accident, drivers could also face prosecution, fine, penalty points or a driving ban. Insurers could also refuse claims on the grounds that drivers are responsible for roadworthiness of their vehicles. Yet several customers have told Which? that they have told by garages to drive their cars to their location to be fixed, despite clear instruction from Stellantis not to do so. Martin Bradley from East Yorkshire told us weeks ago that he had originally been quoted a recall date of January 2026 by Evan Halshaw Citroen in Hull, though this was fast-tracked to 4 August, granted he would need to drive his DS3 to the dealer, they told him. He told us that he had planned to drop the car off at the dealership on 1 August before departing on holiday for a fortnight, but received a call that morning telling him the repair could not be completed because the dealer 'had no parts'. He was also told he could not leave his car there as they had no space. Calling it a 'shambles', he told the Daily Mail: 'I'm going to have to drive the car when I get home from holiday because I have no other means to get to and from work.' Dealers have also instructed some customers to arrange transport of their cars to their garages for repair. Julian Anderson, 70, from Kinross, Scotland, emailed us this week to say that an Arnold Clark dealership has refused to arrange collection of his Citroen C3. Instead, it told the pensioner to source, book, and pay for a vehicle transport agency himself, then reclaim a base fee of £50 plus £1 per mile from Citroen UK. Stellantis vehemently told us that this should not be the case and that all impacted Citroen models should be collected on the back of transporters or truck arranged by dealerships, or that mechanics visit owners' homes to carry out airbag replacements. It also informed the Daily Mail that Peugeot garages are now repairing recalled Citroens to accelerate the process, while the RAC - its official breakdown partner - is providing at-home airbag replacements, too. Stellantis' 'vague promises' - and no compensation With tens of thousands of drivers forced to seek alternative transport arrangements, Which? blasted Stellantis for owners being given 'vague promises or modest travel reimbursements'. Some owners who have been told they are not eligible for any compensation whatsoever, while others have been informed that they can receive remuneration of a maximum £22.50 per day - a figure far below the cost of car hire in most regions. Which? has also condemned the DVSA - which is responsible for overseeing safety recalls in Britain - for failing to provide clear guidance to help impacted drivers. That's despite its own code of conduct stating among other things that it will 'continually aim to raise the profile of and improve information available to consumers to ensure that it provides clear information in the best ways'. While it accepted that a 'stop-drive' recall of this scale is unprecedented, it said the DVSA - as the national regulator - should be doing more to ensure customers are not being left high and dry. Which? is warning that this lack of clarity is 'endangering people', forcing them to either feel they have no option but to drive a potentially dangerous car or going into debt to ensure they can afford to get around. Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at the watchdog, said: 'From people left stranded with no means of transport, to those paying out a fortune to hire cars and taxis, the emotional and financial burden of this recall has fallen squarely on those least able to absorb it. 'Stellantis must urgently confirm it will pay compensation for alternative transport as well as offer practical solutions such as offering at-home repairs or towing affected cars to garages. 'If not, many people will see no alternative but to continue driving cars that are potentially very dangerous. 'The government needs to step in and hold them to account to ensure UK consumers have much greater clarity of what they need to do and what they are entitled to - and are never left in this position again.' The consumer group has called on Stellantis to immediately address its helpline issues, confirm a formal compensation scheme and provide practical solutions including courtesy cars, at-home repairs, or collection options, so that unsafe cars can be fixed without the risk of being driven. It has also written to the DVSA and the Department for Transport (DFT) to outline its concerns and request they step in to provide greater oversight of Stellantis' handling of the situation. A Stellantis spokesperson said: 'The company's focus remains on completing the replacement of airbags in affected vehicles as swiftly as possible. 'Our Citroen network is fully engaged in maximising the number of cars that can be completed every day and, to increase our repair capacity even further and minimise as much as possible the impact on customers, our Peugeot network is now authorised to replace airbags on these cars in addition to at home options. 'For each and every customer, we discuss options to support mobility, recognising that every driver has specific requirements. These options include replacement airbags at a dealership or at home, courtesy car, support for other mobility options and recovery. We give priority to those with the most urgent needs.' A DVSA spokesperson also commented: 'We are working with Citroen to make sure that everyone with these vehicles knows that they can't use this model of car until the necessary repair work has been carried out.' A Department for Transport spokesperson added: 'We understand how frustrating these recalls are for those affected. 'The safety of those drivers and their families remains the Transport Secretary's top priority. She and the Future of Roads Minister are actively engaging with manufacturers and industry leaders to ensure any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.'
BBC News
16 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Everything's on the table'
For Swansea City's new-look hierarchy, the sky is the limit."At this point, everything's on the table," said the club's chief executive officer Tom legend Luka Modric and rap icon Snoop Dogg both became investors in the Championship side in the months that followed the takeover led by American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen last Gorringe says the high-profile duo are already making their mark."The attention is the first part, but what we've seen already, particularly with Snoop in the last two weeks, he's opened a lot of doors, he's provided us with opportunities we wouldn't have had access to before," the CEO explained."I think there's a lot of exciting things in the pipeline." Former Bristol Rovers CEO Gorringe was promoted to the role of chief executive officer just a month after Swansea announced his arrival as chief operating officer in represented another significant change to the club's structure in what has been a period of major overhaul for the side that ended the 2024-25 Championship season in 11th place."We've made a lot of changes in six months," said Gorringe."Luka and Snoop joining the ownership group has been a lot of fun, brought a lot of attention to the club and ultimately opened a lot of doors for us."We've been quite active in the transfer market so far, we've got some more work to do there."We've also made a number of changes internally to try and operate more efficiently and to drive the culture and get everyone pulling in the same direction. So it's been a really busy period."Gorringe confirmed that Snoop Dogg and Modric will both visit Swansea at some stage while his response of "never say never" when asked if more high-profile names will purchase a stake in the Swans in future typifies the club's current vision. Increasing revenue has been among the priorities of the current ownership group - and the arrivals of Birmingham City and Wrexham into the Championship from League One typify why this is the Blues posted a turnover of £29.6m for the year ending June 2024 - with Wrexham announcing a club record turnover of £26.7m for same figures are higher than the £21.5m figure posted by the Championship Swans for the same time is why Gorringe says the club remain open to all possibilities, including potentially emulating the highly-successful Welcome to Wrexham documentary made by the north Wales side's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney."When I was coming into the club and speaking to the owners about their vision and strategy, this [bringing in high-profile investors] was always a part of it," he said."We wanted to build something here that was special and that the city can be proud of."Those names [Modric and Snoop Dogg] were discussed all along so it's been in the pipeline for a while. Luka's really passionate about the project, he's humble and he's been a great asset for us in terms of the football side."Snoop is incredibly passionate and really competitive. He's a huge global star with a huge audience and a massive personality."It's a great opportunity for Swansea as a whole to get behind the club and what we're trying to do here."And on those now spearheading the club, Gorringe commented: "The ownership are extremely ambitious. "They've delivered on every part of that so far. They want us to progress and ultimately want us to improve in every area as quickly as possible."I speak to them every day, they want to help us try and find solutions and they're exactly what you would want from an ownership group." In the build-up to their Championship opener against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST), the Swans have recruited six players for the first Ham United defender Kaelan Casey joined on a season-long loan to follow Zeidane Inoussa, Bobby Wales, Cameron Burgess, Ricardo Santos and Ethan Galbraith in linking up with Alan Sheehan's Gorringe is under no illusions that the Swans must continue to be active over the final stages of the summer window to ensure the squad is capable of coping with the rigours of a 46-game second tier campaign."We got off to a really good start. I think the window generally moves in phases," he said."In that first phase, you have a pool of players that are keen to get in for pre-season and I think we operated really well in that part of the window."The second part is more difficult, there's still four weeks left of the window. The calibre of players we're going after will have options."Nobody has an unlimited budget; we have to operate in a financially sensible way to make sure we can get the right deals that enable us to maximise our playing budget and compete at the best possible level with what we've got."The transfer market this year in the Championship is more competitive than it's ever been."The Swans enjoyed a strong end to what was a turbulent 2024-25 season that saw Luke Williams lose his job in gained 23 points from a possible 36 under then interim boss Sheehan before appointing the Irishman as head coach on a permanent basis prior to the final-day draw with Oxford what is the aim for 2025-26?"I think the main thing is that we need to get better," concluded Gorringe."We've built a really good team on and off the pitch and we have to keep developing and looking to improve in every area."
