Latest news with #NatalieHitchins
Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Times
6 essential home appliances to buy: from washing machines to air fryers
Whether you're on the hunt for a new vacuum cleaner or replacing the dishwasher, you're likely to end up poring over online reviews, thumbing through specialist magazines or quizzing your most in-the-know friends and family. And rightly so. Doing your research before making a larger electrical purchase makes total sense — who wants to waste money on things that don't last? Consulting the consumer guide Which? is another go-to. Every year Which? tests more than 3,500 products across 140 categories, stamping 650 of these as its crème de la crème recommendations with a Best Buy or Eco Buy accolade. Now a new category has entered the fray: Just Buy This. This is a single recommendation from the Which? testing team of products that tick all the most important boxes, ie, something that should suit most people most of the time. It's aimed at anyone who doesn't have time to research the products they need to buy (or, hard to believe, just doesn't take any pleasure in reading about different washing machine models) and would rather take an expert's word for it. And there's nothing to stop others from just using the recommendation as a starting point to compare their options. 'Unless you know exactly what you are looking for, researching the best fridge freezer, air fryer or coffee machine can seem like a lot of faff,' says Natalie Hitchins, the head of home products and services at Which?. 'Our Just Buy This recommendation takes the hassle out of finding what you want by putting you in the hands of our experts to narrow it down to one great pick that won't break the bank.' There's one catch: you can only see these recommendations if you are a Which? subscriber. However, Times readers have been given an exclusive sneak peek of six domestic appliances from the Just Buy This list. 1. The washing machine JOSEPH O'BRIEN Bosch Series 4 Which? rating: 79/100 This user-friendly Bosch model makes laundry day feel less like a chore, according to Rebecca Jakeman, Which? senior researcher. 'It may be on the slow side but the washing results — especially on the synthetics cycle — are more than worth waiting for. Unless anyone in your household is an exceptionally messy eater or just can't resist stomping through a muddy puddle, you should find all of the items are spotlessly clean at the end of the cycle. The powerful spin function is great at removing excess water to reduce drying time, too, which is a welcome bonus.' £579, • The best British-made homeware for 2025 2. The fridge freezer LG 60/40 Frost Free Fridge Freezer Which? rating: 76/100 'You might wonder why I wouldn't recommend our top-scoring fridge freezer, but this good all-rounder should suit many people,' says Jakeman, who rates how quietly the South Korean manufacturer's model runs, the accuracy of its thermostat ('it even stays stable in heat') as well as the speed at which food is chilled and frozen. 'It also uses less energy than expected for its size which is handy when we're all feeling the financial squeeze. It's not completely perfect as the veg drawer can dry food out and the fridge is a little hard to clean in places, but these are small gripes and it's still a great Best Buy and Eco Buy choice.' £449 (reduced from £599), 3. The kettle LOGIK L17PKB23 Jug Kettle Which? rating: 78/100 Fran Roberts-Thornton, a senior Which? researcher, picks a pocket-friendly Logik kettle as her Just Buy This option for your kitchen countertop. Though not the quietest of models, it has several positives, says Roberts-Thornton: 'It's quick to boil, has a low minimum fill and is cheaper than many. We tested the black version, but this isn't a Henry Ford situation — it comes in green or blue, too.' £14.99 (reduced from £24.99), • The 9 best kettles for speed, quiet — and good looks 4. The iron Philips 7000 Series Steam Iron Which? rating: 85/100 Ironing is one of Roberts-Thornton's favourite chores so naturally she recommends the highest-scoring steam iron on test, which earns the full five stars for ironing performance, resistance to limescale, cleaning efficiency, soleplate scratch resistance and time to start steaming. 'Three stars for handling, due to a slippery handle — it was the lowest it got in any of our tests. This iron breezes through creases and is durable enough to withstand accidental brushes with zips and buttons,' she adds. £54.99, 5. The air fryer Tower T17102 Vortx Vizion 11 litre Which? rating: 71/100 A dual-zone air fryer that is neither the best nor the cheapest model tested but hits the sweet spot of performance and price, according to Roberts-Thornton. 'As an oven-style model, it comes with two cooking racks, cooking baskets and drip trays. Chicken, chips and baguettes were golden in good time. If you're new to air-frying, ten preset programs make it a doddle to use. Like most dual air fryers, it's bulky and not the most energy efficient, plus it's a bit of a chore to clean.' £110, 6. The coffee pod machine Nescafé Dolce Gusto DeLonghi Piccolo XS Which? rating: 77/100 Pod machines are a smaller and usually cheaper alternative than bean-to-cup machines, which Roberts-Thornton considers best suited to occasional rather than dedicated coffee drinkers as the cost of pods can add up. 'This DeLonghi is a great little model as it's quick, energy efficient and simple to use. Most importantly, it makes tasty espressos and well-balanced cappuccinos.' There are negatives, however: 'You're tied to the Dolce Gusto-compatible range of pods — other brands won't work — but there's plenty of choice, including hot chocolate and tea.' £35 (reduced from £55),
Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
UK's 'worst' broadband confirmed - is your provider top or bottom of the latest list?
The most complained-about broadband suppliers have been revealed, and here are the best and worst. The very latest UK broadband stats are in and we now know the winners and losers when it comes to overall complaints. The new data has just been released by UK regulator Ofcom and it appears that NOW broadband and TalkTalk are coming bottom of the charts with both scoring below the industry average. "The most complained about fixed broadband providers were NOW Broadband and TalkTalk. NOW Broadband saw an increase, and TalkTalk saw a decrease in their complaints per 100,000 subscribers compared to the previous quarter," explained Ofcom Strangely, Sky - which actually owns NOW broadband - came in 2nd place with a score that makes it one of the least complained about suppliers. Getting the top spot was Plusnet, with the BT-owned provider seeing the fewest gripes from its users. Here's the full list of winners and losers FULL BROADBAND RESULTS PLUSNET • 5 complaints per 100,000 SKY • 6 complaints per 100,000 BT • 10 complaints per 100,000 VODAFONE • 11 complaints per 100,000 VIRGIN MEDIA • 11 acomplaints per 100,000 EE • 12 complaints per 100,000 NOW • 13 complaints per 100,000 TALKTALK • 13 complaints per 100,000 Along with checking out broadband complaints, Ofcom has also released figures about Landline, Mobile and Pay-TV gripes. Virgin came bottom of the pile for Pay-TV whilst TalkTalk also performed badly for landlines. Once again, Sky got top marks across the board with the least complaints in categories including Mobile and Pay TV. SKY • 2 complaints per 100,000 TALKTALK • 2 complaints per 100,000 BT/EE • 6 complaints per 100,000 VIRGIN MEDIA • 7 complaints per 100,000 HERE ARE THE FULL MOBILE RESULTS SKY • 1 complaint per 100,000 TESCO • 1 complaint per 100,000 EE • 2 complaints per 100,000 VODAFONE • 2 complaints per 100,000 THREE • 3 complaints per 100,000 O2 • 4 complaints per 100,000 If any of this has made you think it's time to ditch your supplier then it's always good to shop around. "These findings paint a similar picture to Which?'s research showing that the UK's biggest mobile and broadband providers are being outperformed by smaller rivals," said Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services. "Telecoms customers shouldn't have to put up with slow speeds, poor signal or substandard customer service. Our research shows that TV and broadband customers could save £160 per year by switching and the average mobile customer could save £67. "Anyone who is nearing the end of their contract and is unhappy with their current provider should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a different provider with better customer service and a faster connection."
Sky News
16-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News
How to get a better mobile deal - from the £8 rule to best perks
Small mobile network providers have outclassed the big four in a survey of more than 4,000 customers - especially when it comes to value for money. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, all of whom are charging annual price rises, were outshone by the likes of Smarty, Voxi and Talkmobile in customer scores collected by Which?. With that in mind, our Money team joined forces with the consumer champion to produce a guide to getting a good deal - from perks to haggling, roaming charges to annual price hikes. Here Which?'s head of home products and services Natalie Hitchins gives her top tips... Some of the best perks on the market are the data flexibility and data roaming offered by the smaller providers. Several providers offer free EU roaming. iD Mobile and Lebara offer 30GB of roaming, Smarty offers 12GB and Talkmobile and Giffgaff both offer 5GB. At GiffGaff, you can change the data allowance on your 18-month contract as needed - meaning you aren't stuck paying for data you don't need if your circumstances change. Voxi also offers data-free use of social media, video and music streaming apps. Some providers, like Sky and iD Mobile, also allow you to roll over unused data. This means low data users can opt for a cheap deal and still have the security of top-ups from any data that's gone unused the previous month. Don't pay more than £8 a month for sim-only contract The biggest mistake most people make is paying more than £8 a month for a sim-only contract. You can get great rolling sim-only deals with plenty of data from smaller providers - like Smarty, Talkmobile and Voxi - for a fraction of the cost of the big four providers. It's always worth shopping around and checking prices at the smaller providers before you settle on a contract. Another common mistake is paying for more data than you need. Our research has found that although 17% of people are paying for unlimited data, only 13% of consumers use more than 20GB per month. Check the signal Check what the signal is like in your area before you decide on a network - you can do this using the Ofcom website and by checking the website of the provider you're looking to switch to. If you're still unsure or want evidence of which is the best, you can just get a one-month sim-only deal with a network and see how it performs, then try a different one next month. Consider second-hand If you're in the market for a new phone and aren't bothered about having the latest model, don't overlook second-hand websites. Our research shows you can get good savings on a smartphone by looking at the second-hand and refurbished market. Comparison sites or buy direct? Comparison sites can be a really good place to start to get an understanding of what's available and what might be the best deal for you. The most important decision to make before you start shopping around is whether you'd be better off on a bundled contract with a phone, or a sim-only contract where you use your existing phone, or buy one outright. Which? has a mobile contract calculator you can use to decide which type of contract is best for you. Can you haggle? Absolutely! Haggling is expected by providers and is a good opportunity to discuss the elements of your deal and upgrade or downgrade if the package doesn't quite fit your needs. Our latest research found that the average mobile customer saved £61 a year by haggling, but this was bested by an average of £58 for both O2 and Vodafone customers and a startlingly high £101 for EE customers. Mid-contract price hikes Look out for any annual price rises included in the contract. For sim-only contracts with the big four providers - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - customers will see their bill increase by £1 to £1.80 a month from this month and for those on bundled contracts with EE, costs will increase by £4 a month. Most smaller providers do not impose mid-contract price hikes so Which? would recommend choosing one of these over the big four for a cheap, flexible sim-only deal. You should also check what the extra charges are if you use more than your texts, calls or data allowance. Exit fees and contract length Importantly, make sure you know how long a contract lasts - typically it'll be 24 months, 12 or one month. If your contract is longer than one month, check what the exit fees are if you need to get out of the contract early - this helps to ensure you don't encounter any nasty surprises down the road. Choosing a rolling one-month contract will give you flexibility if you want to switch to a different provider. Roaming charges It's also worth looking out for details of any roaming charges when you join as some networks will charge you to send texts, make calls and use data abroad.
