Latest news with #householdbills
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Yorkshire Water boss paid 'extra' £1.3 million from firm's offshore parent company despite 'dire' environmental record and hikes to bills
A water company boss was handed more than £1.3 million in 'extra' pay from an offshore firm, despite its abysmal record on pollution and increasing household bills. Chief executive Nicola Shaw pocketed two payments of £660,000 in the last two years from Yorkshire Water's parent company Kelda Holdings, in addition to her salary with the beleaguered utilities firm. Yorkshire Water was allowed to raise average annual household bills by 41 per cent last year, and this summer introduced a hosepipe ban for its 5.5 million customers. It was ordered to pay £40 million in the spring to address its 'serious failures' over wastewater and sewage, and was also separately fined nearly £1 million last month for polluting a watercourse with chlorine, causing the death of hundreds of fish. Yorkshire Water is one of the six water companies currently banned from paying bonuses under Government action designed to prevent bosses who 'oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes' from receiving extra money. But figures showed Ms Shaw received just over £1.3 million between 2023 and 2025 from Kelda, in addition to her Yorkshire Water salary of around £689,000 per year - remuneration which was reduced by about one-third after she decided to forgo her bonus before the Government performance-related pay ban came in. The Kelda money is 'a fixed fee for investor-related work' performed by Ms Shaw for the parent company 'and complies fully with expectations and reporting requirements', Yorkshire Water said. Including the offshore company payments, she has been awarded more than £3 million in total pay over three years since she joined the firm in 2022, according to analysis first reported by the Guardian. Ofwat, the water regulator, is now investigating. Ms Shaw's earnings have infuriated environmental campaign groups. Amy Fairman, head of campaigns for River Action, said: 'Yorkshire Water has just been fined over £900,000 for polluting a watercourse with millions of litres of chlorinated water, killing hundreds of fish, yet its CEO is quietly handed an extra £1.3 million through an offshore firm. 'This is business as usual in a system that rewards environmental destruction and shields those responsible. 'Until executives are held criminally accountable, not just cushioned by shareholders, nothing will change. 'And unless we see a complete overhaul of the water industry, one that finally ends the failed privatisation experiment, this scandalous cycle will continue.' The Ilkley Clean River Group has now written to Kelda chairman Vanda Murray, asking her to justify Ms Shaw's pay given Yorkshire Water's dismal record under her watch. The campaigners wrote: 'To the customer, the additional payments to Ms Shaw look like a way of "working around" the fact that bonuses were causing public outrage and subsequently banned by government. 'There is in effect no change to eye-watering salaries at the top of Yorkshire Water.' A Yorkshire Water spokesman said Ms Shaw's work for Kelda Group included 'investor engagement, financial oversight, and management of the Kelda Group, which is recognised by a fee of £660,000 paid by shareholders'. He added: 'This is a conscious governance decision: we do not believe that work done on investor-related activities should be paid for by Yorkshire Water customers' bills. 'This fee, which has remained unchanged year on year, reflects the critical importance of the work during this period that was led by Nicola in securing long-term investment for Yorkshire Water. 'We remain focused on our long-term commitment to delivering better outcomes for customers, communities, and the environment across the region.' It was reported tonight that Ofwat's chief executive David Black is due to resign, ahead of the watchdog's planned abolition by ministers.
The Sun
01-08-2025
- Business
- The Sun
On Universal Credit? How you can save £100s on your household bills this summer
YOU can save thousands of pounds on your household bills this summer if you're on Universal Credit. The benefit is paid out monthly to people who are struggling with day-to-day living costs - but it also entitles claimants to extra help. 1 If you're wanting to save, here are the things you should know about… Cheaper broadband - save £190 a year Some broadband providers offer cheaper tariffs for people on benefits. For example, Virgin Media Essentials has a tariff for £12.50 a month - a huge £137.88 cheaper per year versus a regular Virgin package. BT Home Essentials costs £15 per month for fibre and calls. According to Uswitch, the average broadband bill in the UK is £26.39/month – and switching to the cheapest social tariff could save you £196.68 per year. You should be able to get a social tariff if you're on Universal Credit Pension Credit or equivalent benefits. Council tax reduction - save up to £2,280 If you're on Universal Credit you can apply for a reduction to your council tax bill - and you might not even have to pay at all. Every local authority sets its own rules but many help out low-income households by reducing council tax bills significantly. In Manchester, households on Universal Credit can get up to 100% off their council tax. Meanwhile Bristol offers up to 90% for most working-age households on benefits. The average Band D council tax in England for 2025-26 is now £2,280 - so if you don't have to pay council tax, that's an indicator of how much you could save. Am I entitled to Universal Credit? According to the GOV website, if you're on a low income or need help with your living costs, then you could be entitled to Universal Credit. To claim, you must live in the UK, be aged 18 or over (with some exceptions if you're 15 to 17), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments. Other circumstances are if you are out of work, or unable to work, for example because of a health condition. Water bill help - save hundreds Water companies also offer social tariffs or capped rates for those on Universal Credit and similar benefits. The schemes vary by supplier and the amount you can save will also depend on your usage. But there is the potential to save hundreds of pounds this way. For example, Affinity Water caps bills at £119.50/year for eligible households. United Utilities offers up to 50% off for households with high usage or medical needs. The average water bill in England and Wales is roughly £603 per year, according to Discover Water - so again that gives you an idea of how much you could save. Energy grants - save up to £1,500 Several energy suppliers offer grants to help customers on low incomes clear energy debts or cover bills. British Gas has an Energy Trust offering grants of up to £1,500 even if you're not a British Gas customer. You can apply online at Next Energy Fund provides help with white goods and bill support. These grants don't need to be repaid but you'll usually need to show proof of income, provide meter readings and explain your situation. Household Support Fund – save up to £500 The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that the Government has allocated to council across England. It's aimed at helping out families in need, but the payouts and eligibility vary by each council. Some offer food vouchers or help with energy bills, while others give out cash grants. Brent Council offers up to £500 for struggling families, while Doncaster pays between £100 and £300 to families on Universal Credit. Ribble Valley gives food vouchers worth £200 to £500 to households earning under £35,000. You'll need to check your local authority's website to find out what it offers and whether you could be eligible. The easiest way is to Google your council name plus "Household Support Fund". Cheaper phone bills - save hundreds You can also get social tariffs with your mobile phone provider. These 'social' or 'essential' tariffs offer the same service as regular packages but at a significantly lower price. They typically come with no long-term contracts, a guarantee of no mid-contract price hikes, and two of the three providers even include free roaming in Europe. O2's Essential Plan costs just £10 a month and gives you 10GB of data with unlimited calls and texts. Meanwhile, SMARTY's Social Tariff provides unlimited data, calls, and texts for £12 a month.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Respite for Brits as energy price cap drops 7% from TODAY with the typical duel fuel bill dipping £129 to £1,720
Struggling Brits are being boosted today as the energy price cap falls by 7 per cent. The typical household bill for those who have still not signed up to a fixed tariff will drop by £129 to £1,720 per year. That is £660 - or 28 per cent - lower than at the height of the energy crisis at the start of 2023, when the government implemented the energy price guarantee. However, the level is still £152 higher than the same period last year. Ofgem 's cap sets the limit on how much firms can charge customers per unit of energy. It is reviewed every three months. But it does not constrain total bills because the costs for households still depends on the amount they consume. While around 35 per cent of domestic customers are now signed up to a fixed deal that they have actively sought out – and which is not governed by the price cap – approximately 22million households in England, Wales, and Scotland are still on the energy price cap. Those households were being urged to read their meter by the end of the month to avoid being charged the higher pre-July 1 rate on estimated bills. Ofgem has also reminded households that they do not have to pay the price cap, saying 'there are better deals out there'. The fall in energy costs will come as a relief for households, who suffered through an 'awful April' of bill rises, including Ofgem's last 6.4% price cap increase. Under-pressure households have also been hit with the biggest increase to water bills since at least February 1988, alongside steep rises across bills for council tax, mobile and broadband tariffs, as well as road tax.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
'Disrespectful' woman blasted for charging her mother for a simple household task
A woman has received backlash after revealing that she charged her mother £40 to help set up her household bills. Laura Shahu, believed to be from the UK, has 29,000 followers on Instagram where she often posts videos about tips and tricks she's learnt on how to save cash over the years. The mother-of-two recently shared a clip in which she revealed that her mother needed assistance with setting up her household bills and wanted to get her advice on the best rate possible. Laura said: 'Am I greedy for charging my mum £40 for setting up her own bank account for her? I know what you're thinking - what kind of person charges their own mother to help them manage their bills? Well I kind of did and kind of didn't - let me explain.' She said her mother was 'not very tech savvy' and wasn't 'confident' in finding the best value for money when it came to sorting out her bills. She said the pair 'came to an agreement' that led to Laura helping her mother to find the cheapest bills - if she gave her the £40 cashback she earned as a 'thank you'. But some social media users called her a 'joker' and said that she should be willing to help her mother out for free. The content creator explained: 'In return, if I get that deal through a cashback website for her, she would give me the cashback that she otherwise would not have got if she had done it herself. 'In essence, she gets the best rate for her household bills without having to do the work to find it and if the best deal happens to be on a cashback website, I get the cashback that my mum would have otherwise gotten if she had done the work herself. 'We see it as a win-win because she gets confidence in knowing that she is getting the best rate for her bills but doesn't have to spend any time trying to search for it and I get the little bit of cashback to say thank you.' Laura asked for people's opinions on whether they would ask their parents for money in return for helping them with admin tasks. One person wrote: 'That's madness. £40 is hardly anything, your mum birthed you, you joker. Just help her.' Another penned: 'No, no, no this is so wrong after all your mum has done for you. 'Now is the time you should be helping her and showing her how to do things. If she wants to treat you for your kindness that is up to her.' A third said: 'I personally wouldn't, I'd help her and show her and let her keep the £40.' A fourth commented: 'I think this is wrong, I help my mother as much as I can, I would never want anything in return. 'To me, it feels somewhat sad how money-focused you are. Losing values such as respect for elders, family importance and giving back to the parent(s) who raised us. 'Who provided for us for decades. If you feel this is fair and justified - I wonder what morals you have in terms of finances.' But others agreed with Laura and said that she was very fair in asking her mother for the £40 cashback. One said: 'The admin I do for my mum-in-law- I should claim a salary! I just take the hugs.' Another penned: 'No, you are not, this is essentially a referral fee and you are the one referring her. This is no different to you going to a broker and they take the referral fee. 'She doesn't have to go with your choice, but if she does, you earned that cashback, if it's a large amount you may want to split it, but if you are both happy with the deal, nothing wrong with it. 'She's getting the best rate and you get compensation for your time and effort without it costing your mum anything.'
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Experts give dire warning as annoying housing bill is set to soar this summer
Power bills are rising faster than grocery prices — and experts say it's only going to get worse this summer. Electricity costs jumped 4.5 percent last year — more than double the 2.2 percent rise in grocery prices — and energy analysts warn the surge isn't stopping anytime soon. A mix of soaring natural gas prices, massive utility investments, and a boom in data centers is fueling the spike. And with summer here, the Energy Information Administration predicts Americans will pay about 4 percent more for electricity this season compared to last. Natural gas deliveries to power plants alone are expected to cost 50 percent more through September than they did during the same stretch last year. 'The more we export gas, the more domestic prices will begin to reflect international ones,' Hugh Wynne of Sector & Sovereign Research told the Wall Street Journal.. The average US household is expected to pay $784 in electricity costs between June and September, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association — a 4.2 percent increase from summer 2023. The roots of this crisis trace back to the 2022 energy shock following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While prices briefly cooled, utilities have since raised rates to help cover storm-proofing efforts and wildfire prevention — investments made more expensive by rising labor and materials costs. Homebuyers had already been concerned over fears of an economic downturn before the Energy Information Administration concluded that electricity prices will outplace inflation through next year. Utility rises have also taken its toll on thousands of people like Adam Moore, an Indiana resident who was one of over 2,300 who protested CenterPoint Energy's plans to rise rates. This increased bills by around $5 a month, which the company insisted was needed to cover investments for various things like grid improvements and new solar plants. Meanwhile, data centers are driving a new wave of demand. PJM Interconnection — the nation's largest electric grid operator — expects $9.3 billion in additional costs to be passed on to customers as more data hubs come online. Pennsylvania utility regulators suggested residents consider searching for lower retail rates or conserve energy, since rates are set to rise 5% to 16% at most of its utilities. Even clean energy policy is under pressure. A rollback of tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act could push electricity costs even higher. Bottom line: with inflation-weary Americans already struggling, experts say power bills will likely keep climbing for at least the next 12 to 18 months. 'On both fronts, there's little reason to believe that ratepayers will see easing pressure on their pocketbooks,' said Akshat Kasliwal of PA Consulting Group.
