Latest news with #MartinLewis
Rhyl Journal
19 hours ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Amazon announces dates for Prime Day July 8
Usually, Amazon Prime Day runs for 48 hours, but this year, it's expanded to 96-hours, with the retail giants promising more deals and discounts to shop from leading brands. The Prime Day sale will see products across all departments reduced, such as fashion, beauty, garden, home, and entertainment. No, it is neither just a day long, nor just for Amazon Prime members. Amazon's Prime Day sale is eligible for all to shop, but Prime members get more discounts and receive free delivery too. In previous years, this has been Dyson, CeraVe, Ninja, Shark, and Bose, plus lots of Amazon's own brand items. Recommended reading: Amazon launches new Haul service but only for some UK shoppers Martin Lewis: How to stop a banking scam with just three digits What is Amazon Subscribe and Save and is it worth doing? For the rest of June, Amazon is continuing its hygiene poverty campaign, following research showing 20% of UK adults are worried about being able to afford basic hygiene products. The You Buy. We Donate scheme invites shoppers to look out for the 'Buy 2, Donate 1.' link on the product page. Products include brands such as: The donated products then go to a UK Multibank - a clothes, bedding, baby, and hygiene bank, where companies give away goods people need, while local charities and care professionals know the people who need them. There are now six Multibanks across the UK, including in the West Midlands and Manchester, which have distributed more than eight million essential items to support over 600,000 families nationwide. Eugenie Teasley, Amazon UK's Head of Impact, says: 'We know families across the country are facing incredibly tough times, and we want to help. Working closely with The Multibank and other businesses, we've been able to donate over 8 million essential products to more than 600,000 families, but we know there's much more to do.'
South Wales Guardian
21 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
RTS energy meter switch off to be delayed, says Government
The move, which campaign group the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said was 'doomed for failure', was due to take place on June 30. In its place, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said there will be a 'managed and more controlled start' to the RTS phaseout. As a result, they said, those with an affected meter will not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water at the end of the month. The RTS system, used by older electricity meters to control heating and hot water, uses a longwave radio frequency to switch between peak and off-peak rates. The technology is becoming obsolete and energy companies had a deadline to change their customers' meters by June 30. However, firms have admitted that current rates of replacement meant it was likely that thousands of RTS meters would not have been upgraded before the technology is switched off. Energy UK, which represents firms, said 392,000 households still had the meters as of mid April. Industry regulator Ofgem has said the risks associated with not having a functioning meter include heating and hot water left continually on or off, electric storage heaters charging at the wrong time of day, possibly leading to higher bills, and the supplier being unable to confirm electricity usage during peak or off-peak times. Recommended reading: Nearly 3 million more homes to receive £150 energy bill discount next winter Martin Lewis: How to stop a banking scam with just three digits What is Amazon Subscribe and Save and is it worth doing? In a written statement on Wednesday, energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the pace of RTS replacements by industry had been 'too slow', leaving 314,935 RTS meters still in homes as of May 30. She said: 'My department has worked to ensure industry will pursue a more controlled approach to the phaseout, beginning with a very small number of homes and businesses in carefully targeted local areas. During this process, Government and Ofgem will closely monitor supplier readiness to ensure the process is smooth and vulnerable consumers are identified and protected. 'These steps will help ensure suppliers are ready to respond quickly in case of any issues and that working families and the elderly are protected throughout the phaseout process. 'The Government is working closely with industry and Ofgem to ensure this next period is planned effectively and consumers, particularly those who are vulnerable, are protected.' She added: 'Suppliers will continue contacting consumers to book replacement appointments and consumers are urged to respond as soon as possible. 'In most cases, this will involve replacing the RTS meter with a smart meter, which can work in the same way as RTS meters, with automatic peak and off-peak rates, and the ability to turn heating and hot water systems on and off, ensuring minimal disruption to households. 'In advance of any phaseout activity in their area, households and businesses will be contacted by their energy supplier to inform them well ahead of time, if their meters will be affected.' Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, which wrote to Ofgem and the Government to raise concerns about the pace and communication of the meter replacement effort, said: 'The RTS switch-off process was doomed to failure after it became clear that the deadline was simply unachievable. 'Ministers are right to be getting a grip on the situation and holding Ofgem and the energy industry to account. 'We now need to see a plan published that sets out how the gradual switch-off will take place, including which regions will be affected and when. 'Crucially, we also need firm and binding reassurances that no customers will be left without heating or hot water, and that no household will face higher bills as a result of the changes.'
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Amazon announces dates for Prime Day July 8
Usually, Amazon Prime Day runs for 48 hours, but this year, it's expanded to 96-hours, with the retail giants promising more deals and discounts to shop from leading brands. The Prime Day sale will see products across all departments reduced, such as fashion, beauty, garden, home, and entertainment. No, it is neither just a day long, nor just for Amazon Prime members. Amazon's Prime Day sale is eligible for all to shop, but Prime members get more discounts and receive free delivery too. In previous years, this has been Dyson, CeraVe, Ninja, Shark, and Bose, plus lots of Amazon's own brand items. Recommended reading: Amazon launches new Haul service but only for some UK shoppers Martin Lewis: How to stop a banking scam with just three digits What is Amazon Subscribe and Save and is it worth doing? For the rest of June, Amazon is continuing its hygiene poverty campaign, following research showing 20% of UK adults are worried about being able to afford basic hygiene products. The You Buy. We Donate scheme invites shoppers to look out for the 'Buy 2, Donate 1.' link on the product page. Products include brands such as: The donated products then go to a UK Multibank - a clothes, bedding, baby, and hygiene bank, where companies give away goods people need, while local charities and care professionals know the people who need them. There are now six Multibanks across the UK, including in the West Midlands and Manchester, which have distributed more than eight million essential items to support over 600,000 families nationwide. Eugenie Teasley, Amazon UK's Head of Impact, says: 'We know families across the country are facing incredibly tough times, and we want to help. Working closely with The Multibank and other businesses, we've been able to donate over 8 million essential products to more than 600,000 families, but we know there's much more to do.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Amazon announces dates for Prime Day July 8
Usually, Amazon Prime Day runs for 48 hours, but this year, it's expanded to 96-hours, with the retail giants promising more deals and discounts to shop from leading brands. The Prime Day sale will see products across all departments reduced, such as fashion, beauty, garden, home, and entertainment. No, it is neither just a day long, nor just for Amazon Prime members. Amazon's Prime Day sale is eligible for all to shop, but Prime members get more discounts and receive free delivery too. In previous years, this has been Dyson, CeraVe, Ninja, Shark, and Bose, plus lots of Amazon's own brand items. Recommended reading: Amazon launches new Haul service but only for some UK shoppers Martin Lewis: How to stop a banking scam with just three digits What is Amazon Subscribe and Save and is it worth doing? For the rest of June, Amazon is continuing its hygiene poverty campaign, following research showing 20% of UK adults are worried about being able to afford basic hygiene products. The You Buy. We Donate scheme invites shoppers to look out for the 'Buy 2, Donate 1.' link on the product page. Products include brands such as: The donated products then go to a UK Multibank - a clothes, bedding, baby, and hygiene bank, where companies give away goods people need, while local charities and care professionals know the people who need them. There are now six Multibanks across the UK, including in the West Midlands and Manchester, which have distributed more than eight million essential items to support over 600,000 families nationwide. Eugenie Teasley, Amazon UK's Head of Impact, says: 'We know families across the country are facing incredibly tough times, and we want to help. Working closely with The Multibank and other businesses, we've been able to donate over 8 million essential products to more than 600,000 families, but we know there's much more to do.'
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Energy Price Cap warning as price set to increase in October
This follows a similar rise in April, and a cut to come in July, but will still come as a blow to customers, who face increasing bill prices and rising food costs. Martin Lewis says: "The latest predictions from Eon, British Gas & EDF have just come out. All are up on a week ago when it was predicted Oct would stay roughly the same as now (we're now 1/3 of the way through the Oct Cap assessment period). "Much of this is on the back of the rise in energy wholesale prices due to the conflict in the Middle East. Current predictions range - Up 1.6%-2.8% Oct - Up c.1% on top of that in Jan - Up c.3% on top of that next April Though the further out you go the more crystal ball gazing it is." Not great news. The Energy Price Cap now predicted to RISE about 2% or 3% in October. The latest predictions from Eon, British Gas & EDF have just come out. All are up on a week ago when it was predicted Oct would stay roughly the same as now (we're now 1/3 of the way through… — Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 17, 2025 What is the energy price cap? The term is quite confusing and it's important to note it's not the maximum price you will pay - it's an average. If you use more, you will pay more. The cap was introduced on January 1 2019 by regulator Ofgem, with the aim of preventing the millions of households on expensive variable tariffs from being ripped off. But it only limits what you pay for each unit of gas and electricity that you use. It's based roughly on wholesale energy prices (those that firms pay) and applies only to providers' standard and default tariffs, which the vast majority of households are now on. Recommended reading: Warm Home Discount There is some better news for those on very low incomes this winter, with an expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount to 2.7m more low income households winter 2025/26. Martin Lewis added: "It'll be done by getting rid of the 'high energy cost' criteria for those on means tested benefits like Universal Credit (which helps working people and non working on low incomes). "That's good as it's a terribly implemented system which left many, literally, unfairly out in the cold."
