Four in 10 were struggling to pay energy bills even before prices went up
In addition, close to a third of people said they were struggling to service their mortgage or pay their rent, with 3pc saying they were already falling…
Owning a car is now £500 more expensive
Insurance premiums rose at the beginning of the year when the Financial Conduct Authority, the City watchdog, banned the so-called “loyalty penalty”, preventing insurers from offering cheaper…
Desperate people are calling energy firms for help – but there’s no one on the other end
Scottish Power’s helpline, which used to open between 8am and 8pm, is now only available between 8.30am and 7pm. However, Keith Anderson, the firm’s chief executive, told…
Cold callers using energy crisis to peddle new scam
Scammers have exploited the energy crisis and targeted the elderly and vulnerable in a resurgence of loft insulation cold-calling which has robbed households of thousands of pounds….
‘You’re going to need a Ouija board to speak to Dad’: finance firms fail grieving families
Demands for an email from a deceased person, a mishmash of requests for paperwork and a sense that “we were the first people ever” to report a…
Higher childcare spending piles more misery on to families
Families had to spend an extra 26pc on childcare last month as parents returned to the office, further squeezing finances and worsening the cost of living crisis. …
‘I lied on my CV for a job at an investment bank’
The dates don’t add up The interview process can be nerve-wracking enough, without the added stress of trying to keep a fictitious timeline straight in your head. …
Don’t ‘cut the green crap’ – there’s a better way to lower energy bills
In 2013, then-prime minister David Cameron declared that the Government should “cut the green crap”. That decision, of ending subsidies and cutting energy efficiency funding, now costs…
How to wipe out the £700 energy bill increase with a £242 investment
The average household is now paying nearly £700 more for gas and electricity this year after the energy price cap climbed to £1,971. Traditionally, the quickest way…
Rising prices and long delays: is it still worth spending big on a Tesla?
Drivers keen to buy a Tesla face huge delays and higher prices to get their hands on a car, after the company said it would not be…
How much is your degree worth? The worst value qualifications revealed
A university education used to be a one-way ticket to a better-paying career, but for many graduates this is no longer the case. Graduates still earn more…
Getting a first at university is worth it – but not if you study English
Students graduating university with a first class degree earn £7,900 a year more than those with a lower second class grade within five years of finishing the…
‘I was absolutely quaking’: how to ask your boss for a pay rise – and get it
It’s one of the most difficult conversations to have – which may be why asking your boss for a pay rise is something more than half of…
Five blunders caused by civil servants working from home
4. Passport delays have forced holidaymakers to abandon trips Holidaymakers have had to cancel trips abroad because of delays in the processing of passport applications. Anyone who…
Pet owners hit with £180 charge every time they take their dogs to Europe
Pet owners face paying hundreds of pounds when they travel with their dogs and cats to holiday homes abroad because of post-Brexit red tape. The European Union…
Put British clocks on French time to save on energy bills
Critics counter farmers in Scotland would be forced to work in darkness for much of the morning and that less light would be dangerous for school children…
How much the cost of living crisis has added to your bills
Sarah Coles of Hargreaves Lansdown, the investment firm, said: “Unfortunately, because houses all had to be valued at the same time, there may have been an element…
Arts venues including Royal Albert Hall ban cash while boasting of ‘inclusivity’
Some of Britain’s best-loved artistic institutions, including the Royal Albert Hall, are still refusing to accept cash to “improve safety and hygiene” despite all Covid restrictions now…
Chocolate eggs, lamb, even hot cross buns: how Easter is costing us more this year
Experts warned that rises would only worsen, Sarah Coles of brokers Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “These price rises aren’t over yet. “The conflict in Ukraine has pushed up…
‘My 26-year-old son had to move back home to get by – now I give him pocket money’
Catherine Crane, 53, from Cardiff, said her 26-year-old son and his wife have been living with her and her husband for 18 months. Mrs Crane said the…
Solar panels will make your house more valuable – but only by half as much as they cost
Installing solar panels on a property can add more than £3,000 to its value, but the devices still cost more than double that figure to purchase and…
The Government has set an eco trap for homeowners – and it’s going to cost us £330bn
It’s the £330bn question that will affect every homeowner and buyer – but it is being ignored by the Government. For more than a year, ministers have…
Do you love or hate electric cars? Share your thoughts
Electric cars are the future, we are told. They are certainly greener than cars with combustion engines – but on top of much higher price tags, drivers…
‘I’m getting rid of my Audi to cut my bills’
The worst cost of living crisis in a generation is forcing families to take drastic action after nearly all household bills climbed in recent months. The biggest…
Savers could lose £230 a month to inflation – use our calculator to see how you’re affected
Further pain is likely for cash savers as inflation is forecast to rise even higher. Research group Pantheon Macroeconomics expects inflation to hit 8.8pc shortly, driven by…