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Embattled water supplier promises to invest up to £3bn more over the next five yearsBusiness live – latest updatesThames Water could raise bills to as much as £627 a year to pay to fix its leaky network, after promising to invest up to £3bn more over the next five years.The embattled water supplier said on Monday that it had updated its spending plans for...

Chain says it has experienced operational disruption after hackers gained access to its IT systemsOne of the UK’s largest vet groups has told regulators about a possible breach of personal information after it was hit by a cyber-attack.CVS Group said hackers had gained unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. The company continued to have problems with slow-running systems on...

Rates for phone, broadband and water will increase from Monday and other rises are in the pipelineConsumers are braced for huge rises in their household bills on everything from water to broadband, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.Despite inflation easing, Monday will see the cost of a host of bills and taxes increasing, adding further pressure to household finances more than...

Supermarket chain ‘working hard’ to resolve problem that leaves it unable to fulfil most of Saturday ordersSainsbury’s has said it has experienced technical issues and is unable to fulfil the “vast majority” of its online grocery deliveries.In a post on X, the supermarket chain said: “We’re experiencing technical issues affecting some stores, our groceries online service and our ability to contact customers. Unfortunately, we...

Food Standards Agency advises consumers with dairy and fish allergies to check labels carefullyPeople with dairy and fish allergies are being advised not to buy vegan products without checking the label carefully as they may contain animal products due to cross-contamination.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign to make consumers aware of the dangers after research released by the regulatory body showed...

In London, Tube and bus fares are being frozen and prices reduced during rush hour and on FridaysRail fares in England and Wales will rise by 4.9% on Sunday, adding hundreds of pounds to annual travel costs for many commuters.Campaigners said passengers would be “rightly angry” at the latest increase, above the current inflation rate of 4%, despite the government arguing that it had...

Price Promise tariff gives discount on current cap and guarantees to be at least £1 per fuel under April oneBritish Gas has launched a fixed-rate gas and electricity deal that offers a 12% saving over most existing price-capped tariffs, adding a new choice to the hard-to-navigate home energy market.For the past two winters, consumers have largely been spared having to seek out the cheapest...

Annual letter from Teachers’ Pensions, which administers scheme for DfE, asks about new relationshipsPartners of retired teachers who have died are repeatedly being asked to confirm whether they are in a new relationship, in a process described as “humiliating and intrusive” by teaching unions.Those who fail to reply promptly face losing their dependant’s pension. Continue reading...

Payments halted four times and left Eileen McGrath without income over ChristmasA retired teacher has had her pension payments stopped four times because her pension provider repeatedly refuses to accept that she is not dead.Eileen McGrath, 85, was left without income over Christmas when Teachers’ Pensions, which administers payments on behalf of the UK government, wrongly matched her with a deceased stranger. Continue reading...

Claim comes amid state and federal inquiries into Australian grocery sector and what producers say is a widening gap between wholesale and shelf pricesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastFarming groups have accused the major supermarkets of using their power to distort the market, leading to elevated prices for shoppers and low prices for producers.The claim comes amid...

Clare Buchanan left empty-handed after a MacBook Air from Amazon went missing in ‘known scam’A grieving mother was left distraught by Amazon after a laptop bought to plan her child’s funeral disappeared in an alleged scam – despite the website claiming to protect the purchase with a one-time password.Clare Buchanan ordered the £800 MacBook Air the day after the death of her 11-year-old son...

Consumers buy more items – including plenty of parsnips and sprouts – to beat last year’s spend by 7%UK shoppers spent £13.7bn on groceries in the run-up to Christmas – 7% more than a year before – as they sought out bargains and switched to discounters to try to offset price inflation.The number of items bought rose by 2% in December as prices climbed...