The research, by Sheffield Hallam University, showed that a basket of frozen family groceries cost just £15.45, whereas the same items bought fresh would cost £23.25. By opting for frozen versions of family favourites – such as broccoli, salmon and sausages – families could save almost £8 per supermarket trip.

Saving money with frozen food

Charlotte Harden, a nutrition and science consultant at the university, said: “We compared items from four of the top supermarkets and found that frozen food comes in at much better value per 100g. Many families are feeling the pinch at this time of year and will be looking for cost savings so they can clear post-Christmas debts. A really simple way to make your money go further is to buy frozen food.”

Previous research has indicated that the nutritional value of many frozen foods, such as vegetables, is just as good as fresh ones.

Over the course of a year the savings would amount to £405.60 – enough to fund gym membership for a year or buy an iPad2. Items compared included the most popular family purchases of pizza, broccoli, carrots, garlic bread, whole chicken, prawns, salmon, sausages, spinach and parsnips.

The study included “value”, regular, premium and organic ranges and found that shoppers had the opportunity to swap from fresh to frozen on more than 600 items.

Brian Young, director general of the British Frozen Food Federation, said that not only could frozen products help families save money but it could also reduce food waste. Recent figures from Defra (the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) showed that 17pc of fresh food purchased was thrown in the bin.

telegraph.co.uk

Shopping comparison website Kelkoo predicted a similar increase this year, well above the expected 3.65% rise in total retail sales.

Online shoppers spent an average of just under £1,500 each on 39 items last year, with internet retail trade accounting for 12% of total spending, the highest in Europe, said the report.

Online shopping

Other European countries with high online retail market shares included Germany (9%), Switzerland (8.7%) and Norway (8.1%), while the lowest were in Italy (1.3%) and Poland (3.1%).

Chris Simpson of Kelkoo said: “Over the last five years internet retailing has improved substantially thanks to the use of affordable ‘always-on’ internet connections, simple and secure payment systems and the increasing popularity of mobile devices, combined with the growth of mobile-based retail sites.

“All of these factors should help online retail sales and retail sales via mobile devices to continue to thrive in 2012.

“It’s natural to see consumer appetite for online shopping growing year on year. This is not because people are spending more money but because they are shopping in the most convenient and affordable way for their individual needs.

“Inevitably, this will have an ongoing negative impact on the high street, an issue which is forcing retailers to bring the two channels much closer together.

“It is widely acknowledged that the recession has boosted the appeal of online retailing and UK consumers are more determined than ever to make every penny count.

“We predict that British online retailers will enjoy an average rise in online sales of 14% this year.”

guardian.co.uk

Shelter said that the figure is a 44pc rise since 2008, as people have had to cut back on essentials to cope with the squeeze on their incomes, the charity said.

Grocery Shopping

Just over one in five people surveyed said they had spent less on gas and electricity in the last 12 months to finance their housing payments, a 60% increase on four years ago.

The latest survey could equate to 16 million people cutting back on food spending and 10 million reducing fuel bills to cover their rent or mortgage if the figures were projected nationally, Shelter said.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: “These staggering findings show just how many millions of people are cutting back on essentials as the continued squeeze on incomes starts to really bite.

“It demonstrates the tough choices families are now having to make, between heating their home, putting a decent meal on the table or paying for the roof over their head.

“Every two minutes someone in Britain is at risk of losing their home. We strongly urge anyone struggling to pay their rent or mortgage to seek advice as early as possible.”

Households have been faced with high living costs and deteriorating employment conditions, but the largest drop in inflation in nearly three years was reported earlier this week following high street discounts in the run-up to Christmas.

telegraph.co.uk

It becomes the fifth of the big six energy companies to announce price cuts for either gas or electricity in the past few days.

E.On said it too was responding to a recent dip in wholesale energy prices.

E.On cuts standard electricity prices by 6%

It said its cut would affect 75% of its customers and would amount to a cut of £31 in its customers’ average annual bills.

However, E.On’s chief executive, Dr Tony Cocker, warned that prices were likely to go back up again at some point in the future.

“Reductions over the last few months in the wholesale price that we pay for our customers’ energy have now allowed us to help as many of our customers as possible by cutting our electricity price,” he said.

“Whilst we’re pleased to pass on this recent slight fall in wholesale prices, most experts agree that global energy prices will continue their long-term rise.”

So far, only Scottish Power has failed to cut either its gas or electricity prices.

Of the five big firms that have moved, three have cut their gas charges while two have cut their electricity prices.

Ann Robinson, at price comparison website Uswitch, said: “Suppliers are focusing their cuts on one fuel, while previous hikes hit both gas and electricity.

“The fact is that these cuts will not even come close to wiping out last year’s eye watering price hikes.

“Households can save up to £420 by moving to dual fuel, paying by direct debit and signing up to a competitively priced deal – a far bigger saving than that being offered by suppliers lowering their prices,” she said.

Adam Scorer, from Consumer Focus, urged Scottish Power to fall in line with its other competitors.

“Their customers will also be keen to see if the supplier will buck the trend and makes deeper cuts or reductions across both gas and electricity given wholesale price falls in both,” Mr Scorer said.

“We hope this shows suppliers are waking up to the need for customers to see rapid cuts when wholesale prices are low and that this trend will continue if wholesale costs carry on falling,” he added.

bbc.co.uk

The price cuts will bring relief to cash-strapped consumers, the energy giants say.

British Gas has cut electricity bills for more than five million people with an average five per cent drop in its standard energy tariff. The price cut will take effect immediately, and will snip around £24 from the average bill. The company is not reducing gas prices.

UK energy firms cut prices

SSE, the owner of Southern Electric and Swalec, has cut the price of household gas by 4.5 per cent from 26 March, shaving £28 off the average gas bill for up to 3.5m households. It has also said its commitment to cap household gas and electricity prices will be extended by two months to October 2012, and pledged to look at more cuts if possible. Customers of M&S Energy, which is supplied by SSE, will also benefit from the reductions.

The moves follow EDF’s announcement on Wednesday that it would drop gas prices by 5 per cent – and other operators are set to follow suit.

However, campaign groups say that the cuts are a drop in the ocean compared to the steep energy price rises seen in recent years. For example, British Gas – owned by Centrica – increased gas bills by 18 per cent and electricity by 16 per cent in August.

It wasn’t the only one – all of the “big six” energy suppliers upped their tariffs last winter, and again in summer. SSE increased household gas prices by 18 per cent and electricity by 11 per cent in September.

However, recent reductions in wholesale energy prices have led suppliers to reverse the price rises.

Ian Peters, managing director of British Gas, said: “Household budgets are stretched and we are doing everything we can to help our customers keep their bills down.”

‘Not enough’

But Anne Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch, said the price changes did not go far enough.

“The bottom line for consumers is that these cuts will go nowhere near cancelling out the 21 per cent hike in prices they’ve seen in the last 18 months. We can only hope these reductions are the first and more will follow.”

Mark Todd, director of the independent price comparison service Energyhelpline, added: “We believe there is room for price cuts of up to 10 per cent because of the recent dramatic falls in wholesale prices but clearly the major suppliers do not feel they have the necessary leeway to go much further than 5 per cent.

“This may be because they are worried about their profits but also because they genuinely think that wholesale prices could go back up and that investment in green energies is limiting their room for manoeuvre.”

channel4.com

The consumer champion found that 90% of grievances against power firms were not taken to the energy ombudsman and that tens of thousands of complaints remained unresolved after eight weeks. Which? estimates that homeowners could be losing out on up to £4 million in compensation by not pursuing complaints.

Energy Bill

Forty percent of consumers have had a problem with a gas or electricity company over the past two years. Which? said this is a remarkably high number for an industry where very little should go wrong with the product itself once a customer has signed up.

The majority of complaints from customers were about billing mistakes, inaccurate meter readings and missing bills. Nearly a quarter of those with a gripe failed to take any action, according to the Which? study.

Customers can lodge a complaint with the energy ombudsman for free if their power supplier fails to adequately respond to an issue raised within eight weeks or sends a deadlock letter saying it can do no more. Around 95% of complaints that reach the ombudsman are upheld. Seventy percent of these receive financial compensation.

Which? also published the results of its annual energy company satisfaction survey alongside its research into complaints. All of the “big six” power firms were rated poorly by customers, with npower, EDF Energy and Scottish Power performing the worst. The top spots in the poll were taken by smaller firms such as Good Energy, Utility Warehouse and Ecotricity.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “These findings reveal shockingly high levels of complaints and low levels of customer satisfaction in the energy industry, at a time when domestic bills have gone through the roof. Ofgem, the regulator, should publish the truth about the full level of complaints in this essential service. Energy suppliers should be held publicly accountable, on a regular basis, for putting right the problems their customers are reporting.

“It is a sign of the level of frustration with this industry that so many people have a problem but don’t complain, even when they could be missing out on compensation. It is important that dissatisfied customers complain directly to their supplier first. But if your supplier doesn’t sort the problem out, it’s worth contacting the energy ombudsman. The vast majority of complaints it receives are upheld, with an average compensation payout of £125.”

The Which? research was published on the same day EDF Energy announced a 5% reduction in its prices after Ovo Energy announced a similar move earlier in the week. Industry analysts predict EDF’s decision could result in the rest of the “big six” following suit.

Vincent de Rivaz, EDF’s chief executive, said: “What customers want more than anything else is fair, clear and transparent prices. We know they want action rather than words. That is why we are the first major supplier to announce a cut and were the last to increase prices.”

totallymoney.com

Figures today revealed petrol sales plummeted one billion litres in the first nine months of 2011 – and the AA warned of an even bigger drop in car use this year.

Rising fuel prices forcing drivers off the road

An Express & Star investigation shows how prices have rocketed in 12 months, with diesel up 10p a litre and petrol up 6p since January last year.

But there is little respite on the public transport networks today, as train fares rose by up to 10.6 per cent along with a 10p rise in the cost of bus and tram tickets in the West Midlands.

It was revealed today that sales of petrol at the pumps totalled 13.9 billion litres in the period January-September 2011, compared with 14.9 billion litres in the same period in 2010 and 16.3 billion in the same, pre-recession period in 2008.

According to an AA survey of more than 20,000 members, nearly 40 per cent said they would either drive more economically or drive less often in 2012.

Haulage workers, taxi drivers and driving instructors today told of their fears for the future amid rising costs and falling trade.

But there is also anger from public transport users, who are protesting at train stations across the UK today following huge rises in fares.

Paul Watters of the AA said: “Drivers are clearly being forced into cutting their motoring by the high price of fuel.”

expressandstar.com

In the past six months, the website has seen an increase of 90pc in applications for second job roles, and over the past year applications have nearly tripled, rising by 177pc.

Utility bill

Applicants cited the rising cost of fuel as the reason for taking on extra work. Usman Bashir, from London, joined the website recently looking for a second job to help pay his fuel bills this winter.

“I already have a job but I need to earn extra money in order to pay for my utility bills,” he said. “I am very worried about heating my home this winter. My last bill, which was for the summer, was £300. I shudder to think how high it will be this winter.”

Xenios Thrasyvoulou, the founder of PeoplePerHour.com, said utility companies increasing their prices and profits had caused concern.

“The recent news of energy companies making excessive profits has made people anxious about how they will afford to heat their homes this winter. People remember how cold it was last winter and, combined with rises in the price of electricity and gas, are seriously concerned that they need more money to pay for their fuel bills.

“The British people are already making sacrifices in this age of austerity. Now they are having to undertake two jobs to afford what should be a basic human right – the right to warmth.”

telegraph.co.uk

Concern over personal debt has reached the highest level since insolvency body R3 began making records, it said yesterday as it warned of “zombie debtors”
who are only paying off interest rather than the debt itself.

Payday Loans UK

Payday loan companies have been criticised for charging annual interest rates of up to 4,000 per cent. Frances Coulson, president of R3, said people across all socio-economic groups face a “debt hangover” which is worsening because of rising unemployment and increased spending in the run-up Christmas.

“Many who take out payday loans find them to be a negative experience, often escalating financial troubles.”

MPs and consumer groups have called for a tightening of laws on payday loan firms, although this has raised fears it could push the poorest people toward illegal loan sharks.

Sarah Brooks, director of financial services at Consumer Focus, said: “Much more needs to be done to prevent consumers getting caught in spiralling debt.”

A spokesman for the coalition said it was aware of concerns and that ministers are working with the industry and consumer organisations to ensure people are protected.

Industry group the Consumer Finance Association said firms provide an alternative to bank charges on unauthorised loans and described the 2,000 people sample size in the R3 survey as “not credible”.

cityam.com

The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol is expected to hit £1.54 by 2015 on the back of soaring demand from booming Asian economies, according to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club.

Cutting the cost of fuel bills

That means filling up a 70-litre petrol tank would cost £107.80.

How to keep costs down

Such a rise would no doubt heap more pressure on motorists’ budgets. Indeed, a survey earlier this year highlighted how three in four motorists had already cut back on driving due to the high costs of fuel.

Actually, driving less isn’t the only way motorists can cut their fuel bills. RAC estimates that you can save as much as £100 a year simply by driving more efficiently. Here, we look at the eight most important tips:

• Pump up to cut down: under-inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving, which means engines have to work harder, so more fuel is used (the owner handbook will advise the correct pressure).
• Clutter in boots adds weight and engines must work harder to transport it. Removing it can ease the engine’s workload and therefore the need for fuel. Also remove roof boxes or rails when they’re not in use to reduce the drag.
• Not only does staying at or within the speed limit increase driver safety, it also saves money on fuel.
• Less stopping and starting means less fuel consumption: try to anticipate traffic flow and keep a fair distance to the car in front.
• Don’t over-rev. Modern engines are designed to be efficient from the moment they are switched on, so revving it when you first start your car only wastes fuel and increases engine wear.
• Similarly, idling is wasting fuel: if you’re likely to be at a standstill for more than three minutes, simply switch off the engine.
• Shop around: use a fuel comparison website such as petrolprices.com to find the best-priced fuel in your neighbourhood.
• Don’t waste fuel by going the wrong way – plan your routes before leaving.

uk.msn.com