2022

British Gas has admitted that millions of smart meter customers have been unable to use the energy giant's app or website to check their gas and electricity usage since February due to a "glitch". The failure has meant people have been unable to track how much they are spending at a time when energy bills have spiked.

Flybe has begun flying again under new ownership. The regional airline relaunched this month after collapsing in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. It will now operate the majority of its flights from Birmingham and Belfast, as well as offering selected routes from London Heathrow.

Former customers of the now defunct travel firm Thomas Cook have been urged to submit refund claims for holidays they lost out on when the company went under in 2019. The Government's Official Receiver - which is administering the winding down of Thomas Cook - set-up a claims portal in November 2021, but it says thousands of eligible holidaymakers still need to submit refund requests.

Cash saved in Christmas savings clubs is to be protected under new laws, the Government has today (19 April) announced. There are also plans to crack down on fake reviews and 'subscription traps', while the competition regulator's powers will be beefed up in a bid to better protect consumers.

Households should beware cold callers asking for their bank account details in order to seemingly pay them the Government's £150 council tax rebate, as it's likely to be a scam. MoneySavingExpert.com has seen a number of reports from councils urging residents to beware of fraudsters, while officials have also cautioned households to watch out.

Over 30,000 247MoneyBox borrowers, who were mis-sold payday loans they couldn't afford, are to receive refunds of some of the interest and fees they were charged by this Friday (15 April). But they'll get back less than 10% of what they are owed.

Student loan interest rates are set to rise for many from September – though the changes are yet to be finalised by the Government. Current students in England and Wales, for example, could see the interest rate they're charged jump from 4.5% to 12%. Many former students with outstanding loans are likely to see rates rise too.

Vodafone's Voxi brand has expanded who is eligible for its discounted mobile tariff to include those claiming disability living allowance (DLA) and personal independent payments (PIP). It means they can now get unlimited data, calls and texts for £10 a month. However, if you don't use a lot of data there are cheaper Sim deals on offer, so make sure you do your research first. 

Sky and its streaming service Now have launched discounted broadband for households on low incomes. However, the packages are only available to existing Sky and Now broadband customers and they aren't the cheapest social tariffs available – so do your research first. 

Millions of households on low incomes are missing out on average savings of almost £150 a year on their broadband bills, according to Ofcom. The industry regulator has called on providers to better advertise discounted deals for those on benefits - see a full list of available tariffs below.