Utilities

Mobile phone customers will be given clearer information about how much of their monthly payment goes towards paying off their handset, as part of a package of new measures announced today by the telecoms regulator aimed at protecting those who are overpaying. Ofcom has unveiled three initiatives to help tackle unfair mobile phone pricing: Mobile contracts will give a clearer breakdown of costs. Customers choosing a bundled contract – which includes a handset and a usage allowance – will be told what the cost would be if both parts were bought separately. Ofcom says it wants to introduce these new rules "as quickly as possible" but hasn't set a firm date.  Ofcom's also proposing a ban on firms linking 'split' contracts where the handset contract is longer than 24 months. A split contract is where consumers have separate contracts for their handset and airtime – Ofcom wants to stop longer split contracts being linked because it makes it harder for customers to switch providers if they have to pay off their handset before they can switch. This is just a proposal though and there's no set implementation date.  Five mobile firms have also agreed to cut costs for out-of-contract customers from February 2020. These companies, including EE, O2 and Vodafone, have made various specific commitments to reduce bills for customers once their minimum contract term is up – see more details below. For full help on how to cut mobile costs, see Cheap Mobile Tips and Best Sim-only Deals.

New supplier Green has launched the cheapest energy deal in 10 months. 

ITV and the BBC have announced that their new 'BritBox' streaming service will be launched later this year, costing £5.99 a month. 

Consumers will see their water bills cut by an average of £50 over the next five years, under plans unveiled by the water regulator today.

Some Bulb energy customers are reporting that their smart meter displays have randomly switched to Welsh – even though they're not in Wales.

Customers of mobile network Giffgaff say they've been left unable to top up their phones this morning due to issues with the company's website and app.

Pensioners will not face a deadline of June 2020 to reclaim TV licence fees they've accidentally paid, the BBC has confirmed.

E.on is now providing all of its residential customers across Britain with 100% renewable electricity as standard from today. 

Water firms have been forced to review their communications and in one case even cancel a mass mail-out after a backlash from angry customers, MoneySavingExpert.com can reveal.

Pay-monthly EE customers will have to pay more for calls and texts not included in their plans from August, as the mobile giant has announced it's hiking out-of-bundle prices.