Energy firm Ovo to pay customers to reduce electricity usage during key times November 29, 2022 Ovo confirmed this morning the energy firm has joined a scheme which could see its customers paid to reduce their electricity use at key times. The National Grid Electricity System Operator launched the scheme earlier this month and has engaged in trials with customers. On Monday, it indicated it could trigger the first live run [...]
Rental market boom may be on the horizon as homebuyers struggle November 26, 2022 As the property market continues to stutter, the nation’s rental market is set for a boom, as historic housing market trends show that a decline in property sales also leads to a boost to private rental market stock, a leading City fund manager told City A.M. this weekend. Sales and rental markets during the economic [...]
Saturday Sitdown: ‘Private equity keep everything simple’, says City M&A chief November 26, 2022 It’s no surprise that economic turmoil often drives consolidation. Companies may be struggling to survive and looking to M&A as a way to drive value. Not to mention the current weak pound that makes UK-based businesses, especially those with a global footprint, more attractive to overseas buyers. According to recent ONS data, Q2 this year saw [...]
Hybrid jobs: 248 football pitches of office space has simply vanished November 26, 2022 New research out this morning shows that roughly 1.8m square metres of office floorspace was taken out of use in the UK in the past year. The move, equivalent to 248 football pitches, was largely due to changes in working patterns since the pandemic – with the shift to hybrid working, said law firm Boodle [...]
Kremlin ‘power grab’ in full swing as controversial Wagner Group boss pushes Putin to boot defence chief Shoigu November 22, 2022 An internal coup inside the Kremlin is reportedly in full swing as the chief of the controversial Wagner mercenary group is putting Russian president Putin increasingly under pressure to sack his Defence minister, Sergie Shoigu. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who heads the Wagner Group, also dubbed Putin’s private army which primarily consists of mercenaries, is reportedly increasingly [...]
Revealed: £82bn in rental properties across UK are occupied by fraudsters and criminals November 21, 2022 Almost 280,000 UK rental properties, with a combined market value of £82bn, are thought to be occupied by fraudsters, City A.M. was told today. The rental market has long been a leading target for fraudsters, criminals, and money launderers. Research estimates that 5 per cent of all rental stock is being let to criminals and the [...]
Catering giant Compass sees profits nearly triple after recovery surpasses expectations November 21, 2022 Catering giant Compass has revealed that profits almost tripled over the past year after its recovery surpassed expectations. The world’s largest food services provider said it reported record new business growth as demand for business and sports catering rebounded following the impact of the pandemic. Revenues surged by 42.5 per cent to £25.5 billion for [...]
Harrods sees £15m drop in business rates assessment as retail undergoes dramatic revaluation November 21, 2022 More than half a million retail properties across England and Wales have now been revalued with new rateable values, which will be used to calculate business rates liabilities from 1 April 20023 to 31 March 2026, having been published showing a fall of 10 per ccent overall for the sector. The Valuation Office Agency, an [...]
City’s top legal minds sound alarm over impact of Raab’s Bill of Rights on businesses November 19, 2022 Some of the City’s brightest minds have expressed “considerable concern” about the unintended consequences of the Bill of Rights on businesses. Stephen Denyer, the Law Society’s director of strategic relationships, warned that there is a “widespread feeling amongst businesses that the Bill presents an unnecessary risk and problem”. The Bill of Rights will return to [...]
Exclusive: ‘We’re beyond the point of Pizza Fridays,’ warns City workplace insider November 19, 2022 The City and businesses across the UK have hearing about “digital transformation” for years. But it took the watershed year of 2020 to really highlight just how businesses and organisations need to align technology solutions to their business goals. While the real life test case for digital transformation was playing out in front of our [...]
