Cutting your energy bills is simpler than you think October 21, 2012 INCREASED strain is being put on household budgets after four of the “big six” energy providers announced plans to hike their prices in the upcoming months. Two weeks ago, British Gas said it plans to raise gas and electricity prices by an average of 6 per cent. A few hours later, Npower announced that its [...]
Indifference will leave you out of pocket October 21, 2012 THE Citizens Advice Bureau found that, in spite of widespread concern among homeowners over energy bills, a pitiful 25 per cent took action to see whether their supplier was providing them with the best deal. That is why the founder of MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis has said that “there is a massive fine for apathy. If [...]
Making Mr Nice: Don’t cry all the way to the bank October 21, 2012 THE girl was clearly nervous as her job interview got underway. I asked her why Australia had such a high inflation rate and I was incredulous at her answer: “I believe it is mostly ‘imported inflation’”. I pulled a face. “Imported inflation? How could that be possible when our biggest trading partner, Japan, has a [...]
Entrepreneurs like Yu can let a thousand flowers bloom October 21, 2012 CAPITALISM is often defended on the basis that it’s the least bad system, that it’s the system that allocates scarce resources in the most efficient way. It’s little wonder that so many young people dabble with the more emotionally appealing – but catastrophic – ideas of Marx. Defenders of capitalism need a better sales pitch: [...]
Bosideng London founder Mr Gao is a man with a plan October 21, 2012 THE LAST time you walked on South Molton Street you would have gone past The Hog in the Pound, a not especially enticing-looking pub that sat at the top of the famous road where it meets with Oxford Street. Walk there today and it looks completely different. Let’s just say it’s had an upgrade; £25m [...]
Breathtaking beauty in Ecuador’s own paradise October 21, 2012 QUITO always seemed to me to be more of a stopover on the way to Ecuador’s Andean heights, Amazon forest, and the Galapagos, than a destination. Not so. This 9,000 ft high city, smack dab on the equator, has a spectacular setting of its own, surrounded by three glistening, glacier-topped volcanoes: Cotapaxi, Cayambe, and Antisana. [...]
Moyes unhappy with refereeing after Pienaar’s harsh red card October 21, 2012 QPR 1 vs EVERTON 1 EVERTON manager David Moyes criticised the decision of referee Jon Moss to send off Steven Pienaar after his side fought back from a goal down to earn a draw at troubled Queens Park Rangers. The home side failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage to secure their first Premier League [...]
Football must crack down on yob behaviour October 21, 2012 LISTENING to Radio Five Live’s 606 programme on Saturday evening was to realise that – on a footballing weekend that was dominated by the Kick It Out campaign and who did and who didn’t wear the right t-shirt – the game has still to confront a much more insidious problem. Put simply, there are elements [...]
Frankel hailed priceless as he heads to stud October 21, 2012 RETIRING racehorse Frankel was hailed as the best ever seen yesterday, after winning his final race before being sent to stud. The four-year old colt stormed to a 14th straight victory during the Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, later drawing praise from the man who will be crucial to Frankel’s new career as [...]
Pardew: Fab Coloccini reminds me of World Cup legend Moore October 21, 2012 SUNDERLAND 1 vs NEWCASTLE 1 NEWCASTLE boss Alan Pardew compared his centre back Fabricio Coloccini to the late Bobby Moore yesterday, after his team held onto a one-goal lead at Sunderland for over an hour before succumbing to a late equaliser. The Magpies went ahead in the third minute through Yohan Cabaye but lost Cheick [...]