Consumer

The Government recommends households gradually build an emergency kit with practical essentials such as a torch, first aid kit, emergency radio and portable power bank.

Explainer What you need in a Government 3-day emergency kit

M&S Sparks customers can earn up to £15 in festive rewards this Christmas by shopping for eligible drinks, flowers and café treats. Photos by Marks and Spencer.

M&S Sparks shoppers can earn £15 in rewards when Christmas shopping

The compact SumUp card reader helps market traders, craft sellers and small businesses accept contactless and card payments without expensive equipment.

7 side hustles to make extra money before Christmas

M&S has introduced its 2026 Christmas sandwich range alongside seasonal snacks and sweet treats.

M&S Christmas sandwiches and there's plenty of festive favourites

The supermarket says it wants to help customers be well prepared for groceries as the festive season approaches

Asda Christmas delivery slots open today – how to book

These are the cheapest places to buy fuel in South Tyneside, according to PetrolPrices.com.

13 cheapest places for fuel as diesel prices remain high

We've listed the top 10 highest-rated items in the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range - and there are definitely some surprises

These are the 10 items Sainsbury's poshest shoppers love the most

Households are being urged to check their broadband bills, as staying on the same deal too long could cost hundreds of pounds a year.

Broadband mistake could cost you £452 a year

These are the cheapest places to buy fuel in South Tyneside, according to PetrolPrices.com.

13 cheapest places for unleaded and diesel as Iran war impacts prices

A shopper carrying red sale bags marked with a bold percentage sign, symbolising seasonal discounts and bargain hunting

Free Top Buys email finds the best UK deals this February

This simple tweak can make rooms feel warmer almost instantly (Photo: Pexels)

Warm your home fast this winter with this easy radiator tweak

The UK is experiencing a major cold snap, causing school closures, power cuts, and hazardous roads (Photo: Richard Ponter)

Cold Weather Payments may be triggered soon - how fast you’ll get cash

Winter Fuel Payments don't legally need to be spent on energy or heating bills (Photo: Pexels)

You don’t have to spend Winter Fuel Payments on energy - smarter uses

Millions in National Lottery prizes go unclaimed each year because winners don’t realise they’ve won

Millions in life-changing National Lottery prizes remain unclaimed

Ofgem has confirmed a surprise 0.2% rise to the energy price cap from January 1, 2026 (Photo: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Your energy bill is going up unexpectedly in January 2026

A customer looks at some goods at an Asda supermarket. The supermarket is selling 24 stores and a distribution depot in a £568m deal to boost finances (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Major UK supermarket chain selling 24 stores in £568m deal
The supermarket is selling off dozens of sites to strengthen its finances 🛒
Alex Nelson

Nando’s is launching 14 new UK restaurants after a strong year of sales and profit growth (Photo: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Iconic chicken chain confirms 14 new restaurants coming soon

Six banks earned a Which? Recommended Provider badge, including Chase, Monzo, and First Direct (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Which? shares the best bank accounts to get the most from your money

The UK faces icy weather this week, with snow possible in northern areas (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

You could be eligible for Cold Weather Payments as UK braces for snow

Popular apps and websites have stopped working amid a technical problem at Cloudflare. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)

Full list of apps and websites affected by Cloudflare outage

Dates for the Coca Cola Christmas truck tour are soon expected to be revealed.

Coca-Cola's iconic Christmas Truck tour returns for a 15th year

A woman walks past a Black Friday sale sign on Oxford Street. Black Friday has stretched into 'Black November', making real bargains harder to spot (Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Many shoppers are skipping Black Friday 2025 for better bargains

DownDetector has recently seen a huge spike in problems with major apps including Twitter and Facebook. (Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)

Major social media app goes down for users

Energy bills are expected to fall by just 1% in January — around £22 a year (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Your energy bill may fall by £22 in January - but rises loom in April

A worker installs a heat pump in a private home in western France. The Government has expanded the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps that heat in winter and cool in summer (Photo: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)

Government widens £2,500 grants to heat pumps that both heat and cool

Freddie Mercury's sister, Kashmira Bulsara, holding the new Royal Mint commemorative coin. The design features Mercury mid-performance, his signature, and details like his Live Aid outfit (Photo: Royal Mint)

Freddie Mercury fans rush for Royal Mint coin tipped to soar in value

A new proposal could cut council tax bills for the majority of households, with some homeowners with bigger or more expensive properties paying more (Photo: Pexels)

Some households could pay double council tax to cut bills for most
A shake-up in council tax could cut bills for the majority while balancing costs fairly 💰
Alex Nelson

Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks at the Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham. The Government is expected to extend the freeze on income tax thresholds until 2030 (Photo: Joe Giddens - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Reeves drops tax hike - millions will pay more even without increase

Popeyes is opening its 100th UK restaurant next week at London Bridge station (Photo: Pexels)

Chicken chain opens 100 UK stores - we're nowhere near ‘peak chicken’

Fraudsters are sending fake texts and emails posing as the Government to steal bank details (Photo: Pexels)

Pensioners targeted with Winter Fuel help scam texts - what to do

Millions in National Lottery prizes go unclaimed each year because winners don’t realise they’ve won (Photo: Getty Images)

Forgotten Lottery tickets could be worth £1m or more – check yours now

Chancellor Rachel Reeves takes journalists' questions after delivering a speech in the media briefing room of 9 Downing Street. Reeves has reportedly ditched plans to raise income tax rates ahead of the November 26 Budget (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Rachel Reeves U-turns on tax rises - but your bill could still go up

Gift Aid is a UK government scheme that lets charities claim back 20% tax on donations

How Gift Aid can make your Children in Need 2025 donation worth more

Morrisons has partnered with SpotlessWater to install 24/7 self-service ultra-pure water stations across the UK (Photos: Getty Images/SpotlessWater)

Major UK supermarket rolls out convenient new 24/7 service - locations

Council tax is a local charge collected by councils to fund essential community services (Photo: Pexels)

How your council tax payments are used by authorities across the UK

Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb has proposed a five-year minimum State Pension guarantee, even if a retiree dies early (Photo: Pexels)

New plan could guarantee 5 years of pension payments - even if you die

Chancellor Rachel Reeves takes journalists' questions after delivering a speech in the media briefing room of 9 Downing Street on November 4, 2025. Reeves has hinted that Labour may break its manifesto pledge not to raise taxes (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Budget 2025: Reeves hints at tax rises - what it means for your money

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers a speech in the media briefing room of 9 Downing Street on November 4, 2025. She has hinted that the two-child benefit cap could be scrapped in the 2025 Budget (Photo: WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Budget 2025: Chancellor Reeves hints at extra support for families

A Royal Mail employee empties a post box in London. Royal Mail has delayed its plans to scrap Saturday second-class letter deliveries until early 2026 (Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Royal Mail gives update on controversial change: what it means for you

Members of the public walk past the Nationwide Building Society in London. Nationwide has pledged to keep all 696 of its branches, including Virgin Money locations, open until at least 2030 (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

High street bank pledges to keep all 696 UK branches open until 2030

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes like Klarna and Clearpay are becoming popular for spreading the cost of Christmas (Photo: Pexels)

7 essential BNPL tips to keep your Christmas spending under control

A fire stick

Full list of 9 areas targeted in latest ‘dodgy firestick’ crackdown

Vinted has infuriated users with a change to sizes

Vinted makes major change - leaving users furious at 'chaos'

People queue at a counter inside a Greggs bakery in central London. The bakery chain has launched a new smaller 'Bitesize' store format for busy locations (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Bakery chain launches new compact stores - more UK locations coming

Tomato Energy has collapsed, affecting around 15,300 households and 8,400 business customers (Photo: Pexels)

British Gas to take on collapsed energy supplier - what to do next

A customer at a Co-Op store. The retailer will open or refurbish 50 stores by Christmas, investing over £200 million in its UK estate (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

UK supermarket to open or refurbish 50 stores by Christmas - full list

Millions of pounds in National Lottery prizes go unclaimed each year as winners don’t realise they’ve won (Photo: Dylan Nolte/EuroMillions)

Check your coat pockets — a £10m Lotto prize still hasn’t been claimed

Ann Summers is rolling out body-worn cameras to staff in 23 stores nationwide (Photos: Getty Images)

Shoppers may be filmed in adult shops as chain rolls out body cameras

Around 830,000 pensioner households missed out on the Winter Fuel Payment last year after it was tied to Pension Credit (Photo: Pexels)

Thousands missed out on £300 heating help last year — do you qualify?

Charity Marie Curie is urging more councils to exempt terminally ill people from paying council tax

Thousands may soon stop paying council tax under new charity campaign

Drivers could soon face a new 'pay-per-mile' tax, with plans reportedly set to be unveiled by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the November 26 Budget (Photos: Pexels/Getty Images)

Drivers could soon pay 3p per mile under Rachel Reeves’ new tax plan

The Bank of England has kept interest rates at 4% for the second time in a row (Photos: Getty Images)

Bank of England holds rates at 4% - what it means for your money

Christmas and New Year bank holidays can shift DWP and HMRC benefit payment dates (Photos: Getty Images/Pexels)

Your guide to early or adjusted benefit payments this Christmas

Tomato Energy has collapsed, affecting around 15,300 households and 8,400 business customers (Photo: Pexels)

15,000 UK homes affected as energy company collapses - what to do next

Fired Earth, a British luxury tile and home interiors chain, is closing all UK showrooms (Photos: Pexels)

Luxury homeware chain to close all UK showrooms, with 133 jobs lost

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