Business

Elliott Wood has something you’re probably going to want. Like most of us, every month he gets a bill for his monthly energy use. Only his bill… is free. Image: Elliott Wood He’s living in a new breed of “zero bills” homes, which comes with solar panels, heat pumps and batteries. Together, that technology generates…

Next is closing in on a deal to add Russell & Bromley (R&B) to its stable of brands as another prominent retail name prepares to disappear from the high street. Sky News has learnt that the fashion chain and its bidding partner, the stock clearance specialist Retail Realisation, could strike a deal to buy R&B…

The Valuation Office Agency says it’s expecting an increase in the number of people challenging their council tax band in the coming months. This is because council tax bills for the new financial year usually land on doorsteps in March, setting out the annual charge and the monthly payments expected. Many households are expecting an…

If you’ve ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like. This week we chat to plumber and gas engineer Leah Carney. Apprentice plumbers typically earn… between £18-19k, but this goes…

More than 5.6 million people overpaid tax in the 2023/24 financial year, new figures from HMRC reveal. In total, taxpayers overpaid £3.5bn in income tax, with experts blaming tax code issuing errors and complicated rules. Tax codes are issued by HMRC and are used by employers or pension providers to work out how much income…

The government will this week unveil plans for a radical overhaul of the way mergers are scrutinised in Britain including reforms that observers say will entrench the power of the competition regulator’s boss. Sky News has learnt that the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is to announce the abolition of the Competition and Markets…

The private equity firm which owns a controlling stake in Asda is closing in on a £275m deal to buy a division of the listed cybersecurity company NCC Group. Sky News has learnt that TDR Capital is in late-stage talks to buy Escode, which has been the subject of acquisition talks since last summer. Banking…

South East Water (SEW) is being investigated by regulator Ofwat after repeated outages since November have left tens of thousands of households and businesses across Kent and Sussex without drinking water. In an update on Thursday, the firm said around 8,500 addresses were still without water. With some properties entering a sixth day without water,…

The UK economy recorded growth of 0.3% in November, according to official figures, showing an improvement for output at a time when households and businesses were anxiously awaiting details of the budget. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported an improvement for industrial production on the previous month amid the phased restart of manufacturing at…

Water is finally being restored to some homes across Kent and Sussex – after almost a week of chaos. Some 6,500 homes will have their taps running again after a gruelling six days of disruption – which has prompted fury towards provider South East Water (SEW). The firm blames the outage – which has affected…