Business

A company has admitted it supplied water that was unfit for human consumption after a parasitic outbreak in Devon. During a hearing at Exeter Magistrates’ Court, South West Water Ltd pleaded guilty to an offence under s70(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991 to supplying water unfit for human consumption. Some people were treated in…

Some water companies are instructing bailiffs as they try to recover customers’ debt more than 6,000 times in a single year, new data reveals. The information gathered by a committee of MPs has not been freely available before and reveals huge variations in water companies’ use of the tactic. Wessex Water have not been using…

For years, geopolitical analysts warned us that among the scariest of all scenarios for the world economy was the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Well, now, in practice, that is precisely what has happened. Shipping through this narrow channel, the gateway to the Persian Gulf, has dwindled to close to zero. The worst nightmare…

With increasing improvements in technology, our homes – and the appliances that fill them – are becoming smarter and smarter. Once analogue ovens and fridges are now more interconnected, with TVs, speakers, heating, lighting and home personal assistants all connected to Wi-Fi and run by phone apps. While this offers greater personal convenience, it opens…

UK average diesel costs have hit a 16-month high, less than a week after war gripped the Middle East and sent oil costs rocketing. Global energy prices have been the main financial market focus since Tehran launched attacks against Gulf nations in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes on its country, disrupting production and deliveries of…

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/money-live-tips-personal-finance-consumer-sky-news-latest-13040934?postid=11199735#liveblog-body'>£8bn private dentistry industry to be investigated after 'significant' price hikes</a>

South East Water has been fined £22m for repeated supply failures, watchdog Ofwat has said. The fine relates to the water company’s supply interruptions in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023, which affected more than 286,000 people. It is also under investigation for outages over the last four months. Ofwat said the fine “reflects…

Donald Trump’s offer of US-backed insurance and naval escorts for shipping travelling through the Strait of Hormuz has not prevented maritime premiums soaring as underwriters scramble to reassess the risks to oil, gas and cargo vessels. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to shipping following the US attack on Iran, on Tuesday the president…

On the first Wednesday of every month, we interview top chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks, views on the industry and more. This month, we speak to last year’s Great British Menu finalist Jean Delport, of the Michelin-starred Interlude in West Sussex. I don’t think people realise just how much…

The UK’s economic forecast has been downgraded for 2026 but will then improve – and unemployment will peak this year, the chancellor has revealed. Giving her spring statement in the House of Commons, Rachel Reeves said gross domestic product (GDP) will now grow “slightly slower in 2026” than forecast at November’s autumn budget, but will…