Business

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…

Rolls-Royce Holdings is to hand its chief executive a multimillion-pound annual pay boost, even as he nears one of Britain’s most lucrative ever public company payouts after overseeing a spectacular revival of the industrial manufacturing group. Sky News has learnt that Rolls-Royce’s board has concluded a consultation with leading shareholders on a radical overhaul of…

Wholesale natural gas prices have risen by more than 40% this month as a raft of pressures, described by one analyst as a “perfect storm”, threaten to raise energy bills ahead. Day-ahead prices for UK delivery were at a six-month high on Friday, a rise of more than 14% on the day, as contracts across…

Rachel Reeves’s plans to curb cash ISA limits with the aim of fuelling a wave of stock market investing “are doomed to fail”, the boss of one of Britain’s biggest retail investment platforms has warned. Sky News has learnt that Michael Summersgill, chief executive of AJ Bell, which has more than £100bn of client assets…

Whether used as a natural sweetener in cooking, as a home remedy for a sore throat or simply for drowning your pancakes, honey is a staple in cupboards across the country. But what’s the best stuff? What do you look for on the label? And can you get good honey in supermarkets? Read all the…

The petrol forecourts giant founded in Blackburn by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa will next week kick off formal plans for a $9bn (£6.7bn) US stock market listing. Sky News has learnt that EG Group, about 25% of which is owned by each of the brothers, will hold a beauty parade of banks in London…

An electric vehicle charging point provider backed by Britain’s biggest high street banks is exploring a sale amid fears over the impact of the Treasury’s latest tax raid on the sector. Sky News has learnt that Trojan Energy, which is part-owned by the BGF, is working with advisers on a review of its strategic options,…

When South East Water (SEW) is in the news, the headlines do not generally make for comfortable reading. While the water and sewerage industry and its regulators have little to cheer about, this water-only supplier is now facing calls to be nationalised – such is the strength of feeling over performance as it grapples with…