HOMEOWNERS could get free or cheap energy-saving up-grades to their homes and slash up to £3,334 a year off their bills.

Energy bills are set to rise again on Tuesday when regulator Ofgem’s new price cap takes effect.

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The average household paying by direct debit for dual fuel will see a £149 annual increase, or about £12 a month.

But making your home more energy-efficient can pay off.

The average power bill for a three-bedroom house with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of G is £5,674 a year — but the same house with a D rating averages £2,340, says property site Rightmove.

Homes with good insulation and LED lighting typically have higher EPC ratings, with A the best and G the worst. But around 55 per cent of UK housing is rated D or below.

Charles Roe, mortgages director at trade body UK Finance, says: “The UK has some of the oldest, least energy-efficient housing in Europe.

Upgrading our homes is a huge challenge, with key barriers being lack of confidence among homeowners and costs.”

Harriet Meyer looks at five simple home improvements that could cut your bills and sources of funding for your upgrades . . . 

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Loft insulation

SAVE UP TO £340 A YEAR

THIS could save £340 a year for a detached home and £180 in a mid-terrace house, says the Energy Saving Trust.

You can do it yourself with mineral wool rolls if your loft is accessible.

According to Which?, loft insulation is around £20 for a 100mm-thick roll, covering about 8.3 square metres. Hiring a pro for an average semi could cost around £950.

The EST’s Joanna O’Loan says: “An uninsulated home loses about a quarter of its heat through the roof. If your insulation is less than 150mm, top it up to 270mm.”

Some energy firms offer free loft insulation through the energy company obligation scheme.

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Double glazing

SAVE £120 A YEAR

UPGRADING your windows with A-rated double glazing could save around £120 a year on energy bills for the average semi-detached property, reckons the EST.

But be prepared to fork out around £15,000 to get this done.

If money is tight, a more affordable alternative is to buy ready-made secondary-glazing film online for about £10.

Use a hairdryer to shrink it to fit your frame.

You could also fit a layer of glass or plastic inside your frame and do this work yourself.

Get a few quotes if getting an expert to do the work.

Upgrade heating system

SAVE UP TO £280 A YEAR

IF your boiler is more than ten years old, it may be less efficient and it could pay off to get it replaced.

Efficient A-rated condensing boilers could save up to £280 a year if you live in a mid-terrace house and are replacing a G-rated boiler, according to the EST.

If you do not qualify for the government assistance, getting a new boiler installed is likely to set you back around £4,000.

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Plug air gaps

SAVE £100s A YEAR

PUTTING draught-proofing around your windows and doors could save you £35 a year, says the EST.

You can buy a cheap brush draught excluder online to fit under your front and back doors.

For internal doors, try rolled-up towels, old tights filled with clothes, or get a second-hand draught excluder on eBay.

If you have an unused chimney, block it with a cheap inflatable chimney balloon or DIY with old pillows. This can save you another £50 a year.

Don’t forget to plug other draughty spots such as floorboards, loft hatches and wall cracks too.

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Swap to LED bulbs

SAVE UP TO £75 A YEAR

REMOVING your old halogen light bulbs and replacing them with energy-efficient LED bulbs is one of the simplest ways to reduce your bills.

Light-emitting diode bulbs use significantly less energy — up to 90 per cent less than standard bulbs.

According to the EST, replacing all the bulbs in your home with LEDs could save you up to £75 a year on your energy bills.

You can buy basic ones for as little as £1 to £3 each.

‘We’re making cost of new boiler back with lower bills’

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SIDNEY and Elaine Regan are saving £200 a month after making energy-efficient changes.

Their energy bill doubled to over £500 a month because their boiler was getting old – so they invested in a new one, costing £5,000.

Retired care home receptionist Elaine said: “The bills were cheaper in winter after the up-grade. We’re gradually making the cost back.”

In addition to their Worcester Bosch combi boiler, the couple had a smart meter fitted in their three-bedroom terrace in Borehamwood, Herts – at no extra cost through their energy supplier, Octopus.

Elaine, 67, added: “We can now watch our usage and see what makes a difference.”

Taxi driver Sidney, 77, and Elaine have also made smaller changes, such as running the dishwasher less often, using draft excluders, and fitting LED light bulbs.

• An Energy Performance Certificate is valid for ten years. You can find your home’s EPC at Gov.uk and request a new one for £60-£120.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pleaded not guilty to five counts of criminal offences, including bribery, wire fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.

Wearing a dark blue suit, Adams arrived in federal court in New York for a brief hearing to enter his plea.

“I am not guilty, your honour,” he told Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker with a straight-faced expression, according to reporters in court.

The 64-year-old was indicted earlier this week on allegations that he accepted illegal campaign funds and thousands of dollars in luxury travel benefits from Turkish businessmen and an official in exchange for his influence as mayor.

Adams has denied any wrongdoing and said the public should withhold judgement until he makes his defence.

“I follow the rules, I follow the federal law, I do not do anything that’s going to participate in illegal campaign activity,” he said at a news conference.

Adams gave a thumbs-up to reporters as he entered court on Friday morning.

He was released on bail. Judge Parker ruled that Adams cannot talk to witnesses about the facts concerning the case, though he can discuss business or private family matters with them, according to US media.

His lawyer, Alex Spiro, told reporters outside court that he would be filing a motion to dismiss the case next week.

“The entire body of evidence is one staffer,” he told reporters. “What you have not heard, is that that staffer has lied, and the government is in possession of that lie.”

If convicted, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison.

He has rejected growing calls from members of his own party to resign.

The former police officer was elected to lead the most populous US city nearly three years ago with a promise to be harsh on crime.

Prosecutors say Adams’s misconduct began in 2014, during his time as Brooklyn Borough president, and carried on during his election campaign for mayor and while in office.

In the 57-page indictment, Adams was accused of pressuring New York City Fire Department officials to approve a Turkish consulate building without a safety inspection in exchange for benefits such as discounted flights, luxury hotels and meals.

Prosecutors say he also misused $10m (£7.4m) in public funds.

He is accused of using straw donors – a scheme that a person or entity uses to evade campaign finance limits – to take in illegal foreign donations and matching them with city funds that were supposed to be for small-dollar contributions from residents.

The mayor is due back in court on 2 October.

Adams has insisted he will stay in office while the case plays out, despite calls from Democrats at the state and federal level to resign.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams. She has said she needs time to review the indictment to “see what’s embedded with this”.

Adams can also be ousted from the mayor’s office by a so-called “inability committee”, which would likely include at least a few city officials who oppose him.

Adams’s arraignment comes as the federal government carries out a number of probes into his administration, which has seen a wave of resignations in recent weeks.

The police commissioner, the health commissioner and the mayor’s chief counsel have all left office as well as the schools chancellor, David Banks, who had his phone seized.

I read with some surprise the piece by Amy Kazmin and Susannah Savage about coffee price hikes (“Italians in a froth over cappuccino bill after coffee bean prices hit record high”, Report, FT Weekend, September 14) and would like to highlight a few points.

When it is stated that Italians drink “some of western Europe’s least expensive coffee”, it should also be emphasised that in bars, Italians — or at least the majority of us — consume very low-quality blends from untraceable lots, often prepared with dirty, poorly maintained machines, leaving only a burnt aftertaste on the palate.

It’s worth noting that every year there are numerous police interventions imposing fines and sanctions on the owners of these “convivial coffee bars” for irregularities in coffee management.

This is to say that paying €1.20 for a cup of this type may certainly be a fun way to start the day, but it represents a price that is completely out of line with the intrinsic value of the product being consumed.

Alessandro Lusi
Helsinki, Finland

A MAJOR high street discounter has apologised for closing a branch after it was open for just one year.

The store in Maidenhead, Berkshire will close permanently next month due to issues surrounding the lease of the building.

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Poundland’s store on Maidenhead High Street had already closed temporarily earlier this week after water damage caused part of the ceiling to collapse.

Despite this being fixed, the budget retailer has confirmed that the store will shut its doors forever in mid October.

A spokesperson for the company said: “I’m afraid we’ve been unable to secure an agreement with our landlord that would enable us to keep the store trading in Maidenhead.

“We know this will be disappointing to customers and we’re sorry we’ll be closing on 18 October. 

“It goes without saying we’ll be doing all we can to look after colleagues that work there.”

Poundland had moved in to the building last year after the company stepped in to take over a number of Wilko shop leases, following the latter’s collapse.

Maidenhead High Street has also seen other casualties in the losses of both its Clarks and Barclays stores.

Clarks shut its doors on the street in June this year while the Barclays branch closed for the final time in May.

Poundland had undergone an expansion last year when it took over 71 ex-Wilko stores after the retailer fell into administration.

Since then however, several have closed down, including in Ellesmere Port, Galashiels, Scotland, and the Sailmakers Shopping Centre in Ipswich.

On top of this, in August a Poundland store in south Macclesfield closed for good.

A month before that, the discounter pulled down the shutters on a store in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, after taking it on from Wilko.

Despite this, earlier this year the retailer pledged to revamp 150 stores by end of August with new signage, flooring, lighting and ranges.

It also aimed to have staff areas made over to make them better places to work.

ISRAEL has been in conflict with Hamas since it was attacked on October 7, 2023, but now tensions have been raised even higher in the region.

The threat of greater conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah has cast doubts about whether UK nationals should be travelling to Israel. Here’s everything you need to know.

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Is it safe to fly to Israel right now?

Several flight companies, including easyJet, have stopped flights to Tel Aviv in light of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. 

“Safety is always our top priority, and we’re contacting customers to advise them of their travel options.”

Ryanair has cancelled flights to Israel until at least October 26 while easyJet has cancelled them until March 2025.

United Airlines has cancelled all flights to Israel until further notice, while American Airlines has cancelled them until at least March 2025.

On September 17 and 18, 2024, thousands of pagers and hundreds of walkie talkies belonging to members of Hezbollah exploded. 

Several sources blamed this on Israel, who sent strikes into Lebanon in the following days. 

As a result of this increased tension, travel against Israel is not considered completely safe. 

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What’s the latest government advice about travelling to Israel?

The UK government has advised travellers against travelling to Israel, due to conflict in the region. 

This includes travel to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with Hezbollah launching a missile at Tel Aviv on September 25, 2024. 

The missile was intercepted by the IDF. 

Even before this event, the UK Foreign Office has warned against the threat of exchanged rocket fire between the two countries. 

The website currently warns: “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).”

Do I need to cancel my flight to Israel?

As mentioned, several flight companies have already cancelled flights to Israel. 

If your flights are still planned to go ahead, you should get in touch with your airline or tour operator about your options if you want to cancel your flight.