SINGLE use vape are set to be banned across the UK – but some supermarkets already don’t stock the e-cigs.

New laws will prohibit the sale of the tobacco products from June 1, 2025, to protect kids’ health.

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The Labour Government’s crackdown on single use vapes plans to put a stop on plastic littering after five million were thrown away in 2023.

Retailers will still be able to sell refillable vapes as doctors use them to help people quit smoking.

However, despite the Government’s latest intervention, some supermarkets already don’t sell certain vapes due to company policy. Some still do for now though.

A number of supermarkets banned Elf Bar 600s last year when they were found to contain 50% more nicotine than the legal limit.

Below we explain the rules on selling vapes and which supermarkets have already removed the devices from shelves.

Aldi

Aldi does not sell refillable or disposable vapes in its more than 1,020 stores across the UK.

The retailer does not sell tobacco either.

Waitrose

Waitrose has never sold single-use e-cigs although it does currently stock refillable vapes.

A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “We absolutely support the Government’s ban.

“We look forward to finally seeing collective action to help protect young people and prevent unnecessary and dangerous waste going to landfill.”

M&S

M&S does not sell either single-use or refillable vapes in any of its branches.

The posh retailer also does not sell any form of tobacco.

Lidl

Lidl does not sell any form of vape in its branches, be it refillable or single-use.

The German discounter also does not sell tobacco.

Co-op

Co-op currently sells a variety of disposable vapes on its website from a range of brands including Vuse, Cirro and Elfbar.

It is understood it has a policy in place which restricts the sale of vape products and flavours that appeal to younger shoppers and has a challenge 25 policy in place as well.

This implores staff to ask anyone they think looks under 25 for ID when buying an age-restricted product.

The retailer declined to comment on whether it would implement a ban on any vapes ahead of the legal requirement from next June.

Tesco

Tesco also sells a variety of vapes on its website across a range of brands from Lost Mary to SKE.

The retailer pointed The Sun toward the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) response on whether it will be banning vapes ahead of next June.

The BRC said: “Retailers will continue to comply with requirements surrounding the sale and disposal of vapes.

“We ask that the Government ensures that retailers are given sufficient information to prepare for the upcoming ban on disposable vapes in the UK.”

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s sells TEREA, Edge and blu vapes on its website.

The retailer also pointed The Sun toward’s the BRC’s response when asked whether it would be banning vapes in the immediate future.

Morrisons

Morrisons stocks a range of vapes from Blu Bar, Vuse, Elf Bar and Ivg.

A spokesperson for the supermarket said it had no bans in place on the sale of vapes and didn’t have any plans to bring any in in the immediate future.

Asda

Asda shoppers can get Blu bar, 88Vape and Lost Mary vapes on the retailer’s website.

The supermarket did not respond to a request for comment when asked by The Sun if it has plans to bring in bans on any vapes in the immediate future.

Iceland

Iceland also has a host of vapes on its website on sale. Shoppers can pick up 88Vapes, Lost Mary’s and Zillion brands.

The retailer did not respond to a request for comment by The Sun on whether it would ban the e-cigs earlier.

Why does the Government want to ban vapes?

A disposable vape sells for £3-£10 depending on the brand, with the total e-cig industry worth an estimated £2.8billion in Britain.

But more than 40 tonnes of lithium, used in the batteries to power the vapes, was thrown out in the UK in 2022.

Fears have also been raised by ministers that youngsters are illegally buying and getting hooked on disposables.

Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “It’s deeply worrying that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds used a vape last year.

“We know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today.

“Banning them will keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”

Environment Minister Mary Creagh added: “Single-use vapes waste precious resources and blight our towns, parks and cities.

“That is why we will be banning single-use vapes as we take action to end our throwaway culture.”

Last year, a number of supermarkets banned the sale of Elf Bar 600 disposable vapes over health fears.

A report by the Daily Mail found they contained between 3ml and 3.2ml of nicotine e-liquid, with the legal limit 2ml.

An Elf Bar spokesperson told the Daily Mail that some batches of the e-cigs had been “inadvertently” overfilled in the UK.

The Government’s latest crackdown on single-use vapes comes as a part of a wider smoking ban that will stop anyone born after January 2009 allowed to legally buy cigarettes.

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A LUCKY lottery winner nearly missed that he had scooped a £500,000 jackpot after he “assumed” there was a lag on the system.

A computer maintenance engineer is finally celebrating his £500,000 lottery win a year after having surgery for cancer.

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The win comes after a painful 24 hours of waiting as John Lingard, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, said he initially saw no increase on his bank account’s available funds.

“I assumed there must be a lag or something on the system, so went to work and didn’t give it another thought,” he said.

“Even when I logged on later that day to buy my EuroMillions ticket, I didn’t look more deeply into the message that popped up congratulating me on a win.

“It was only 24 hours later that I finally read my messages and the penny started to drop, although not fully, because at first glance I thought it was £500.10.

“I was just on my way out the door, heading to the supermarket, but when I worked out that it was actually £500,000 plus £10 on another line, I decided driving wasn’t a good idea so walked to the local shop,” he added.

John bought a Lucky Dip ticket for the September 25 draw via the National Lottery app, and his winning numbers were 13, 15, 18, 30 and 33 with Thunderball number 7.

He said he “felt like I was on cloud nine” when he realised he had won £500,000 in the Thunderball draw.

The engineer’s lotto success follows a nasty cancer diagnosis which saw him have one of his kidneys removed to stop the spread of the disease.

He has since been given the all clear.

The 66-year-old plans on spending some of his winnings with friends in Tenerife – a place he visited a year ago to find some peace and calm after he was first diagnosed.

“It’s crazy to think that at the start of the year I would come to the beach to find inner peace in all the turmoil of the treatment and my worries about the future,” he said.

He added: “I couldn’t have dreamt that less than 12 months later I would be here celebrating a National Lottery win!”

His trip will be the first week of unpaid leave for the engineer since he started work at 16.

“I visit Tenerife three or four times a year, but when I left in September I told friends I probably couldn’t make it back before early 2025,” he said.

“Now, thanks to my Thunderball luck, I can afford to take a week off – unpaid – and head back for a little winter sun, and to celebrate with my friends over there,” he continued.

The engineer also said he might do a little house-hunting while on the island to have a “bolthole for the future” and so that he can share some of his fortune with those closest to him.

John added that he has no plans to retires but is keen to spend his money doing fun things with friends.

But first it will take some time adjusting to his new fortune.

He said: “I started playing when the National Lottery first began 30 years ago and, while all along I’ve believed that one day I would win big, now it’s happened it’s taken a bit of getting used to!”

“And having been through such a challenging time with my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I want to be sure I make the most of every moment, whether that’s work, rest or play.”

SHOPPERS are rushing to snap up the £2.49 gadget at Wilko that could help dry clothes quicker.

It comes as the average UK family is forking out £1,834 a year on gas and electricity.

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And many of us are turning to heated airers to get clothes dry whilst it’s cold and wet outside.

The average Brit will do roughly four loads of laundry per week or 208 washes per year, a study by Ariel found.

For those who haven’t done the maths, it adds up to a shocking 13,000 loads of laundry across an entire lifetime.

But luckily Wilko has a £2.49 gadget that can help ease the costs of this unbearable load.

The Wool Dryer Balls, sold in a pack of two, offer an eco-friendly and reusable solution that claims to save up to £100 annually on dryer costs.

Made from 100% wool, these dryer balls help reduce drying time by increasing the airflow in your tumble dryer.

They work by separating clothes inside the drum, allowing heat to circulate more effectively.

This means your laundry dries faster, with less static, and comes out softer—all without the need for chemical fabric softeners.

According to Wilko, the balls not only help clothes dry quicker but also help soften fabrics and reduce wrinkles, making ironing easier.

The Wool Dryer Balls can be found in-store or purchased online, with free click-and-collect options or home delivery starting at £4.99.

Other dryer balls have been praised by buyers on Amazon.

A happy customer elsewhere told how similar products helped cut down drying time by 45 minutes.

Using dryer balls could be a way to reduce the amount of time and money spent on drying clothes, especially in the colder months when tumble dryers are in high demand.

A mum-of-three previously shared her huge savings after trying out tumble dryer balls.

She said: “Not only could I save £106.08 a year by using dryer balls, but my clothes came out feeling softer than usual and with less creases so they were easier to iron.”

This small, inexpensive purchase can help to bring down energy usage without requiring any drastic lifestyle changes or compromises in laundry routines.

MORE SAVING TIPS

Experts like Martyn James point out that tumble dryers, along with other “wet appliances” like washing machines and dishwashers, are some of the biggest energy users in the home.

He said: “The big offenders are ‘wet appliances’ including washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers,” he says.

“Try to only use them for full loads, learn more about what that ‘eco mode’ does as that could save you energy and drop the heat as low as you can go.

“These machines have to quickly generate heat, so can result in them adding a quarter of the cost of your energy bill.

“‘You should also regularly clean out the lint drawer, which can help your machine run more efficiently.

Other cost-saving tips include lowering the temperature when washing clothes, as consumer experts at Which? found that washing at 20°C instead of 40°C could reduce running costs by up to 62%.

Reducing the number of loads you do can cut your usage and bill, and making sure your doing a full load each time is one way to do this.

Another way is to get a bargain dehumidifier from B&M to dry clothes which can shave up to £74 off a crucial household bill.

IS it too soon to put the heating on? That’s the question on millions of people’s lips as the winter months approach and temperatures start to drop.

But the combination of a higher energy price cap from October 1, and the loss of the Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners means that more of us than ever will be struggling to heat our homes this winter.

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The new price cap is set at £1,717 per year for a typical household who use electricity and gas and pay by Direct Debit.

This is an increase of £149 from the cap that was in place between July and October.

Worse, the government has confirmed that the Winter Fuel Payment (worth between £200 and £300 depending on how old you are) will no longer be universal.

Pensioners can still get it if they receive Pension Credit, but Age UK has warned that 2.5million people aged over 66 who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in serious trouble as a result.  

Against that backdrop, many people are desperately looking for ways to delay putting their heating on, or to minimise how much they use it.

Aydin Sigva, an expert in energy saving and insulation at Cavitech.uk, says that there are lots of gadgets that can help people keep their energy bills under control.

However, he cautions that the first thing that households need to do is make sure they have the right insulation in place.

He warns this is important because homes are a bit like a sieve with lots of places valuable heat can escape.

The loft, walls, floors, door and window frames, even keyholes will see heat you’ve paid for flying out into the street.

He says: “Cavity and loft insulation save a few hundred pounds a year each – loft insulation is usually cheaper so should be the first job you do.

“If you’re a tenant, you’ll need the landlord to do it or get permission to do it yourself but its only worthwhile if you’re staying long-term as it’ll take a few years to get your money back in savings.”

This is backed up by the Energy Savings Trust, who calculate that cavity wall insulation can save around £155 a year from your bills, while solid wall insulation saves around £210 a year.

Loft insulation saves the average household up to £135 a year, and you can even insulate your floor saving up to £40 a year.

However, these things aren’t cheap to do, for instance, insulating the loft costs £950 on average, while cavity wall installation can set you back a whopping £1,700.

Of course, you’ll make your money back in the long run through cheaper bills, and good insulation also protects you from cold draughts which can have you reaching for the thermostat controls.

MONEY-SAVING GADGET

Sigva also has a list of simple quick fixes that Brits can do themselves to save a few pounds.

He says: “Put a brush and flap over the letterbox, draught excluders around leaky doors and windows and even block unused keyholes with some tissue and tape.”

However, he also recommends a nifty gadget which costs around £89 and can help you reduce your bills by between 5% and 15% according to the Energy Savings Trust.

He says: “Consider an energy use monitor – a clever gadget that attaches to the meter and displays on a screen exactly what you’re using at any moment. 

“Discover what devices use more power and use them less. Turn off items on ‘standby’ and remind the kids to turn off lights and consoles when not in use!

“There’s no magic answer, but a few simple steps can save a lot of wasted money.”

You can pick up a monitor for as little as £12 from B&Q.

What energy bill help is available?

There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.

If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.

This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.

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If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.

Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.

But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.

For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.

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British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.

You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.

EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.

Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).

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The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.

Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.

These devices work by measuring the amount of energy your using on individual devices around the home.

They are placed between a socket and the plug of the device being measured.

A screen on the plug shows how much power the item is using, and they run on batteries so they don’t add more usage to your bill.

Each plug is different but it measures the energy use of the individual appliance you’ve plugged in.

With some you can enter the price you pay for energy and then the gadget works out the cost for you.

The cost per unit you pay depends on the tariff you’re on but you can usually find this information on your latest energy bill or online account.

For your chosen appliance, you can use the plug to check the cost of running it when it’s in use, or just on standby.

They are different to smart meters which can also help you track the cost of energy around the whole home.

Either device can you help you better understand what energy you’re using around the home, and then reduce it where you can saving money.

MORE WAYS TO SLASH HEATING BILLS

Sigva also recommends that households invest thermostatic radiator valves.

These are relatively cheap, but you will probably need a plumber to install them.

The valves can be set so that radiators only click on when the temperature drops to a chosen level, so you don’t waste money heating a house that’s already warm.

Rooms that you do not use very often such as a spare bedroom can be turned down very low, which will decrease your bills.

You can pick these handy gadgets up for just £9.99 each from Screwfix.

Another tip is a tube of mastic, which can be used to close up gaps around windows where the masonry has separated from the wood or plastic frame.

Sigva says: “Houses move a little in hot and cold weather, so gaps can open up allowing cold air and warm out.”

A tube of mastic costs just £6.69 from DIY.com.

He even says that ordinary silver foil can be put behind radiators to reflect a little more heat back into the room.

This radiator foil is just £7.51 for a roll from Screwfix.

Heat activated fans can be placed on wood burners and even certain types of gas fire to throw heat into the main part of the room. 

Also called stove fans, these can be picked up from the likes of B&Q for as little as £15.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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WITH changeable weather and the cost of Christmas looming, October half-term can be tough to manage.

Keep the kids entertained for less with these awesome autumn ideas.

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FIENDISH FUN: Create a monster! Get a roll of old wallpaper and cut off a piece as big as you or your child.

Lie down on the blank side and get someone to draw around you.

Cut out the outline, paint the “monster” and, once dry, decorate with whatever takes your fancy — tin foil for scales, painted screwed-up newspaper for warts etc.

Add teeth, tusks and claws cut from other paper.

TRAIL FINDERS: From parks to garden centres, there’s bound to be a free Halloween trail near you.

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Kids will love the suspense of following the scary clues.

AUTUMN TREASURE: A good scavenger hunt adds fun to walks.

This is the perfect time to search for autumn treasures, from jagged fallen leaves to shiny conkers.

Download a free sheet of things to spot.

The Woodland Trust has a great autumn scavenger hunt at treetoolsforschools.org.uk.

FROCKTOBER: Make your own Halloween outfit.

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Transform charity shop finds or old clothing into frightful fancies.

Spooky make-up, fake blood (or food colouring) and batty bits from your Halloween kit can give clothes a chilling new look.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT: Take advantage of the half-term meal deals, where kids can often eat free or for £1 when you buy an adult main course.

There are offers at cafes in Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and Dunelm, plus at Bill’s and Bella Italia.

Check their websites first.

CREEPY CRAFTS: Make some DIY decorations.

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Ghostly paper chains look spooktacular, or use black paper to cut out a chain of witches or spiders.

YouTube and hobbycraft.co.uk have some great ideas.

FARMS FOR FREE: Find out the Halloween fun planned at your nearest city or working farm.

Many are low cost or free (though they welcome donations), including Swansea Community Farm, Bath City Farm, Heeley City Farm in Sheffield and Balsall Heath City Farm in Birmingham, plus others in London.

DINNER DATE: Host a “dinner party” for your children and their friends.

They’ll love playing at “grown-ups”.

Plan an interesting menu you can all cook together, then decorate the house and invite everyone to dress up.

TREE FUN: The forest floor is filled with brightly coloured fallen leaves, twigs, seeds and conkers you can take home to create a masterpiece.

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Try leaf printing, leaf rubbing or make a leaf crown.

Search “autumn leaf craft” at woodlandtrust.org.uk.

ANIMAL MAGIC: Animal-mad kids will love the free My Pet Pals workshops at Pets At Home.

This half-term they have a fun Halloween theme.

They run every day from October 26 to November 3.

Visit petsathome.com to book and find out more.

MILLIONS are being locked out of cheaper prices at the supermarket and other retailers through no fault of their own.

Which? has found shoppers are being excluded from loyalty scheme pricing due to three major restrictions.

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The vast majority of supermarket chains offer customers lower prices if they sign up to reward schemes.

Sainsbury’s has its Nectar Card, while Tesco shoppers can sign up to its Clubcard.

But Which? discovered customers are being locked out of cheaper deals across the major UK supermarkets and Boots and Superdrug.

It found shoppers are being shut out due to minimum age requirements, lack of UK residency or an address and not having an email address or app.

Researchers found that customers have to be 18 or over to join loyalty schemes at Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose but only 16 at Co-op and Morrisons.

Co-op and Sainsbury’s shoppers under 16 can get a junior membership or be added to a parent or guardian’s account to access loyalty scheme prices.

Shoppers only need to be 13 to access Boots and Superdrug’s schemes.

Which? also discovered big differences in retailer’s address requirements and whether or not customers need access to smartphones or a computer to sign up for loyalty schemes.

Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: “Our research shows there are differences between supermarkets and retailers and their loyalty schemes, which mean some people could miss out on the lower prices offered because of factors such as minimum age requirements and needing an email address.

“All retailers should prioritise making their best deals accessible to all customers by implementing changes to their conditions for signing up.”

Which?’s findings come hot off the back of separate research from the consumer group in August showing customers not on loyalty schemes are having to pay up to 33% more on average.

It means due to the restrictions, several vulnerable groups such as young carers and the homeless are excluded from lower prices despite possibly struggling with their finances more.

For example, Which? said a 17-year-old single parent living independently would not get a discount on baby food at some supermarkets.

Meanwhile, a homeless person would have to pay more for a meal deal at other retailers.

Couples without smartphones shopping in Lidl wouldn’t be able to access its Lidl Plus scheme as it is only available on an app.

See our table below for each retailer’s loyalty scheme, age requirements, address requirements and whether they are digital-only.

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Which? asked all the retailers included in its research to comment.

A Boots spokesperson highlighted that anyone aged 13 or above with a UK postal address can join its Advantage Card scheme.

Co-op flagged to Which? that shoppers can become members with permission from a parent or guardian.

Lidl said everything it does is designed to give households access to “good food at low prices” and those without a smart phone can get in-store promotions through its Pick of The Week offers.

A spokesperson for Nectar, Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme, said if a customer contacts the Nectar Helpline team they can manually register for a Nectar account without requiring an email address or mobile number.

A Superdrug spokesperson said delivery was only available to addresses within the UK and Republic of Ireland and its loyalty scheme reflected this.

It added that customers don’t need an address to become a member and can sign up in store or online using their name and either an email address, address or phone number.

A Tesco spokesperson said it was “free to sign up and join the 22million UK households who already have a Tesco Clubcard”.

A Waitrose spokesperson told Which? its “digital approach allows us to personalise offers and share benefits quickly, easily and securely”.

They added that its age and address requirements are in line with other retailers.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “Driving strong value for customers remains our number one priority.

“Together with our Aldi and Lidl price match, our savers range, our vast range of low everyday prices and our More Card – we have thousands of products that not only offer outstanding value on brands and essential items our customers love – but also have the quality they’ve come to expect from us.”

In other Which? news, the consumer website ranked the best cheddar cheeses, with a supermarket own-brand pack winning.

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