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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The Department of Justice is investigating potential price-fixing in the market for PVC pipes, which follows allegations of a conspiracy in the $4bn market for municipal water pipes and so-called electrical conduit pipes made in a recent short seller report and civil class action lawsuits.

The probe was disclosed in a filing by manufacturer Otter Tail, which said on Thursday it had received a grand jury subpoena “for production of documents regarding the manufacturing, selling, and pricing of PVC pipe”.

Plaintiffs in civil lawsuits had alleged that manufacturers, including Otter Tail, used a specialist News Corp-owned trade journal to facilitate price fixing by signalling and coordinating price rises following the Covid pandemic. 

One complaint filed in an Illinois court in August alleged that PVC & Pipe Weekly, published by News Corp’s Opis division, was “the proverbial smoke-filled backroom that enabled the defendants to discuss and signal their pricing activities”.

Otter Tail, a listed power utility that owns manufacturer Northern Pipe, said it fully intended to comply with its obligations and that it was too early to assess the potential impact of the investigation and civil litigation. 

It warned investors that an antitrust violation could have a “material impact” on its financial condition, and said it “believes that there are factual and legal defences to the allegations in the complaints and intends to defend itself accordingly”.

The DoJ declined to comment.

Municipal water pipes and conduit pipes used to house electrical cables are commodity products typically sold in a variety of dimensions by distributors.

The DoJ investigation follows a report in July by the pseudonymous short seller firm ManBear, which said prices “defy economic logic” and that price inflation had pushed “profits to never-before-seen levels” that were unsustainable. 

ManBear disclosed short positions in Otter Tail, manufacturers Westlake and Atkore, and also Core & Main, a water pipe distributor, which the report alleged had “benefited materially from pipe inflation”.

ManBear is a low-profile activist that has previously focused on antitrust questions, alleging price fixing in the chicken industry in a 2016 report. Chicken producer Pilgrims Pride subsequently agreed a $110.5mn settlement with the DoJ, while three of its executives and two at a rival were acquitted at trial on antitrust charges.

Otter Tail’s share price has dropped 14 per cent since the ManBear report, to $81.34 on Friday morning.

Core & Main is not a defendant to the civil suits. A spokesperson said it was unaware of any price fixing, that any suggestion of its involvement was baseless and that “honesty and integrity are part of our core principles”.  

Westlake previously declined to comment on pending litigation. Atkore did not respond to requests for comment.

The civil suits also named News Corp as a defendant. The company said its product “provides newsworthy information to a wide variety of subscribers” and that it intended to fight the lawsuits, which it said were “entirely without merit”.

THOSE concerned about their bills this winter can pick up a simple £7.99 gadget that could slash energy costs by hundreds of pounds.

With Brits facing high energy prices and millions of pensioners missing out on the winter fuel payment, many are looking for help with managing costs this year.

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Lidl may have the answer thanks to a plug-in power meter that measures how much energy your appliances are really using.

The £7.99 power meter will measure usage and calculate costs according to your energy tariff and is available in store from Sunday November 10.

It works like a second plug – you slot it into your socket, and then plug your appliance into it.

You can use it for any appliance you plug in, including televisions, freezers, washing machines and dryers.

The information it provides can help households identify which devices are guzzling energy allowing them to change habits to cut their bills.

To take a read simply plug the monitor into the socket, set the unit price and plug in your appliance before using it as normal to see how much energy it uses in a typical day.

Consumer champion Which? said: “Using an energy monitor is one of the best ways to clearly ascertain how much electricity you’re using on individual appliances  — hopefully helping you to work out where money can be saved in the long run.”

Low Energy Supermarket estimates that a plug-in power monitor will help you to discover savings of £200 per year.

When selecting a power meter always remember to compare statistics and prices, to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

This can be done using comparison tools such as trolley.co.uk.

A quick internet search showed that Screwfix has a similar model for £18.99 and Amazon is selling a range of devices available for around £10.

Power meters will only measure the energy used from one plug socket, so if you want to know the total amount of energy you’re using around the house you may want to install a smart meter.

But, the benefit of a power meter is that it can help you quickly identify which appliances are using the most power.

A dad-of-two went around every room in his house using the device to see how much his appliances cost to run – and was shocked by the results.

The biggest cost drain was his old freezer, which was costing him around 68p a day to run – amounting to a whopping £250 a year.

With everything he learned he was able to make some changes and save a whopping £750 a year.

It is worth remembering that the energy price cap was considerably higher at that time, so savings are unlikely to be as high now.

The energy price cap is currently £1,568, the lowest figure in two years.

The cap is calculated based on the wholesale price of gas and electricity and what Ofgem thinks an average household will use.

Other ways to monitor energy usage

Smart plugs aren’t the only way to keep track of your energy usage.

Getting a smart meter installed can also help track how much you’re spending on gas and electricity.

These are different to smart plugs as they look at energy usage around the whole home rather than for each device.

The actual smart meter sends the readings to your supplier so you don’t have to, while the in-home display screen shows you how much you’re spending.

Most energy suppliers provide smart meters and displays for free. However, some users have reported issues with their devices, for example when changing providers.

Your supplier should be able to answer any questions you have.

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

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

TESCO shoppers have until the end of the month to spend millions of pounds worth of Clubcard vouchers before they expire.

It comes as the supermarket chain revealed there are millions of points set to expire at the end of the month.

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More than £18million in vouchers still need to be used before 11.59pm November 30.

That’s unless you use the handy trick from Martin Lewis‘ MoneySavingExpert to extend the lifespan of the vouchers.

Shoppers on the Clubcard scheme receive vouchers after spending in-store or online, with every 150 points worth £1.50.

These vouchers can be used on your weekly food shop and with any number of Tesco‘s partners including PizzaExpress and Hotels.com.

Any vouchers spent with a Tesco partner are also worth two times their normal value.

The MSE team have revealed three options to extend the rewards beyond the expiry date, they are:

• Make a small purchase on the Tesco Clubcard Rewards page or donate to one of the charities the store partners with. The remaining balance is credited back to your Clubcard account as points. So if you spend 50p on an item using a £5 Clubcard voucher, you’ll get 450 points back, which is worth £4.50.

• Swap your points for vouchers manually or wait for them to be converted with your next statement. It is worth bearing in mind the expiry date for these new vouchers will be two years in the future.

• Shell out as little as possible. A good option might be a 50p restaurant voucher (worth £1 at your chosen restaurant). You’ll need to do this for each individual voucher, so it’s worth weighing up if it’s actually worth it for smaller denominations. For example, if you’ve a £10 voucher it could be worth it.

How does Tesco’s Clubcard work?

You earn points as you shop, which can then be turned into vouchers for money off food or with Tesco’s partners.

You earn one point for each £1 spent, and each point is then worth 1p.

So 150 points gets you £1.50, and you would have to spend £150 to get 150 points.

You need a minimum of 150 points to request a voucher.

Any vouchers are worth their face value when used in-store at Tesco.

But you can double their worth by spending them at one of the supermarket chain’s partners.

There are over 100 partners you can spend your Clubcard points with, including the RAC, Disney+ and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Points spent with partners used to be worth triple value, but Tesco changed this to double last year.

Any vouchers transferred into Reward Partner codes expire after six months.

Loyalty card holders also get access to over 8,000 items for less through Clubcard Prices.

RECLAIM LOST CLUBCARD POINTS

Many people lose or forget to use their Tesco vouchers, but there’s an easy way to claw back the last two years of unused vouchers.

Here’s exactly how to find out if you have any unused vouchers.

The first step is to log into your Tesco Clubcard account on Tesco.com or via the Clubcard app.

You’ll need your name, email address and Clubcard number to hand.

Once you’ve logged in, navigate to “My Clubcard Account” and then click on “Vouchers” to see a full list of any vouchers you still have to spend.

You can use the code included in your voucher to spend online.

If you want to redeem them in-store, you’ll need to print them off and take them with you. 

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Verizon’s $20bn acquisition of Frontier Communications faces a nail-biting showdown at an investor meeting next week after some of the biggest shareholders in the fibre network company demanded at least a 30 per cent price increase.

Canada-based BCE’s proposed $3.6bn acquisition of Ziply this week — a telco with a fibre network similar to that of Frontier — has become a flashpoint.

The Frontier investors have told Verizon and the Frontier board that the valuation metrics in the Ziply deal imply a far higher purchase price for Frontier, citing the long-term growth prospects for fibre broadband service.

According to an analysis prepared by Frontier’s shareholders, the company’s projected growth makes its shares worth more than $50 a share, far higher than the deal price of $38.50.

Glendon Capital Management and Cerberus Capital Management, which combined own about 17 per cent of Frontier shares, are among the investors angling for a higher deal price, said multiple people familiar with the matter.

Ares Management, the company’s single largest shareholder with about a 15 per cent stake, has not indicated which way it plans to vote, said people familiar with the matter. It has hired boutique bank Houlihan Lokey to evaluate its options.

Verizon’s offer in early September represented a 44 per cent premium over Frontier’s trading range at the time. The company has said its offer is fair and it does not plan to raise the price. But the acquisition is also central to the company’s strategy of expanding its fibre internet capabilities, which shareholders view as a sign it will not let the buyout collapse.

Frontier has said that if shareholders reject the deal terms, the company will return to its strategy as a standalone business. The company’s share price was about $34 on Friday. Some analysts are sceptical of the shareholders’ lofty Frontier valuation.

“Frontier’s shareholders’ choice is really between $38.50 per share in cash or a go-it-alone future with the risks and opportunities that journey presents,” Nick Del Deo, a managing director at MoffettNathanson, wrote in a note on Wednesday.

Verizon and Frontier declined to comment.

The proposed deal suffered additional blows in recent days, after the closely watched proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis directed investors to abstain from voting next week, which in effect counts as rejecting the $38.50 price.

“Given the possibility of substantially more value down the line, and the lack of urgency to approve a transaction that is not projected to close for more than a year, it seems reasonable for shareholders to exercise the optionality of abstaining for the time being,” ISS said in its report on November 1.

Frontier filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 after the acquisition of a regional telecoms business resulted in an unsustainable debt load. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2021, in which it transferred equity control to its bondholders, allowing it to shed billions of dollars of liabilities. Shortly after, it relisted on the stock market.

Some of the company’s biggest shareholders — including Ares, Cerberus and Glendon — have been with the company since bankruptcy. The investors were some of the group’s biggest noteholders, with Cerberus owning more than $500mn of its debt, according to court filings.

The activist hedge fund Jana Partners successfully pushed Frontier into starting a sale process earlier this year, before the company’s management had initially planned.

Recent deals between Verizon’s rivals have upped the competition in the sector, with T-Mobile earlier this year announcing joint ventures with private equity groups EQT and KKR to buy Lumos and Metronet, respectively.

Telco companies that historically relied on legacy copper wire businesses, such as Frontier, have been investing heavily in fibre networks to compete with cable broadband providers. While their traditional businesses have suffered in recent years, there is renewed interest in fibre internet buildouts as data loads explode with coming artificial intelligence applications.

“This is a true game of chicken,” said one person involved in the transaction.

Additional reporting by James Fontanella-Khan and Eric Platt in New York

YOU don’t need fancy kit to keep your screens clean.

With a bit of know-how, you can keep your gadgets sparkly and germ-free without splashing cash.

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Clean up with these ideas.

ON THE BUTTONS: TV remotes, gaming handsets, computer mice and keyboards all need a regular wipe.

For keyboards, turn your device off before tipping it upside down to dislodge and loose dirt.

Use a clean, soft make-up brush, paintbrush or toothbrush to dust over the keys, and then wipe gently with a screen wipe.

You can use a cotton bud to dust gently between the keys.

GOOD CALL: How often does your phone need cleaning?

A lot more often than you think.

With nearly half of us taking our phones into the bathroom, experts recommend a daily wipe-over to get rid of any germs.

You can use screen wipes, but they are not essential.

Instead, a dash of washing-up liquid in a bowl of water works wonders.

Dip in a soft microfibre cloth, then wring it out so it is just a little damp.

Turn off your phone, then wipe over the screen and casing avoiding any openings like charging and headphone ports.

Don’t forget to clean inside the case too.

Whatever you do, don’t put your phone in water.

Only the newest waterproof models — which will have an IP7 or IP68 rating — can withstand a dunking.

SCREEN SAVER: A smeary screen can ruin your enjoyment of the latest drama.

First off, try cleaning with a dry soft cloth.

Don’t use anything with a rough surface, or kitchen roll, which could scratch your screen.

Wipe gently in small circles, without pushing on the screen too much.

For stubborn stains, it’s recommended that you switch off your set before using a cloth that has been dampened with a little water.

Use another cloth to dry.

Use a similar method for a laptop screen.

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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HEAD to Tesco to get a five-piece Tefal Titanium pan set, down from £70 to £35 with a Clubcard, in-store only.

SAVE: £35

Cheap treat

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BRIGHTEN up weekend breaks with this waterproof bag from rexlondon.com, down from £29.95 to £9.95.

SAVE: £20

What’s new?

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GET 20 per cent off at Ernest Jones jewellers with the code available at vouchercodes.co.uk, taking this Swarovski bracelet down from £89 to £71.20.

Top swap

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STEP out in the Denno white Chelsea boots, £130 from Jones Bootmakers, or flex your feet in the Off The Hook boots, £35.99 from Debenhams.

SAVE: £94.01

Little helper

ENJOY half-price roasts at Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card. It takes a small pork leg crackling joint down from £7.75 to £3.87.

Shop & save

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PADDINGTON is back in cinemas and you can take him home – with this soft toy, down from £22.99 to £12.99 at very.co.uk.

SAVE: £10

PLAY NOW TO WIN £200

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JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.

Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.

Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.

The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!