April 2022

Sainsbury's has admitted it sent misleading information to many of its Nectar card users that wrongly promised it would double the amount of reward points people had accumulated if they cashed them in for vouchers. 

Consumers should watch out for fake emails regarding Bitcoin investments that claim to be from MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis after more than 1,000 people reported receiving the scam emails in the space of just three days.

Ground rent is to be scrapped on new leases in England and Wales from 30 June when the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act takes force, the Government announced today (22 April). From this point, ground rent on new leases will never be more than a 'peppercorn' amount – in other words zero –  resulting in a potential saving of £100s a year for future homeowners and some existing leaseholders. 

Santander is to shorten its opening hours on both weekdays and weekends at hundreds of branches across the UK for those who walk-in without a pre-booked appointment. 

The Government has today (Tuesday 19 April) launched a 'rail sale' alongside 20 train operators, which will offer travellers around 50% off more than one million train tickets on journeys across England, Wales and parts of Scotland. Here's what you need to know. 

British Gas has admitted that millions of smart meter customers have been unable to use the energy giant's app or website to check their gas and electricity usage since February due to a "glitch". The failure has meant people have been unable to track how much they are spending at a time when energy bills have spiked.

Flybe has begun flying again under new ownership. The regional airline relaunched this month after collapsing in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. It will now operate the majority of its flights from Birmingham and Belfast, as well as offering selected routes from London Heathrow.

Former customers of the now defunct travel firm Thomas Cook have been urged to submit refund claims for holidays they lost out on when the company went under in 2019. The Government's Official Receiver - which is administering the winding down of Thomas Cook - set-up a claims portal in November 2021, but it says thousands of eligible holidaymakers still need to submit refund requests.

Cash saved in Christmas savings clubs is to be protected under new laws, the Government has today (19 April) announced. There are also plans to crack down on fake reviews and 'subscription traps', while the competition regulator's powers will be beefed up in a bid to better protect consumers.

Households should beware cold callers asking for their bank account details in order to seemingly pay them the Government's £150 council tax rebate, as it's likely to be a scam. MoneySavingExpert.com has seen a number of reports from councils urging residents to beware of fraudsters, while officials have also cautioned households to watch out.