Londoners officially have lower tolerance for the cold than people in other parts of the UK. The capital is the only part of the country that sets its boilers to come on at more than 17 degrees, on average. People in Northern Ireland, the North West and Yorkshire have their thermostats set to the lowest

The Bank of England has maintained its guidance for "gradual" interest rate cuts next year, following surprise support for a reduction this month. Its rate-setting committee, while deciding to keep Bank rate on hold at 4.75%, noted higher than expected wage rises and inflation despite a slowdown in the economy over the second half of

The government has admitted it does not know how much HS2 will ultimately cost - or when high speed trains will be running on the beleaguered rail project. Dame Bernadette Kelly, the top civil servant at the Department for Transport (DfT), told MPs the official estimates of £54bn-£66bn for the London to Birmingham leg are

Very few will be surprised by the Bank of England’s decision to keep rates on hold at 4.75%. What is more striking is the policy rift that has emerged. Three members of the rate-setting committee voted to cut rates while the other six opted to keep them as they are . It reflects some of

The UK's biggest water company has been fined £18.2m for "unjustified" dividends which the regulator said broke shareholder payment rules. Thames Water has been hit with the penalty by water regulator Ofwat over the combined £195.8m in dividends paid in October 2023 and March 2024. It's the first time Ofwat has used such enforcement powers

Southern Water may not be able to guarantee that water comes out of its customers' taps but, credit where it is due, it does know how to lay on a metaphor.  On the day almost 60,000 Hampshire residents faced having to queue for fresh water until the weekend the company, already carrying £6bn of debt

The UK's biggest water company has been fined £18.2m for "unjustified" dividends which the regulator said broke shareholder payment rules. Thames Water has been hit with the penalty by water regulator Ofwat over the combined £195.8m in dividends paid to shareholders in October 2023 and March 2024. It's the first time Ofwat has used such

Bestway Group, one of Britain's biggest privately owned companies, is preparing to launch a formal financial restructuring process for its Bargain Booze and Wine Rack chains of off-licences. Sky News has learnt that the group has informed landlords about plans for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) for its Bestway Retail arm. Property sources said the

The owner of the New York Sun is racing to salvage a £550m takeover of The Daily Telegraph after a period of exclusive negotiations to clinch a deal came to an end. Sky News has learnt that Dovid Efune is in London for talks with Telegraph executives, investors and advisers on the transaction amid growing

The cost of water bills will go up in the next few years, the industry regulator Ofwat confirmed today. The average bill will go up 36% but how much extra billpayers will be charged depends on what part of England or Wales you live in, and which water company supplies you. The sums are below