Home & Garden Less doorstep selling: more cold calls
18/08/2011
Energy doorstep sellers are under threat as consumer groups are calling upon the companies to stop door to door sales. Once energy companies are prohibited from promoting their services via doorstep selling, it has been predicted that a rise in telemarketing calls will come as a result.More Stories
Elderly and vulnerable Brits urged to make use of free gas safety checks as winter approaches
£200 million worth of potentially life-saving gas safety checks going unclaimed each year
Around £200 million worth of potentially life-saving gas safety checks offered free by the energy suppliers are set to go unclaimed this year, prompting the Gas Safe Register to launch a campaign today urging elderly and vulnerable Brits to find out whether they are eligible. 88% of elderly homeowners have never claimed a free gas safety check.
Homeowners over 55 rely on their mates when choosing a tradesperson
New research from Checkatrade.com, the UK's most trusted website for monitoring the reputation of tradespeople, has revealed that word of mouth is the most powerful tool to reach homeowners over 55 years old.
The research, which Checkatrade conducted amongst 2,000 homeowners, found that three quarters of homeowners over 55 said they trusted a reliable recommendation from a friend or family member more than any advertising or marketing.
Handyperson heroes
Last year over 115,000 handyperson jobs were carried out. Small home repairs such as installing grab rails, window locks, ramps and key safes can play a crucial role in helping older and disabled people live independently in their homes.
Hi Honey, i'm home!
Beekeeper Amanda Millar from Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex answered an emergency call from Sussex Wildlife Trust when up to 15,000 honey bees swarmed outside the entrance to their nature reserve at Woods Mill, Henfield in West Sussex.
How many Olympic Cyclists does it take to power your home?
You might be able to work out how much energy your home uses on an average day just by looking at your power bill, but if watts and kilowatts mean nothing to you then it?s hard to really put your energy usage into perspective.
Help our feathered friends as temperatures plummet
As winter starts to bite, the RSPB are reminding people that natural food sources for garden birds such as fallen fruit, berries and insects start to dwindle, and some species will rely on human help to ensure they keep their energy up.
How can I grow ginger?
A reader, Miss P Gillow, tells us that she adores ginger and has asked us whether she can grow it herself. We posed the problem to our gardening guru Carole Davies.
Over 65s ignoring fire risks
Over-65s are putting their lives at risk when it comes to the life threatening danger of a fire in the home, with almost 80% dismissing the possibility of fire.
Would you like to make a difference in your community? Join Nottinghamshire Crimestoppers !
Would you like to make a difference in your community? You can if you join the fight against crime by becoming a volunteer member of the Nottinghamshire Crimestoppers Committee.
Volunteering provides a valuable opportunity to make to make an impact on reducing crime and playing your own personal part in making your community safer. The Committee’s primary purpose is to promote contacting Crimestoppers to get information on crime and criminal activity within the County. Its work is varied, interesting and, at times, challenging. Activities include fund raising to meet costs, working in partnership the police, statutory bodies and other like minded groups to achieve crime reduction. Members are expected to participate in the Committee’s activities utilising their expertise and experience to help the Committee achieve its aims. Volunteers should commit to attending meetings and give some of their own time between meetings.
Three measures could help cash-strapped Brits cut home energy bills
Latest research from the Energy Saving Trust reveals that UK householders could save just over £2 billion every year by taking three energy saving steps.
Home insulation – it could be FREE!
Winters draws on - and with it higher fuel bills. But are you missing a trick by leaving your home poorly insulated - when you could get it done at a subsidised rate or even for free?
Help someone you know stay safe from bogus callers
Distraction burglaries, or bogus caller crimes are at their peak during the summer months, and the Consumer Council for Water has some top tips and a form to help householders stay safe from bogus callers.
Solar panels are now an investment opportunity
There are lots of reasons people install solar panels on their roof.
It may be to protect themselves from rising energy prices, a desire to reduce their carbon footprint, or concern about energy security.
Until recently, it certainly wasn't to make money. Cathy Debenham of YouGen says you can now actually achieve a return on your capital.
That’s because two things have changed. The introduction of the feed- in tariff is one. The other is the extremely low interest rates in the UK right now.
There's a 'cybercrime' victim every seven seconds
A new study estimates that Brits were targeted by 3.7 billion ‘phishing’ emails in the last 12 months alone. And a quarter of us admit to falling victim to e-fraudsters, with the average victim losing over £285 each.
