News in March 2006
- 31 Mar 2006 Hospitals will not cope UK hospitals would not be able to cope to cope with the extra demands of a bird flu pandemic, health experts are warning today.
- 31 Mar 2006 Energy prices Energy company Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has put up its fuel prices for the second time this year.
- 30 Mar 2006 McKechnie awards A parent who took a leaf out of Jamie Oliver's book to improve local school meals has won the Consumer Action award in the first ever Sheila McKechnie Foundation awards.
- 30 Mar 2006 Kids' dietary needs Most childminders and nurseries provide a healthy diet for young children, government inspectors reveal today.
- 29 Mar 2006 Phoning from abroad Mobile phone companies could be forced to cut their charges for making and receiving calls abroad, under EU plans.
- 29 Mar 2006 Trade disappoints consumers Home improvement and repair work causes the most heartache for consumers of any product or service, figures released today show.
- 29 Mar 2006 Inspector Home report People who buy brand new homes are getting a raw deal because of increasing numbers of faults, according to a report out today.
- 28 Mar 2006 Worldwide swoop on net scammers Thousands of websites are to be scrutinised over the next three days in a worldwide sweep for online scammers.
- 28 Mar 2006 Powergen announces gas price rise Six million gas and electricity customers face more heartache after Powergen announced huge hikes to its energy prices.
- 28 Mar 2006 Parking fees Hospital trusts are raking in as much as GBP 1.5 million a year each from patients for car parking, health chiefs have confirmed.
- 28 Mar 2006 Ofcom's rule changes Which? has slated proposals to curb the amount of junk food TV ads aimed at kids for not going far enough.
- 27 Mar 2006 No respect for elders England's public services are treating older people as 'second-class citizens', a report by three independent watchdogs has found.
- 27 Mar 2006 Detox product investigation The medicines watchdog has launched an investigation into the marketing of products for detoxing your body.
- 24 Mar 2006 Sky HDTV Satellite broadcaster Sky has announced it will launch its high definition TV (HDTV) service in May.
- 24 Mar 2006 Sports events in HDTV The BBC's entire coverage of this summer's World Cup as well as major Wimbledon matches will be broadcast in high-definition TV (HDTV).
- 24 Mar 2006 The end of commission selling? Shoppers at PC World will no longer face hard-sell tactics after the company revealed it is to ditch commission-based selling.
- 24 Mar 2006 Caribbean cruise ship blaze More than 60 British holidaymakers are preparing to fly home from Jamaica after surviving a fire aboard the 110,000-tonne Star Princess cruise ship.
- 24 Mar 2006 Product recall Reebokand Ikea have issued product recalls after fears about children's safety.
- 23 Mar 2006 Environmentally friendly TVs Chancellor Gordon Brown has announced a series of measures in his budget to help make homes more environmentally friendly.
- 23 Mar 2006 New digital radio Dualit, famous for its stylish range of toasters and kettles, yesterday entered the world of home entertainment by launching its first digital radio.
- 23 Mar 2006 Phones on fire Mobile giant O2 is recalling one of its phones over fears it could overheat and burst into flames.
- 23 Mar 2006 'Unsafe' airlines banned from Europe Ninety-two airlines have been banned from flying to any European Union (EU) country because they're considered unsafe.
- 23 Mar 2006 New screening delayed Cash problems in the NHS could delay a new screening programme for bowel cancer, doctors and charities have warned.
- 22 Mar 2006 FSA's salt targets Which? has welcomed government moves to further cut the amount of salt in food - but we want levels kept under close review.
- 22 Mar 2006 Court rules credit card protection applies abroad Shoppers who use their credit cards abroad are entitled to the same level of protection as when they use them in the UK, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
- 22 Mar 2006 The end of chiropractors? Using an osteopath or chiropractor to ease back pain is less effective than many people believe, new research claims.
- 22 Mar 2006 Royal Mail misses breakfast delivery for millions Eleven million homes across the UK don't get their post before 10 am, according to a survey into the performance of Royal Mail.
- 21 Mar 2006 Hospital performance A snapshot survey of 265 British hospitals has revealed which are the best at providing care for the over-50s.
- 21 Mar 2006 BT call cost curbs to be scrapped BTcould soon be able to decide how much to charge customers for phone calls and line rentals under proposals published by the UK telecoms regulator today.
- 20 Mar 2006 Ignorance at fault Widespread ignorance about prostate cancer is risking thousands of lives, a charity warns today.
- 20 Mar 2006 Water companies' standpipe warning Water supplies to thousands of homes across the south-east of England could be switched off this summer if the drought worsens and usage continues at the current rate.
- 17 Mar 2006 Soya milk scare Mothers with babies who are allergic to dairy products have been warned to be vigilant after a batch of Farley's Soya Formula was found to contain cows' milk.
- 17 Mar 2006 Mis-sold mortgage complaints Nearly 1.5 million homeowners have now complained that they were mis-sold endowment mortgages, according to figures obtained by Which?.
- 17 Mar 2006 Summer lawns Problem lawns can be transformed in time for summer as long as you start soon and use the right tools and the right tricks.
- 16 Mar 2006 Which? probes perfume prices Which? is investigating concerns over luxury perfume and cosmetic prices in the UK, after 13 of the biggest names in the industry were fined for price-fixing in France.
- 16 Mar 2006 Online price changes Supermarkets have promised to give shoppers clearer information about the prices of their online groceries.
- 16 Mar 2006 Ryanair begins charging for luggage No-frills airline Ryanair has started charging people who check in luggage before flights.
- 15 Mar 2006 Record high definition TV Cable giant Telewest has claimed victory in the race to launch Britain's first nationwide high-definition TV (HDTV) service.
- 15 Mar 2006 Sony delays PlayStation 3 Electronics giant Sony has announced it's delaying the launch of the eagerly awaited PlayStation 3 (PS3) games console until November.
- 15 Mar 2006 Call to reduce energy needs Which? is joining consumer groups from across the world to highlight the urgent need to tackle the world's energy problems.
- 15 Mar 2006 Food supplement scare Seven Seas has withdrawn several batches of its food supplements from store shelves after discovering the capsules were contaminated with chemicals linked to cancer.
- 15 Mar 2006 Rally for sustainable energy Which? is joining consumer groups from across the world to highlight the urgent need to tackle the world's energy problems.
- 15 Mar 2006 Government 'misled' workers over pensions
- 15 Mar 2006 Cash machine fraud fear is rife
- 14 Mar 2006 Cars expensive in UK British motorists can make big savings if they buy a new car abroad, according to a new European Commission survey.
- 14 Mar 2006 Misleading food labels Which? is pushing for a Europe-wide ban on misleading and unproven claims about health benefits on food labels.
- 14 Mar 2006 Prescription charge increase The cost of an NHS prescription in England is set to rise by 15p to GBP 6.65 from the start of April, the Department of Health (DoH) has announced.
- 14 Mar 2006 Heart disease breakthrough More than 2 million people in the UK have been given fresh hope in their fight against heart disease.
- 14 Mar 2006 Remedy cost rise The cost of an NHS prescription in England is set to rise by 15p to GBP 6.65 from the start of April, the Department of Health (DoH) has announced.
- 13 Mar 2006 Hosepipe ban for Thames Water customers Britain's largest water company is to ban customers from using hosepipes and sprinklers amid growing fears that South-East England will be hit by a serious drought.
- 13 Mar 2006 British Gas offers energy-saving rebate Nearly a million British households are being offered a GBP 100 rebate on their council tax bill if they install energy-saving measures in their home.
- 10 Mar 2006 More woe for Npower customers Npower customers face more misery after the company hiked up its prices for the second time this year.
- 10 Mar 2006 Consumers urged to join pensions debate Which? is calling on all consumers to take an active part in shaping the future of Britain's pension system.
- 10 Mar 2006 Eye scanning Eye scanning technology has been introduced at Britain's busiest airport terminal to allow passengers a fast track through immigration.
- 10 Mar 2006 Eye scan checks at UK airports Eye scanning technology has been introduced at Britain's busiest airport terminal to allow passengers a fast track through immigration.
- 09 Mar 2006 Traffic light labelling Which? has welcomed today's announcement of a scheme using 'traffic light' colour-coded labels to show the level of fat, salt and sugar in foods.
- 09 Mar 2006 Supermarkets investigated The 'big four' supermarkets are set to face a probe by the competition watchdog over issues including their land ownership and discounts that hit local stores, it was announced today.
- 09 Mar 2006 Cocktail of additives Some children's foods may contain a cocktail of additives which could have a harmful effect on youngsters' health, new research claims.
- 09 Mar 2006 Misleading claims A row over whether magnets have any proven health benefits is to be decided by the High Court.
- 08 Mar 2006 Fingerprint shopping Supermarket chain Co-op has introduced new technology which allows customers to pay for their groceries by using a fingerprint.
- 08 Mar 2006 New number for reporting minor crime A new hotline will be launched this summer for people to report non-emergency crimes such as graffiti and noisy neighbours.
- 08 Mar 2006 Coffee risks Scientists have claimed that drinking four cups of coffee a day could massively increase the risk of a heart attack for certain people.
- 07 Mar 2006 Severn Trent Water to refund customers One of England's largest water companies is to give refunds to customers after a probe found it had tried to overcharge them by GBP 42 million.
- 07 Mar 2006 Crackdown on store card charges Store card providers which charge 25 per cent or more in interest will soon have to give 'wealth warnings' to cardholders about their charges - and admit that credit may be cheaper elsewhere.
- 07 Mar 2006 Service stations Dirty and broken toilets, drab surroundings and food that tastes like cardboard - just some of the delights that await drivers at Britain's motorway service stations.
- 07 Mar 2006 eBay ruling Internet auction site eBay has been cleared of allowing contact lenses to be sold illegally through its website.
- 06 Mar 2006 Biometric passports This week will see the UK Passport Service issuing the first biometric passports to passport applicants.
- 06 Mar 2006 BT to boost broadband speeds BThas announced it is to boost its broadband speeds from next month.
- 06 Mar 2006 Healthcare Commission report Tens of thousands of stroke patients aren't getting the specialist care and support they need after leaving hospital, a health watchdog has warned.
- 03 Mar 2006 Apple launches the iPod Hi-Fi Applehas produced its own portable hi-fi speaker system for its range of iPods.
- 02 Mar 2006 Baby food warnings New Which? research on baby food has uncovered some products with less meat than the label suggests, and others that contain a large dose of sugar.
- 02 Mar 2006 Energy companies are cold calling kings Gas and electricity companies are the chief cold-calling culprits, according to a new survey of Which? members.
- 02 Mar 2006 Which?'s findings for online florists Which? has found big differences in quality and value for money when it comes to ordering flowers online.
- 01 Mar 2006 Freeview on your laptop The Freecom DVB-T USB stick, £40 online, is not much larger than a cigarette lighter and designed to bring Freeview TV to your laptop or PC.
- 01 Mar 2006 Food labelling confusion This month the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is due to unveil a labelling scheme that will highlight how much fat, salt and sugar are in foods.
- 01 Mar 2006 Atypical scrapie Which? is demanding answers from the government over whether a recently discovered BSE-type disease in sheep and goats could have implications for people's health.
- 01 Mar 2006 Compulsory water meters in Kent Millions of families across the south of England could be affected by a landmark ruling allowing a water company to install compulsory water meters.
- 01 Mar 2006 Stability control You can dramatically cut your chances of having a road accident if your car has stability control.
- 01 Mar 2006 British Gas could lose GBP 1 billion British Gasis in danger of losing GBP 1.27bn as customers switch away following the energy giant's huge price rise, Which? warns today.
- 01 Mar 2006 New low-cost locations One of the UK's major no-frills carriers is to be the first to fly to Africa.
- 01 Mar 2006 Demand for dentists Most people fear it will be harder to find an NHS dentist in England over the next year, new Which? research has revealed.
