Finance

Published: 01 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Millions of households across Great Britain are facing higher energy costs from Thursday as the latest price cap comes into effect, prompting growing pressure on Chancellor John Healey to introduce additional support for families in next month’s Budget. The energy price cap for a typical household paying by direct debit will rise by 4%, increasing from £1,663 to...

Published: 30 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has warned that authorities must retain the ability to intervene in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence as increasingly capable AI systems create new risks for financial stability, cybersecurity and the wider economy. Bailey said the rapid development of frontier AI had created risks that were becoming increasingly significant, particularly as...

Published: 30 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Poundland’s management team is understood to be in advanced discussions over a potential rescue bid for the struggling discount retailer, in a development that could determine the future of about 11,000 jobs across its stores and operations. The proposed management buyout is reportedly being developed with the involvement of former Asda chief executive Andy Bond, who previously led...

Published: 30 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Ukraine is facing an estimated economic loss of $45 million for every hour in which missile warnings force businesses to stop operating, according to the country’s economy and environment minister, as Russian strikes increasingly disrupt the infrastructure, energy systems and workplaces needed to keep the wartime economy functioning. Oleksandr Kravchenko, who joined the Ukrainian government during the summer,...

Published: 29 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Britain’s insurance industry has warned that thousands of homes being built in areas vulnerable to flooding could face serious difficulties obtaining affordable insurance in the future, as the country experiences growing concern over the impact of increasingly severe weather. Amanda Blanc, chief executive of Aviva, one of Britain’s largest insurers, said the threat posed by flooding was “absolutely...

Published: 28 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The average price of diesel at UK forecourts has reached a new record high, adding further pressure to motorists and businesses as disruption linked to the conflict in the Middle East continues to push up energy costs. Diesel is now averaging 199.18p a litre across the UK, surpassing the previous record of 199.09p recorded in June 2022 following...

Published: 28 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online For millions of Americans, the struggle with the cost of living is no longer simply about inflation or the price of individual products. Increasingly, shoppers are questioning how prices are set, why they can vary from one consumer to another and whether new technologies are making it harder for people to know when they are receiving a fair...

Published: 28 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The managing director of family-owned jeweller Beaverbrooks has called on the UK government to give businesses “a bit of a break”, warning that rising employment costs and continued economic uncertainty are putting pressure on retailers at a crucial time of the year. Anna Blackburn made the comments after Beaverbrooks reported broadly flat sales and a decline in underlying...

Published: 28 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online For savers across the UK, the latest rise in fixed-rate savings returns has created an increasingly difficult question: is now the time to lock away money, or would it be better to wait in the hope that banks and building societies offer even more attractive rates? Fixed-rate savings accounts are currently offering some of their strongest returns in...

Published: 25 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online TalkTalk is racing to secure the future of its remaining operations as mounting financial pressure raises the prospect of administration, with the telecommunications group working to complete separate transactions involving its consumer broadband business and wholesale arm. The company said on Friday that it had entered the final stages of a sales process covering its consumer operations and...