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Londra Gazete, 26 May 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 5

E.On UK boss warns 40% of ‘Two-child families paying £400

customers face fuel poverty a month more’

ONE of the UK's biggest energy one in eight of its customers were
suppliers has warned that up to 40% already struggling to pay their bills, BASIC goods and services for a
of its customers will be in fuel pover- even before the weather turns colder typical family with two young chil-
ty by October as it called on the gov- and the new energy price cap comes dren are about £400 a month more
ernment to help struggling homes. into force in October, which is ex- expensive than they were last year,
E.On UK boss Michael Lewis said pected to rise significantly. new data suggests.
the rise in energy prices is "unprece- A household is considered to be in Energy prices added about £120 to
dented" and a growing number of its fuel poverty if it has to spend 10% families' monthly costs as price caps
customers are in arrears. or more of its disposable income on rose and cheap tariffs ended.
Pay is rising more slowly than pric-
The government is facing calls energy. es, forcing many families to make
to levy a windfall tax on oil and gas Energy regulator Ofgem lifted the tough spending choices.
firms. price cap on gas and electricity bills The data from Loughborough Uni-
Education Secretary Nadhim Za- in April, adding around £700 to the versity is based on what focus groups
hawi said Rishi Sunak will look at all average household energy bill to take deem a minimum acceptable stand-
options. it to £1,971. ard of living.
"We will review everything," he For the 4.5 million people on As well as the essentials needed to
said to the BBC, adding: "We've got pre-payment meters - which are survive, like food, rent and heating,
£22bn in the next 12 months of typically used by people on lower in- the budgets include things the focus Gas and electricity costs have gone deals.
help to those people who need it the comes - the price of energy has now groups believe are needed to take up sharply over the past year, espe- Transport costs, including petrol
cially for those on the lowest tariffs, and parking charges, added at least
most." risen further, by an average £708, to part in society, such as internet ac- because of rises in the energy price £85 to families' outgoings, while
However, Mr Lewis said around £2,017 a year. cess, school trips and an annual fam-
ily holiday in the UK. cap and the disappearance of cheap childcare costs rose by £66 a month.

Royal Mail warns it will put prices up again

THE prices of parcels and It said it will need to cut costs
stamps are likely to rise again as more as a result, increasing its
Royal Mail tries to cover higher target to over £350m from £290m
costs, including wages, energy previously.
and fuel expenses. A spokeswoman said: "We ha-
The firm said it would try to ven't made decisions on future
"mitigate" the costs through prices, but we always careful-
"price increases and growth initi- ly consider the impact on our
atives". customers and ensure that any
Earlier this year, the firm hiked changes help to secure the sus-
first class stamp prices by 10p to tainability of the Universal Ser-
95p and second class stamps by vice."
2p to 68p. Royal Mail said it was also con-
The warning comes after Royal tinuing to change the business to
Mail warned it was facing "sig- cope better as its parcel business
nificant headwinds" from rising becomes more important than
costs. letter delivery.
Royal Mint unveils its

largest coin for Queen’s Teachers strike over fire-and-rehire dispute

Platinum Jubilee south-west London have begun a teachers. and re-engage", according to the
TEACHERS at a college in contract changes could affect 127
It called the proposal "dismiss
week-long strike against plans to The college said it was a "worst- Local Democracy Reporting Ser-
"fire-and-rehire" staff to reduce case scenario" for their 3,600 stu- vice.
A huge gold coin has been pro- special edition coin made of 15
duced by the Royal Mint to mark kilograms of fine gold is the mas- their holiday allowance. dents. The practice is when employers
Members of the University and
The strike action has come after look to change the conditions of
the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. terpiece in the Platinum Jubilee College Union (UCU) at Rich- the college proposed to dismiss their employees contracts - usu-
The 220mm diameter 15kg coin collection, combining the finest mond upon Thames College are all teaching staff and rehire them ally to worse terms. The union
was commissioned by a private craftsmanship and innovation set to walk out from 23-28 May. on new contracts with a net total said the changes could affect 127
UK collector for an undisclosed rooted in our heritage as the orig- The union said "deplorable" of eight fewer holiday days. teachers, but the college claimed
sum. inal maker of coins for the mon- the figure is lower since they is-
It is the largest coin the Mint archs and in celebration of Her sued notice of the proposals in
says it has ever produced. The Royal Majesty’s momentous 70 March. In a statement Richmond
£15,000 denomination coin was years on the throne. upon Thames College added that a
designed by coinage artist John “The largest coin ever made number of staff are on fixed-term
Bergdahl and took nearly 400 by the Royal Mint, it is a unique contracts which "may or may not
hours to make. piece of art that will endure as a be required depending on student
The reverse side depicts a legacy of the occasion for genera- numbers for next year".
The union said 97% of its mem-
crowned EIIR cypher surround- tions to come. “The one-off piece, bers who took part in a ballot vot-
ed by roses, daffodils, thistles commissioned by a private collec- ed for strike action, while 100%
and shamrocks, representing the tor, represents our growth as the voted for action short of a strike,
United Kingdom. home of precious metals in the which could mean that teachers
Clare Maclennan, divisional UK, making metals precious to will refuse to cover colleagues
director of commemorative coin our customers across all our col- and not reschedule classes after
at the Royal Mint, said: “This lections.” the strike.