The coast is dear as costs rise at seaside
Seaside accommodation prices have risen by an average of 35% this summer compared with last year, according to analysis.
A study by consumer group Which? indicated that prices have been hiked in 10 of the UK’S most visited beach destinations, including St Ives, Whitby, Llandudno and Brighton.
People in England could be permitted to stay in selfcontained accommodation such as holiday lets from April 12 under Boris Johnson’s roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions.
Foreign holidays – which may be allowed from May 17 – are likely to involve several restrictions and requirements such as coronavirus testing and self-isolation periods.
This has led to many people booking staycations, resulting in them becoming more expensive.
Researchers looked at prices on accommodation booking platforms Airbnb and Vrbo.
A one-bedroom maisonette in Brighton has the largest markup, increasing in price from £53 per night in May and June 2020 to £127.
The cost of a one-week stay at a property in Llandudno has risen from £427 to £596, while seven nights in a property in St Ives has gone from £860 to £1,263.
Some price rises were more modest, with a one-bedroom cottage in Scarborough just 7% more expensive this summer.
Airbnb said the analysis was “misleading” and added that research has shown guests feel they are more affordable than other accommodation options.
Vrbo said it “does not set, change or influence the property prices a host chooses”, adding that holidaymakers agree to prices before they book.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “If people are prepared to pay more it’s essential they know their money will be protected or returned. “Make sure you choose a provider that offers fair and flexible booking terms, so you won’t be left chasing a refund if something goes wrong.”
IT’S predictable, but depressing. The big six energy firms have all now announced they’re hiking standard tariff prices by 9% on April 1. This will hit over half the homes in the UK. Yet you needn’t accept the price hike – sadly, in many ways it’s a fine on customers for apathy, confusion, or complex set ups.
Instead, you can simply switch tariff. Everyone should be checking now. Many can save at least £200 a year.
This is all about standard tariffs It’s the default deals that energy firms put customers on who’ve never switched, haven’t chosen a special rate, or once that rate finishes. It’s always expensive. Yet for the last couple of years they have been governed by a price cap that’s set every six months.
A few weeks ago it was announced that from April 1 the direct debit dual-fuel price cap would rise from £1,042 to £1,138 a year for someone on typical usage. This is primarily due to the wholesale rate of energy (those the firms themselves pay) having gone up rapidly after bottoming out due to low usage in the first Covid-19 wave.
A price cap isn’t really a cap
In truth, while it’s called a price cap it’s actually the rate for each unit of energy that’s capped. There’s
The cap on energy prices is rising, and providers are raising their prices accordingly
no maximum energy bill you will pay. If you’ve high usage you’ve a higher cap, lower usage, a lower cap.
And whilst the cap may be a ‘fair’ price, it certainly isn’t a good one. In fact, since the price cap has been in place, it’s been on average £200-a-year more expensive than the cheapest tariffs.
To show the size of the savings possible, here’s a tweet I got from Sarah “@Martinslewis just gone on to MSE energy saving and switched, saving over £400 on my energy bill, £500 with the price increase in April. Thank you”
All the big brands – British Gas, SSE, Scottish Power, Npower, Eon, EDF, respond to the price cap change, and like sheep they’ve set their new standard tariffs within £1 of it. For
Lidl has launched a new range of home spa goodies starting from just £1.49 so shoppers can relax without breaking the bank. It includes all you need to create a spa-like experience in your bathroom including a manicure & pedicure set (£12.99), a foot spa massager (£19.99) and this salt crystal lamp, right, for £9.99. those on prepay meters the price cap is going up by 8%.
That means if you’re on one of these tariffs – which over half of UK households are – then you’ll see your bills jump.
Now’s the time to compare prices When the price cap rise was announced, many people flooded to comparison sites. Yet that was in some ways too early; compared then, and the savings you were shown would be against what you pay today – the rate before April – so it was likely undercalculating by over £90/yr.
The small saving may have wrongly put some off switching. Yet now all of the rate cards for big firms have been published, so comparison sites have the right details, and you can see an accurate savings figure.
It’s worth noting that for those who have got a cheap tariff within the last 12 months, do a comparison and it’s likely you’ll find today’s cheapest tariffs more expensive than yours, because of that increase in wholesale prices – in which case unless your deal ends soon, stick where you are.
Don’t go direct Many big firms do not offer their best deals direct. They ONLY allow you to sign up for the cheapest tariff via comparison sites. That way they hope to win new business from those who are looking to switch, but can keep existing customers on higher tariffs.
These sites are also useful