Buying smarter and cooking savvy
Cost of Living Campaign - Price Watch
THE UK is currently going through its biggest cost of living crisis for decades.
It is a fact that has been brought home by new Office for National Statistics data, which has shown salaries have dropped by a record amount in real terms due to high levels of inflation.
With consumers expected to take an even bigger hit this autumn when the Ofgem price cap is forecast to rocket once again, charities have urged the two candidates vying to be the next Conservative Prime Minister to introduce more support for vulnerable people.
Some private firms are also seeking to help, with the supermarket Iceland announcing a partnership with Fair For You so that shoppers can access micro loans towards groceries during school holidays.
Households reliant on oven cooking could save up to £604 per year by switching to more energy efficient cooking methods, according to new research by energy supplier Utilita.
Joining together with frozen
Our
highlights the impact of rising bills on our readers
food specialist Iceland, the pair are embarking on a first of its kind partnership, that aims to help those struggling with the rising cost of living, by offering practical solutions and advice on how to save money.
As the UK anticipates one of the most expensive winters in its history, Utilita and Iceland’s ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration will officially launch in early September to help families better understand the cost of cooking, and to help identify the most economical cooking methods available to them to make budgets stretch further.
As part of the joint campaign, both brands have committed to 11 pro-consumer, pro-planet pledges in total, which includes a massive overhaul of Iceland’s own-product packaging to reflect more energy efficient cooking appliances and methods, and a national ‘Cooking High 5’ consumer awareness tour, facilitated by Utilita outside Iceland stores.
The launch will also see the introduction of both brands selling the best value 4.5l air fryer on the market from Tower Housewares retailing at the discounted price of £35, enabling consumers to make their investment back in around 47 days of avoiding the oven. Air fryers will be sold at Iceland stores nationwide as well as online at www.iceland. co.uk and at Utilita’s High Street Energy Hubs.
Iceland has already announced a discount for older people and vouchers for pensioners, while also continuing its 1p sales.
Iceland’s Food Club scheme is a lending initiative that aims to provide financially vulnerable customers with interest-free micro loans towards their food shop.
It is run in conjunction with Fair For You, a charity-owned ethical lender that aims to support households that have been “financially-excluded” with the purchase of key necessities.
Iceland said in January 2022 that it had already given out more than £1 million in micro loans to more than 5,000 customers during the pilot.
The scheme has been backed by the UK government, social innovation charity Nesta and community charity the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Iceland Food Club allows all consumers to receive loans of between £25 and £100 that can be used towards buying groceries at Iceland during the school holidays. This money is held on a pre-loaded card operated by Fair For You.
To get one, you have to apply to the ethical lender on its website.
Initially containing an amount between £25 and £75, the cards can be used to buy anything in-store in Iceland or online at the supermarket.
They can also be topped up six times a year to a maximum limit of £100 through Fair For You’s digital dashboard.
You can only take out one loan at a time within the six top up periods - all of which are timed to coincide with school holidays.