Flood victims face land tax will increase to buy defences

The money collected would be wont to buy strengthening flood defences.

Plans to permit native authorities to boost the levy area unit presently being thought of by ministers.

Environment Secretary Liz Truss same county, wherever native authorities are able to increase taxes one.25 per cent to bolster defences, could be a "very good" model" obvious to MPs.

In total, six authorities area unit allowed to raise land tax by one.25 per cent on top of the cap of 2 per cent in 2016-17.

But currently it's as if the theme might be extended more.

When asked by MPs, Ms Truss said: "I assume if you investigate the structure for the county Rivers Authority that currently has the shadow precept so that they area unit raising that funding domestically and that i assume there is conjointly a task for that in addition.

"I assume the county Rivers Authority could be a superb model."

It comes as Storm Jonas continues to batter the country, triggering nevertheless a lot of flood alerts in several areas.

Thousands of homes in royalty, Cumbria and alternative components of northern European nation and Wales are flooded in recent weeks when significant precipitation.

Ms Truss told the Commons atmosphere Committee that troops and temporary flood defences were being sent to assist wear down the newest state of affairs.

The Government has pledged virtually £200million to assist folks hit by earlier floods, together with £100 million to owners and businesses.

Local authorities area unit distributing £46m of the funds.

The allow maintaining flood defences is £171m for the twelvemonth to 2016.

And is 'protected in real terms' over the course of the Parliament, which suggests it'll rise in line with inflation.

But Labour peer Lord Clark of Windermere said: "Flood defences area unit primarily a national responsibility and also the Government should not simply pass the buck on to native authorities and successively to native taxpayers."

Fury as south southeast delays snippet bills till when Easter

SSE has united to scale back gas costs on its commonplace tariff by five.3 per cent- when wholesale energy prices have dived by the maximum amount as forty per cent last year.

The price cut takes impact from March twenty nine, once homes can have generally reduced energy usage as temperatures rise and daylight will increase.

Critics slammed the move as a token gesture within the face of rising pressure to chop prices.

Steep drops in wholesales costs means that customers ought to be seeing costs cuts of a minimum of ten per cent, saving homes £120 a mean on year, consistent with comparison web site Uswitch.com.

SSE's move can save customers simply 1 / 4 of this quantity at £32.

Director of client policy at Uswitch, Ann Robinson, said: “Not solely is that this another token-gesture cut however why ought to customers got to wait till when Easter to check reductions to their bills?

"Lower costs area unit excellent news however costs will and may be cut abundant more."

In Nov south southeast discovered to shareholders it had inflated profits by a banging forty eight.2 per cent within the six months to Sept, compared to the year before.

Before tax the firm had created a large £548.8million.

Yet south southeast these days denied it absolutely was mistreatment falling wholesale prices to bolster margins, and pointed to its freeze promise that has been in situ since March 2014.

Will Morris, cluster director of retail at south southeast, said: "When we tend to declared our freeze, we tend to secure that we'd not increase costs however would cut them if we tend to may – and that’s specifically what we’ve done.

"This is our third serial reduction in social unit gas costs and shows our commitment to obtaining costs as low as we are able to and to fight for patrons during a ferociously competitive market.

“Wholesale energy costs account for Associate in Nursing ever-smaller proportion of the bill and there area unit totally different price problems poignant electricity and gas, however i'm happy that we'll be able to bring down gas costs 3 months before our current freeze is because of finish.

“Price is clearly necessary to clients however therefore is customer service and that we still invest during this space."

SSE's price cutting comes when rival E:ON last month cut commonplace gas costs by a mean of five.1 per cent.

The pressure is currently on Scottish Power, British Gas, NPower and EDF to bring down prices for patrons.

But households are urged to not wait and switch to the simplest price provider to save lots of on bills.

Ms Robinson added: "Big six commonplace arrange customers ought to switch to cheaper fastened deals, saving over £320 a year.”

Switching suppliers is simple and a few of the bottom costs area unit found with smaller suppliers.

Households will use a comparison web site to check prices and initiate a switch.

QUICK TRANSFER

Under quicker Payments, funds area unit transferred instantly, which suggests you've got no chance to prevent the payment if you at once spot your mistake, therefore contemplate setting non-urgent payments to depart your account every day or 2 ahead.

Black says that if you are doing send cash to the incorrect recipient, you need to tell your bank as quickly as possible: “If you're lucky, the wrong numbers won't correlate to Associate in Nursing actual account, during which case the payment ought to recover to you, or be command during a accounting.”

You should conjointly contact your bank if you've got received a payment in error and resist any temptation to pay the money.

Errors will still be a nightmare even underneath the new system, Black adds: “Your bank can attempt to recover the funds, however it's going to charge for doing therefore and can not be chargeable for any loss.”