The Weekly Consumer Report Podcast
Welcome to Parfitt Cresswell’s Weekly Consumer Report brought to you by broadcast journalist Glen Thompsett and award-winning journalist, author, podcaster, and broadcaster, Lindsay Cook.
Each week, we break down the stories that matter most to your money, your rights, and your everyday life - helping you make smarter decisions in a fast-changing world. Every episode is packed with clear explanations, actionable tips, and the latest news - so you can feel confident and in control.
Tune in to our latest episode and join the conversation!
Episode 32: 23rd June - in this episode:
New Prime Minister
The starting gun has been fired this week to replace the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer. So far it has been received calmly by markets,
Gulf peace prices
Brent crude oil fell to below $77 a barrel last week but has since increased when the US/Iran discussions were halted on Friday. Petrol prices are falling and so are wholesale gas prices.
Jobs
Job vacancies have fallen to the lowest level for 5 years at 707,000. HMRC figures also showed that the number of new recruits were at a five-year low at 540,000. Average pay increased by 3.4%.
Interest rates
The UK and US kept interest rates on hold last week. But the Bank of England said that its expectation was that inflation would be lower than it had predicted in April.
Government borrowing
Borrowing was up a third in May at £23.3 billion
Energy bills
The energy price cap is increasing by 13% next week. There are lots of fixed rate accounts that are cheaper. It is worth checking with your supplier to find out if they have a cheaper rate. Or check out price comparison sites regularly.
Water compensation
Thousands of South East Water customers are to receive compensation for the May water outages. The current heatwave is likely to cause further water shortages. Households received an average of £680 for the problems that started in November. Business customers should get more.
Episode 31: 16th June - in this episode:
Peace agreement
Oil prices fell and shares rose round the world when the US and Iran said they had agreed a framework to end the Iran- US war. Before the war started at the end of February Brent crude oil was priced at $72 a barrel. It rose briefly to $120 and on the peace announcement fell to $83.
Interest rates
The European Central Bank has raised interest rates for the first time since September 2023. The increase to 2.25% was in response to inflation increasing to 3.2% across the 21 countries of the Eurozone.
Food prices
Food prices are set to rise by more than 9% before the end of the year. But those shoppers who are using weight loss injections are saving an average of £400 a year on their grocery bills – a total of £780m.
House prices
The slowdown in UK house prices is expected to continue until next year. It can make it much longer to sell a property if it is not priced right. After adjusting for inflation the average property was worth less in 2025 than in 2016.
Space X
The biggest stock market float ever was launched by Elon Musk’s Space X last week. More than 100,000 UK investors bought more than £271m of SpaceX shares and made an instant profit.
Savings tax
More than 100,000 savers in the UK are facing a £5,000 tax bill on their savings according to HMRC. Tax can be saved by putting money into tax-free independent savings accounts. Married savers and those in a civil partnership can also change to a joint savings account to use both partner’s full tax allowances. Those with no other income can save more tax-free.
Car finance compensation
Millions of motorists waiting for compensation for being overcharged when they bought cars with finance between 2007 and 2021. Will have to wait until next year because car manufacturers and consumer groups have objected to the scheme from the Financial Conduct Authority saying they are unfair.
Meet Your Hosts
The show is hosted by Glen Thompsett, an experienced broadcast journalist, and an award-winning journalist, author, podcaster, and broadcaster Lindsay Cook, whose expertise is widely recognised; she’s a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4 and other outlets and has written extensively for the Financial Times. Together, Glen and Lindsay bring decades of expertise, a passion for consumer advocacy, and a knack for making complex topics easy to understand.
Legal Chat with Parfitt Cresswell
Hear from our legal experts as they discuss various legal topics in Legal Chat with Parfitt Cresswell. Answering the commonly asked questions we receive on a regular basis, Legal Chat removes all of the legal jargon and makes the complex world of law that little bit easier to understand.
