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 21: 7th April - in this episode:
New bank branches
- After years of bank branch closures one of the major banks is to reverse the trend.
- Barclays is to open new branches and prioritise personal banking
- The new branches will have branch managers to help customers
- This follows the success that the Nationwide has had gaining a million new customers after promising to keep all is 605 branches until at least 2030
Subscriptions
- New laws will make it easier to cancel subscriptions and get refunds
- The average Brit spends £786 a year on subscriptions
- The new laws will enable customers to cancel with the click of a button
- Currently many customers have to make endless calls to cancel
Mortgage increases
- Another 1.3m homeowners face higher costs by 2028 as the result of the Middle East war.
- This will bring the total to 5.2m facing higher costs
- Landlords are facing the biggest increases while paying higher taxes
Electric vehicles
- Motorists are choosing electric vehicles as petrol and diesel prices rocket
- EC charging now starts at 6.49p per kwh or a full charge for under £7 overnight
- Filling a petrol car costs around £88
Food inflation
- Food prices are likely to increase by 9% this year
- UK farmers say without help there could be shortages of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and aubergines
Loss of confidence
- High street sales have collapsed with shoppers reluctant to spend
- At the end of March sales were nearly 8% lower than same period last year
Episode 20: 31st March - in this episode:
Inflation
- Stock markets have fallen on fear of inflation and slow growth
- UK inflation predicted to be 4% for 2026
- Unchanged at 3% in February
- UK manufacturers have suffered biggest rise in costs since Black Wednesday
Fuel
- Average price of a litre of unleaded petrol now over 150p
- Diesel is averaging 177p a litre
- If oil price rises towards $150 a barrel could trigger global recession
- Currently $112 to $114
Premium Bonds
- National Savings admitted failing to pay £476m of Premium Bonds
- 37,500 beneficiaries were unable to claim their inheritance
- Compensation will be paid automatically
Late payments
- Companies will face automatic fines if they do not pay suppliers in 60 days.
- Small business commissioner will get new powers to investigate poor payment practices.
Gold
- The price of gold has fallen 17% since Iran war began
- In January it topped $5,500 an ounce
- Last week it was $4,400
Solar
- Plug-in solar panels are to be sold in the UK
- Can save families up to£110 a year at current prices
Mortgages
- Five year fixed mortgage rates are cheaper than two year fixes
- Average five year fix is now 5.54%
- In January best rates were around 3.7%
- Around 1,500 deals have been withdrawn since the Iran war started
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.
