How to check if you’re missing out on £150 off your energy bill

One phone call could save you £150 on your energy bill. Here is everything you need to know about how to claim.

Suppliers use customers’ records as of Sunday 23 August to check who is eligible for the Warm Home Discount.

The government scheme knocks £150 off bills if you are on means-tested benefits such as universal credit.

By calling your energy supplier to check if your name is on the bill, you could be in line to receive the discount.

Ofgem price cap

Ofgem is due to announce the quarterly price cap for the three months from October.

Why was it created?

To help those who might struggle to pay in winter, energy companies distribute a discount to 6 million households.

Who qualifies?

Households in receipt of housing benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and universal credit qualify.

• 1Households who are eligible should get the discount automatically, provided their supplier has over 1,000 customers.
• 2However, that only happens if your name is on the bill and you are receiving one of these benefits.
• 3Those who have recently moved or customers on pre-payment meters who use a key or card to top up will need to ensure that their household’s account is registered in their name.

Why kissing in public helps a happy relationship

Scientists have linked public displays of affection like kissing to greater happiness in relationships.

Researchers asked 461 people to rate how strongly they engaged in public displays of affection (PDA).

Researchers also asked people to rate the quality of their romantic relationship on a scale from one to five.

People who engaged in more PDA were found to have greater relationship satisfaction.

The study, published in the scientific journal , found the link between public displays of affection and relationship satisfaction across people in Poland, Indonesia and Nepal.

These are countries with different attitudes towards the acceptability of public displays of affection, which led the researchers to conclude PDA may be important for people’s relationship happiness across cultures.

The expert view

Public displays of affection are linked to relationship satisfaction because affectionate behaviour is one of the ways people communicate closeness, love and emotional connection.

Dagna Kocur, University of Silesia, Poland

The airport parking change that’s catching Britons out

UK ariports are now using automatic number plate recognition to track how long you park for and how much you owe.

What is the new system?

• Birmingham, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester and Stansted are among the airports now using the new system.
• There are no barriers prompting you to pay, so you’ll have to remember to pay online or by phone.
• The deadline to pay is midnight the following day at most airports.
• Failure to pay on time can net a parking charge ranging from £80 to £100.
• However, the fine is reduced if paid in 14 days.

• 1A King’s Counsel at a London chambers didn’t pay Heathrow’s new £5 fee when dropping off his daughter last year.
• 2The following night, he realised he’d forgotten to pay and was threatened with an £80 fine.
• 3He attempted to appeal against the fine but parking firm APCOA, which runs the system for Heathrow, turned down his appeal and appointed a debt agency to recover the money.
• 4The parking firm dropped the fine before the challenge went to court.

How to appeal a charge

Which? says you should first appeal via the operator that issued the parking charge. If this doesn’t work, you can contact the free Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) service within 28 days of rejection.

Before arriving at some airports, you can also register for an autopay account, which automatically charges your card – but you should always check how much you’ve been charged at any barrierless car park.

What is false autumn – and is the UK currently having one?

Following months of exceptional heat, spells of cooler, wetter weather can create the false impression that autumn is underway.

Is the UK having a false autumn?

False autumn is a term used to describe a temporary spell of cooler, wetter weather during late summer.

A false autumn often follows a prolonged period of hot, dry conditions.

The sudden change in weather from hot and dry to cold and wet can make the change feel more dramatic than it is.

Why do false autumns happen?

• Extended periods of high pressure are often responsible for heatwaves.
• Eventually, these blocking patterns weaken, allowing Atlantic weather systems to return.
• As cooler air replaces the hot continental air, temperatures can fall noticeably within a day or two, accompanied by showers, stronger winds and lower temperatures.

Is the UK having a false autumn?

While we are seeing a temporary dip into cooler, wetter weather early this week, the UK is still expected to see another huge spike in heat as the week goes on.

Some forecasts have predicted spells of rain in even the driest parts of the UK this weekend, however, it’s too soon to know if this will happen.

While we may experience cooler temperatures for a time, August remains one of the warmest months of the year in the UK, with characteristic highs of 30°C.

There is also a chance we may experience a spell of unusually warm, settled weather during early autumn, often referred to as an ‘Indian summer’.

A flight in Canada was cancelled after an unruly child refused to sit down and fasten their seatbelt.

Where was the flight?

The Porter Airlines service left the terminal at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia and was heading for the runway.

Who was involved?

According to the airline, a parent and cabin crew had repeatedly tried to secure the child in their seat to no success.

What happened next?

The plane was forced to return to the gate so the parent and child could be removed.

What about the other passengers?

The airline said that remaining passengers also had to disembark while flight plans were refiled and other paperwork was completed. Passengers were stranded in British Columbia for the night due to the delays.

The airline apologised to the passengers who were inconvenienced on Thursday – and confirmed they were rebooked on a different flight the following day.

Are you having as much sex as everyone else?

It’s natural for libido to wax and wane due to life events, dating status or hormonal changes.

And it can be hard to say what a “normal” sexual frequency is. But research and case studies give us a rough idea.

When it happens

61%

 A 2023 survey concluded that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of us wait until night-time to have sex.

Only 14 per cent opt to get busy in the early evening, and 10 per cent in the morning.

 Research from 2019 suggests that the average number of times British live-in or married couples have sex per month is three. 

Are Gen Z having less sex than older people?

I see my partner on the weekends and have sex with others in the week.

Leanne, a 27-year-old influencer from Bristol has sex three or four times a week, but only sees her long-distance partner on the weekends. They have agreed they can both sleep with other people during the week.

35-year-old Rebecca usually sleeps with her partner once or twice per week due to not having much child-free time.

Clare, 32, says her job is busy and she has to schedule sex with her partner on weekends, or some afternoons twice a month. “Occasionally this slips and I do worry that it makes us not as connected,” she says.

I haven’t had the issue of my sex life drying up with menopause. I’m more aroused now.

I’ve been married for 15 years. I love my husband, but our sex life is non-existent, and has been for about five years.

I’m not really motivated to seek out partners; I vaguely like the idea of it but not enough to take any action.

I’ve been married for 20 years and sex has become something of a rarity. We maybe have sex once a week on a Sunday morning as we’re both relaxed and I can take Viagra late on Saturday night – without it, I can’t perform.

JACK, 63, OFFICE WORKER, KENT

The seven rules that could save your marriage

Keep your sense of self

I did what I thought I was supposed to do and forgot my needs and wants. I think it’s really important that you’re an individual and not just a person who is married.

KATIE STRATFORD*, A 55-YEAR-OLD MUM OF TWO, WHO DIVORCED ATER 19 YEARS

The small things

Small things, like being brought a cup of tea or saying thank you, make a big difference.

Karen Deulofeu, who ended her six-year marriage, believes all couples should seek support, even before they think they need it.

Listen properly by repeating what you have heard and ask if you’ve got that right.

Don’t lose communication

People don’t talk about the deep issues; nobody else is going to do it for you. You don’t want to ask questions because it might rock the boat…you have to keep talking, and talk about what it is that you want within the relationship to keep going forward.

KATIE STRATFORD

Remember that things change

“What you see on social media and what friends say is quite often the nice version. Everything is a phase,” says Deulofeu.

Look at yourself first

“Focus on what’s in your control and what you can do differently, rather than the other person or a situation that you can’t control. Invest in understanding yourself,” she adds.

There are things that all mid-life men should know about keeping their hearts healthy.

From eating more purple fruit to avoiding large bowls of pasta, consultant cardiologist Dr Zoe Astroulakis [below] shares her simple lifestyle habits she wishes her patients would take on board.

Swap ‘bad’ fats for healthy ones

You don’t need to eat a fat-free diet; the key is to reduce your saturated fat. Reduce your dairy and swap your red meat for lean meat such as chicken and oily fish.

Control your portions

You don’t need more carbohydrates in a meal than you can fit in your hand. Enormous plates of pasta can cause blood sugar spikes, which can lead to health problems.

Look for purple

Blueberries, black grapes and aubergines are great for boosting “good” cholesterol.

Have oats

Porridge is one of the healthiest breakfast options because it’s full of soluble fibre.

Stop taking cocaine

It can provoke a massive heart attack, even in younger people who don’t have existing artery problems.

Stay below the alcohol limit

• The NHS guidelines of 14 units per week is still more than 1,000 additional calories.
• The safest level to aim for is zero.
• If you’re drinking, make sure you have some alcohol-free days each week and space it out.

Do cardio too

Don’t only focus on lifting weights. It might make you look toned, but it says nothing about the health of your heart. 

Check your levels

You can get free blood pressure checks in many pharmacies or you can buy a monitor for around £30 to use at home.

Avoid night shifts

It disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm and can lead to increased cholesterol.

A beer belly is a sign you need to make urgent changes

It’s usually a sign you’re drinking too much. By the time your belly starts to bulge, it’s a sign that you’re consuming excess calories and storing too much fat internally.