Switching to a water meter or tapping into financial support from water companies’ social tariff schemes could help millions of low-income households stay afloat ahead of a wave of April bill rises. 

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is urging people that have been hit in the pocket during Covid-19 to join more than a million customers who are already receiving ongoing financial help from their water company.

Water is one of the few household bills set to fall on average from 1 April by about £2 but consumers still face many other soaring costs including energy, council tax, mobile phones, broadband and TV licences. 

Not everyone will also see their water and sewerage charges fall with changes to bills depending on a host of factors including where people live, whether or not they are metered and other individual circumstances. 

That’s why CCW wants customers on a low income to dip into the pool of help on offer from their water company with social tariff schemes, payment breaks or switching to a water meter just some of the options available. 

Senior Policy Manager Andy White said: “Covid-19 has hit millions of people in the pocket which makes the prospect of some significant bill rises in April even harder to swallow.”

“Water is often overlooked when it comes to saving money but whether it’s trialling the benefits of a water meter or seeing if you’re eligible for your supplier’s social tariff – there’s the potential to slash hundreds of pounds of your water bill.” 

Sign up to a social tariff – average saving typically £150

Every water company in England and Wales has a social tariff scheme that caps the bills of low-income customers who meet the eligibility criteria. Each scheme and the support it provides is different but CCW has a guide to these tariffs on its website. Bills can be reduced by as much as 90 per cent in some instances. 

Cap your bills with WaterSure – average saving £270

WaterSure is also offered by all companies in England and Wales. It limits metered bills for low income, high water users to – at most – the average bill for the region. Customers qualify for help through this scheme if they are metered; in receipt of certain welfare benefits and are receiving child benefit for three or more children under the age of 19 or have someone living at the property with a medical condition requiring high water use.

Trial a water meter – average saving £200

For smaller households - even those having to spend more time at home during lockdown - one of the most effective ways to cut their bill remains switching to a water meter. Water companies usually give customers two years to trial the benefits and return to unmetered charges if they’re unhappy – unless you live in parts of the south of England where metering is becoming compulsory. 

Over the past year more than 220,000 people have used CCW’s free water meter calculator to see if they might save money by switching – clocking up savings totalling £14 million. 

Give your finances a break with a payment holiday

Customers who just need some breathing room with bills might want to consider joining almost 100,000 households who have already taken a payment break since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Two new schemes are being launched to encourage more diversity at board level in the West Midlands.

One scheme will offer people from underrepresented backgrounds a chance to learn the skills needed to successfully secure a position on a board or committee of an organisation; the other will support local professional services firms to develop more diverse talent for their business. The projects aim is to equip more people from underrepresented groups to apply for board-level opportunities and, at the same time, encourage boards and recruiters to consider these applicants more seriously by demonstrating the value that these candidates could add.

The two projects are being run by the West Midlands Leadership Commission, which was set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in 2017, to help people from under-represented parts of society make it to the top of the career ladder.  Back in September the WMCA Board endorsed a renewal of the Commission’s activity following the influence of Black Lives Matter and the unequal impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on some communities.

This new phase of the Leadership Commission activity is being co-chaired by Anita Bhalla OBE and Professor Kiran Trehan. Anita who was awarded an OBE in 2009 for services to broadcasting and communities said: “The Leadership Commission worked for 18 months to interrogate the makeup of leadership in the West Midlands and evidence the barriers underrepresented groups, such as women and ethnic minority communities, face to reaching top positions.

“Our findings report ‘Leaders Like You’ set out the data and recommendations for the whole region, some of which have been taken forward. However, there are still huge inequalities to tackle and our next task as the Commission will be to take action that really focuses on getting more people onto boards.” The training scheme, called Get Board Ready opend to applicants on March 19 and will focus on the skills, knowledge and experience needed to apply for public appointments, and provide the successful cohort with training on how to apply and be interviewed for board level positions.

A workshop will give them the potential to be appointees with extra know-how and practical experience needed to clinch a position. The project aims to help achieve the Government’s aim that by 2022, 50% of public appointees should be women and 14% should be from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Meanwhile Professor Kiran Trehan, pro-vice chancellor at York University and director of the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Enterprise, Leadership and Diversity is working with businesses in the professional services sector to help make the leadership of their firms more inclusive and build pipelines to develop diverse talent within their organisations. The professional services are being targeted as they are a key sector for the region and the WMCA is participating alongside these firms.

The Leadership Commission was established by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and the WMCA Board in 2017 to investigate why the diverse makeup of the region’s population is not reflected at leadership levels. The Mayor said: “The West Midlands has a really diverse population, but we’re finding that this diversity isn’t being displayed at leadership level.

“This is a problem for boards and businesses, who are not connecting to talent that could help them to thrive, as well as for our communities, who are missing that representation and seat at the table. So the Leadership Commission is setting out to help rectify this situation by opening up routes to these top positions, and I am pleased we have been able to launch these two new schemes to help achieve that.”

Councillor Brigid Jones, who is the WMCA portfolio lead member for inclusive communities and deputy leader at Birmingham City Council, said: “It is vital that the diversity of our communities is represented in leadership roles.

“People need to have leaders who look like them and speak up about the things that matter most to them, and our region’s young population needs to know that these aren’t roles that are shut off to them; they are roles for them. These schemes have been devised by the Leadership Commission to open up opportunities and develop aspirations of all people across the West Midlands.”

Applications for the workshop in applying for public appointments will open on 19 March and close late April, with the workshop taking place in early June.

News Direct and Media OutReach - two newswires that are revolutionizing the news distribution industry with advances in technology, analytics, security and workflow - have entered into a reciprocal press release distribution arrangement covering the United States and Asia Pacific region.

Media OutReach clients will benefit from News Direct's full-fledged access to The Associated Press distribution network in the US, which includes the nation's leading newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, and online sites. Additionally, releases are posted to AP's popular app and apnews.com, the news agency's heavily trafficked consumer-facing site.

News Direct's geographic distribution capabilities are supplemented by its robust industry-specific reach, allowing for highly relevant targeting. Trade sector and consumer-focused lists are refreshed with each use for maximum effectiveness. The partnership also allows Media OutReach clients to issue multimedia such as infographics, videos and images as independent assets in line with journalistic preferences. As a confirmation of ROI, clients receive a robust Performance Report that includes postings on major portals including Yahoo! Finance and MarketWatch.

Media OutReach is the first global newswire founded in Asia Pacific and has a unique, in-depth understanding of the media landscape in the region. Its success has been driven by its technology-led distribution platform with an unrivalled Asia Pacific network, comprehensive database and precise editorial targeting capabilities which has proven to be highly-effective for PR professionals to reach out to journalists and editors - including influencers in their target media and countries. Through this partnership, News Direct's clients can expand their reach and build direct connections with journalists in the region.

Additionally, News Direct clients can leverage Media OutReach's extensive media partnerships which guarantee online postings. As such, they will see their stories posted on leading news portals such as SINA, Viet Nam News and AsiaOne among others, further enhancing their exposure in Asia Pacific.

News Direct clients will have access to the Media OutReach automated post release reports which provide qualitative and quantitative performance metrics. Importantly, this includes access to the proprietary Media and Journalist Insights dashboard, which provides insights such as the interaction between journalists and the press release including story open rates by publication, by country and eventual write ups.

"News Direct aims to differentiate itself in many ways," noted founder and CEO Gregg Castano. " but above all we want to be known for the unrivalled quality of our distribution network. We are proud to partner with Media OutReach, which has earned its reputation as Asia's most innovative and dynamic distribution service."

Jennifer Kok, founder and CEO of Media OutReach said, "This partnership enhances our USA distribution capabilities and customers can now distribute their news release and multimedia through its leading-edge delivery platform in America. Overall, this adds further strength to Media OutReach's global distribution network, and we are pleased to be working with News Direct.

The team at News Direct are industry veterans, many of whom are formerly from Business Wire and have built on their expertise to create an exceptionally strong distribution platform and service."

The British Army is set to be reduced by about 10,000 soldiers as part of a move towards robots, drones, and cyber warfare.

The defence review is likely to see the loss of some tanks and aircraft - but the government said there would be more ships, submarines and sailors. Numbers in the regular Army will be reduced to about 70,000 soldiers, having already fallen in recent years.

The UK’s Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, will make a statement in the Commons aster saying he was making decisions in the context of an increased defence budget. There were 80,010 soldiers in the UK's regular Army in January 2021, latest figures showed, down from 86,080 in October 2015.

Labour responded by saying the number of soldiers was being cut despite an increase in threats facing the UK. The latest reduction in the number of soldiers could be made through natural movement, with those who leave the service not replaced by new recruits.

As part of the military restructure, the Royal Marines will be transformed into a new Future Commando Force, taking on many of the traditional tasks of the special forces - the SAS and SBS. The force will receive more than £200m of direct investment over the next decade to carry out maritime security operations and to pre-empt and deter sub-threshold activity, and counter state threats.

Following the publication last week of the separate so-called integrated review of foreign and defence policy, ministers have said big changes are necessary to create a more agile military. As part of that review, the government increased the cap on UK nuclear warheads from 180 to 260.

Lovell Homes’ Station House development in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, has almost sold due to high demand, with its final apartment remaining. The former police station was recently renovated into 31 ‘one-of-a-kind’ one and two-bedroom apartments, including unique mezzanine and penthouse apartments.

With just the final mezzanine apartment available released at £275,000, homeowners are being encouraged to act quickly. Situated on New Road, the site has stood for more than a century and was the police base for decades in the town.

Part of the building dates back to 1885, when it was built as the County Police Station, replacing an earlier court and jail. The main police station, now known as Constable House, was built in 1911 as the headquarters of the Worcestershire County Constabulary and the Magistrates Court, including on-site police cells, highlighting the historic and important role of Stourbridge at that time.

Victoria House was formerly an accommodation block for officers, which featured a bar, lounge and pool room where they could unwind. Wendy House, the newest building on the site, formerly housed office accommodation. Both of these buildings are believed to date from the 1930s.

Stourbridge’s police station closed its doors in 2017 and was purchased by Lovell in 2018 and construction work commenced in 2019. The sales launch took place early last year and the first residents moved to their brand-new apartment in November 2020.

Trish Foster, regional sales director at Lovell, said: “We’re thrilled at how successful Station House has been since its launch. Despite the backdrop of the current pandemic, the homes at Station House have proven exceptionally popular, with almost 40% of the development selling out during the first lockdown alone.

“It’s been wonderful to bring a new lease of life to this historic building and restore its stunning police station features. We hope the new residents enjoy their lives within this remarkable development and feel proud to call it home.”

The development’s stylish homes have been built with many of the original police station features from the 1900s remaining, including the striking external blue doors and stunning ceiling of the old courtroom, in keeping with the main, historic character of Stourbridge’s town centre. Former police cells have even been converted into apartments, creating one-of-a-kind properties that offer the very best in modern and flexible living. 

Perfectly situated in the heart of Stourbridge, the development is surrounded by amenities including supermarkets and Merry Hill shopping centre, home to major high street shops, restaurants and more.

Stourbridge is in good proximity to Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton, with excellent transport links and a nearby train station making Station House ideal for commuters.

Station House’s marketing suite is now closed and private appointments must be arranged.

Firms across the Greater Birmingham have shown an “indomitable sprit” in the face of the grave crisis caused by the Covid-19 crisis, a new survey reveals today. The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) first quarterly business report of 2021 shows renewed optimism after the Prime Minister’s Roadmap to Recovery set out a blueprint for recovery.

GBCC chief executive Paul Faulkner says Boris Johnson’s assurances seemed to translate into greater levels of business confidence among firms in the region. He added: “Both profitability and turnover projections were the highest we’ve seen in 12 months. Elsewhere, it was a mixed bag – domestic and international sales saw a minor upturn but still remain in negative territory.

“Hiring levels picked up markedly. However, unsurprisingly, capex and training investment remains sluggish. The majority of firms continue to experience severe problems related to cash flow levels and we also saw a noticeable increase in the number of firms that are under pressure to raise their prices as the dual forces of Covid-19 and Brexit continue to bite.”

Domestic demand balance rose by five points to 47 but remained short of returning to positive territory as businesses attempted to adapt to latest nationwide restrictions. Across the board, 33 per cent reported an uplift in domestic sales – up from the 28 per cent listed in Q4; 27 per cent reported that their UK sales remained constant for the second consecutive quarter, whereas 40 per cent witnessed a drop in domestic demand (down from the 45 per cent noted in Q4).

Contrasting trends emerged from the two individual sectors. For the second consecutive quarter, the manufacturing balance for UK sales recorded a fall – this time by four points to 44. The service sector balance went up by seven points to 48 with a notable increase in the number of service firms recording an increase in domestic output (up from 27 per cent to 35 per cent in the current quarter).

The domestic orders balance score returned to positive territory for the first time in 12 months, reflecting the positivity generated by the Government’s announcements. Export sales across manufacturing and professional services combined rose for the second consecutive quarter.

However the overall balance score remained just shy of positive territory. In total, 30 per cent of businesses in both sectors reported an increase in international sales – an uplift of eight per cent compared to Q4. This offset the rise of firms in both sectors which recorded a drop in export sales (up from 29 per cent to 32 per cent) which lead to the overall balance score going up two points for 47 to 49. Again, differing trends emerged in the two sectors.

The service sector balance fell by one point to 47 because 33 per cent of service firms witnessed a fall in overseas sales (up from 29 per cent in Q4). The manufacturing balance made a welcome return to positive terrain for the first time since the start of last year; 37 per cent of manufacturers noted increased export sales over the last three months (compared to 19 per cent at the end of 2020) which meant the balance score went up from 46 to 53.

Professor Julian Beer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University, who sponsor the report, said: “The figures for the first quarter of 2021 represent a significant upside surprise. In spite of the imposition of a national lockdown, the figures actually represent a broad-based improvement on Q4 of 2020.

“This is quite remarkable given the enormous challenges created by both the lockdown itself and the impact of school closures on employees. It will be interesting to see the extent to which this is mirrored in national GDP data when they become available.

“Looking forward, it seems likely that we will see a significant recovery in activity moving forward into the second and third quarters of the year, which is cause for optimism after an extremely difficult year.”