B&M shoppers rushing to stock up on 'warm and cosy' item that slashes energy bills

As the clocks have now went back an hour, the dark and cold nights are looming - meaning we'll be using more electricity around the house than usual.

One in three, or 35 per cent, of English households – equivalent to 7.2 million households – will see higher energy bills this winter than they did last winter, including almost half (47 per cent) of those in the poorest households, according to new research published by Resolution Foundation on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Charities are stepping up calls for the UK Government to introduce a ‘Help to Repay’ scheme on energy bills as research showed one in four households with fuel debts are unable to clear arrears. An estimated 6.4 million people are now in arrears with their energy bills - up more than 824,000 since April, according to a nationwide survey of 2,000 adults conducted last week for National Debtline, which is run by the Money Advice Trust charity.

Enter Shikari have called for solidarity and progress in securing the future of the UK’s grassroots music venues – urging fans and gig spaces to “show the Tory government and the landlord c**ts that our culture of live music is not for sale”.The band were speaking at last week’s Venues Day held by the Music Venue Trust in London, where they received the Outstanding Contribution Award for donating £1 from every ticket sold on their upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour back to the cause of saving grassroots gig spaces.The news came as it was revealed that the UK is set to lose 10 per cent of its grassroots music venues in 2023 – with calls growing for the “major leagues” of the music industry and larger venues to do more to pay into the ecosystem and save them.Giving the opening speech at Venues Day last week, drummer Rob Rolfe explained how Enter Shikari were “no strangers to grassroots music venues” and were even playing a key role in restoring The Pioneer Club in their hometown of St Albans.“Grassroots venues helped us cut our teeth, hone our craft, meet and be inspired by other musicians, and how to be a proper touring band,” said Rolfe. “It was also the platform to help us reach an audience and build our own fanbase.“It is guaranteed that we would not be where we are today in our career, without grassroots venues – which is why it was a no-brainer for £1 of each ticket from our biggest shows to go to support small venues.

UK Love Island star Lucinda Strafford has revealed she has joined the Australian version of the show. Taking to Instagram to announce the news, the influencer shared a picture of her posing in a black swimsuit, with the caption: "Lucinda is looking for love in the @LoveIslandAU Villa! Stream the new season of #LoveIslandAU from Monday, October 30 on @9now." Lucinda, 23, failed to find love when she first entered the UK villa in 2021, despite forming romantic relationships with Brad McClelland and Aaron Francis.

More than 10,200 people have signed an online petition calling on the UK Government to bring back the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) for winter 2023/24. The milestone is significant because it means the proposal has now reached the threshold to trigger an official response from the UK Government.

The Last Dinner Party made their Later…with Jools Holland debut by playing two songs – watch the videos below.The band played two of the three singles they have so far released, ‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘My Lady of Mercy’, both of which were produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + the Machine, Foals).Alongside the band, the episode also featured performances from Johnny Marr, Take That, METTE, Frankie Archer and Skindred.The Last Dinner Party recently completed their UK tour, and they are now preparing to cross the Atlantic Ocean and make their way to the US.They will play five gigs there, with stops in New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago. They will then make their way back to Europe as opening support for Hozier on his arena tour.Earlier this month, they also announced details of an “intimate variety show” that they will play at London’s Roundhouse on February 1, 2024, with support from Heartworms.Check out their full tour dates below and visit here for any remaining US tickets.In a five-star review of their live show in London in April, NME wrote: “The Last Dinner Party’s ability to go straight from something as potent and wrenching as slow-burning ballad ‘Mirror’ to hamming up the theatrics of ‘Lady Of Mercy’ is a hugely impressive skill: even this early on in their career, on stage, they prove to be masters of contrast.

James Arthur was rushed to hospital in 'agony' with kidney stones after performing at the Pride of Britain Awards last weekend.

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor EnergaCamerimage, the cinematography-focused film festival set for Torun, Poland, for Nov. 11-18, has announced that high-profile award contenders “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Black Lies” and “All of Us Strangers” will be featured in its main competition. “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the latest pic from director Martin Scorsese, takes audiences on a journey through 1920s Oklahoma to tell a heartbreaking tale of love, greed and betrayal.

Take That are gearing up to revisit standout moments from their decades-long career in a brand new podcast series. Across six episodes, Gary Barlow, whose wife was rushed to hospital earlier this week with an excrutiating injury, Mark Owen and Howard Donald will discuss their journey, starting out in the 1990s alongside former bandmates Jason Orange and Robbie Williams to topping the charts and performing at arenas.The first episode of Take That: This Life, named after their upcoming album, will be released next week.The band joked: “Who’d have thought after all this time we’d be adding professional podcasters to our resumes? “It’s been a real treat to sit down together and just chat – about some things we’ve talked about before and some things we haven’t.

IKEA has vowed to pass savings onto customers as it moved to cut prices over the next year.

A Salford councillor is stranded in Jerusalem with his wife and eight children amid the turmoil in Israel with missiles flying overhead. Independent member of the city council, Coun Andrew Walters, flew out to the Middle East for the Jewish festival Yom Kippur a few days ago with his wife, Chana, and children before Hamas launched their devastating attack.

King Charles is said to have delivered a "hidden message" to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that hints at their re-entry back into the royal world, an expert has claimed.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Gillian Anderson paid tribute to Terence Davies, the British filmmaker who directed one of her most acclaimed performances for “The House of Mirth,” crediting him with giving her “my first ‘proper’ film job.” Davies died on Oct. 7 at the age of 77 following a short illness.

Laura Anderson looked sensational as she walked the red carpet at the Pride of Britain Awards just weeks after welcoming her first child.

Following Queen Elizabeth's death last year at the age of 96, her cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent became the oldest living member of the Royal Family. Born on October 9, 1935 in Belgrave Square, London, Prince Edward was the son of Prince George and Princess Marina, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. He has led a very interesting life which has included being thrust into his role at a young age, carrying out decades of royal service, heading up one of the most secretive organisations and experiencing religious scandal within his own family.

Manic Street Preachers and Suede have announced details of a joint UK and Ireland tour for summer 2024. Check out full dates and ticket details below.The two indie giants first toured Europe together back in 1993, before last year they recreated the line-up for a US jaunt – with upcoming joint dates to follow in Japan this winter.Now, they’ve announced details of bringing the tour to the UK and Ireland next June and July, with each act playing for approximately 75 minutes of about 16 songs, and taking it in turns to play last each evening.“We’ve both got a dedicated fanbase, but we do share a gene pool and a rabid denomination of fans,” Manics bassist and lyricist Nick Wire said on BBC Breakfast this morning. “It’s because we never belonged to anything apart from ourselves.

It’s been reported that Fergie is set to bail out Prince Andrew in a bid to help him stay at his Royal Lodge mansion on the Windsor Estate.

Declan McKenna has announced a 2024 UK and Ireland tour in support of his upcoming album ‘What Happened To The Beach?‘.The 14-date run will kick off on March 23, 2024, at the Great Hall in Cardiff. From there, the ‘Brazil’ singer will make stops in Norwich, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Leicester, Bristol, Wolverhampton, London and Brighton.

Naman Ramachandran Disney sci-fi epic “The Creator” and Lionsgate U.K.’s horror franchise entry “Saw X” debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office — and the race was almost too close to call. “Saw X” won the three-day total with £1.92 million ($2.31 million), while “The Creator” was just behind with £1.89 million ($2.27 million).