Nous blog: Industry

October 1, 2024

Why the latest energy bill hikes are an HR issue

The new Ofgem energy price cap kicks in today, meaning the average UK household will be £149 worse off each year.

The cost-of-living crisis is battering workplace performance – and HR leaders need to act

Research by Nous for Business has found 74% of HR leaders said the cost of living crisis is affecting employee performance

HR has a cost-of-living retention problem: Here’s how to navigate it

Companies are struggling to keep up with pay rise requests – and it’s making the issue of retention even harder to manage.

The ‘perkcession’ – and why so many workplace perks don’t actually work

The age of ping-pong tables may be coming to an end. Employers are becoming less interested in 'fun' workplace perks, and are focusing instead on measures that make their team genuinely better off.

What’s happening to wages in the UK?

With UK wages continuing to grow at one of the fastest paces on record, Nous examines what this means for employers and their teams.

Industry

Nous

August 18, 2023

The UK’s mortgage timebomb is driving a new phase of the cost-of-living crisis

The Bank of England's decision to raise interest rates to 5.25% will strike fear into the hearts of millions of households whose fixed-rate deals are due to come to an end in the coming year.

The energy price cap is welcome, but won’t be the end of painfully high bills

The energy price cap update brings some good news, but tough times remain, explains Greg.

Shopping around for energy deals is coming back – but most people can already save

Energy bills are set to come down from July – but you don’t need to wait until then.

Why families are facing a £700 hit to their finances in April

Spring has sprung, but brace yourselves. Because a number of household bills are set to increase from Saturday.

The £100bn tax grab concealed in Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget

The Budget giveaways were not what they seem: the Chancellor’s stealth taxes could add £30bn a year to the Treasury’s coffers by 2027-28 years as earners are dragged into higher tax brackets.

Mind the gap: why the transport price hikes are unfair

Greg explains why this month's transport increases are the latest blow to London’s post-pandemic recovery.

Can you afford the increasing costs of parenthood?

The cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating Britain’s falling birth rate. But with the estimated cost of raising a child to 18 now £160K for a couple, is it surprising that people are choosing to have fewer kids? Greg explores.

It doesn’t pay to be single in a cost-of-living crisis

Everyone knows it's more expensive to live alone. But in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, single people are being put under huge financial pressure. Greg crunches the numbers to show the real price you pay for being single.

The big problem with small print and why we need to take back control

After working his way through all the small print that bedevils modern services, Greg finds truth in Dick Turpin’s old maxim ‘your money or your life’

The unfair burden on the fairer sex: why the cost-of-living crisis is hurting more than just women’s wallets

Lydia shares new research from Nous that finds the cost-of-living crisis is disproportionately affecting women – impacting their wealth and health.

Industry

Lydia Howland

Head of Service Design

November 18, 2022

What Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement Means For You

Yesterday's budget announcement included changes to taxation, the energy price guarantee, and public spending. But what do the changes mean for you? Greg explores.

Taking a closer look at falling house prices

With mortgage rates up, affordability tests tightening and commentators acknowledging that house prices are likely to fall next year, Greg asks if 2023 is the year that first-time buyers have been waiting for

In the dark about energy blackouts?

In the last 24 hours there have been a lot of articles with headlines such as 'Plan for three-hour power blackouts'. How worried should we actually be?

Re:cap: understanding the Energy Price Guarantee

Jon explores what we know about the Truss/Kwarteng energy plans and what it means for households, highlighting a key point that is being misunderstood.

Navigating the cost-of-living crisis with StepChange

Jon shares StepChange’s helpful tips for dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.

The fixed rate mortgage dilemma – should you stick or twist?

With interest rates rising, many households on a fixed rate mortgage are considering whether to remortgage now or wait until their fixed term ends. Jon explains how our new refix calculator can help.

An update on UK consumer energy prices (and other economic factors)

Jon gives an update on the latest changes in the domestic energy markets and some rather sobering predictions for consumers in the UK…

Examining the Chancellor’s cost-of-living measures

Jon unpacks the Chancellor’s cost-of-living measures announced earlier today.

Prosecuting the cost-of-living crisis perpetrators

As inflation hits a 40-year-high of 9%, Jon considers who's really to blame

Will Ofgem’s latest proposed changes to the energy market actually be good for customers?

Ofgem's proposed energy market changes would make suppliers that gained customers pay a punitive fee back to suppliers that lost them - would this really be good for customers?

The growing cost of being an ostrich

As the CPI confirms inflation has hit 7% and could reach as much as 10% in the months ahead, Lydia wonders why our research reveals so many households are still sticking their heads in the sand, and underestimating the impact of the cost-of-living timebomb.

Industry

Lydia Howland

Head of Service Design

April 7, 2022

Water bills: I haven’t heard much about them, should I be worried?

‍With much of the recent talk about utilities focussed on the astronomical increases in energy prices, we thought it was worth taking a few minutes to discuss the oft-forgotten water bill.

Getting up to speed: Are UK households paying for more broadband than they need?

Does greater broadband speed actually lead to better broadband? Emily explores.

What the Spring Statement means for households

Jon explains what the Chancellor’s statement today means for households, and how the help handed out by the Chancellor compares to the pressures facing households from the current cost of living crisis.

What does the base rate rise mean for your household?

Today the Bank of England lifted interest rates to 0.75%. Jon discusses what this increase means for UK households.

Making sense of the energy price cap rise

Emily explains what the energy price cap rise means for households, and shares some tips on what you can do now.

Why I’m railing against the latest train price rise

Lydia asks why there are incentives for having an electric company car and cycling to work, but not for commuting by train.

Industry

Lydia Howland

Head of Service Design

February 25, 2022

The economic aftershocks of Russia’s invasion

Jon comments on the potential economic impacts of Russia's invasion

Down & Out In Faversham and London: Why moving somewhere cheaper is advice based on doublethink

Lydia discusses why 'giving up Netflix and moving somewhere cheaper' isn't the right answer

Industry

Lydia Howland

Head of Service Design

February 3, 2022

The cost-of-living squeeze - what is it, and why is it happening, and how bad could it be?

Jon reviews how hikes in inflation, rising taxes, and soaring energy bills will leave UK households feeling the pinch

How will the government’s new green funding help households?

Jon considers the path towards more renewable and green household utilities in the UK, with the government, businesses and consumers all playing their part

Industry

Jon Rudoe

Co-founder & CCO