Millions to get £150 off energy bills for further five years

BBC The course attracts both typical early 20s students and French government spies on day release University professor Xavier Crettiez admits that he doesn’t know the real names of many of the students on his course. This is a highly unusual state of affairs in the world of academia, but Prof Crettiez’s work is far…

AOL is shutting down the dial-up service that introduced homes across the US to the internet. The firm’s dial-up offering connects to the internet via a phone line and currently only exists in the US and Canada. Launched more than 30 years ago, AOL dial-up was known for its chirpy whirring start-up sound, but it…

Simon JackBusiness editor Reuters A rescue proposal by lenders to Thames Water has been criticised by other potential bidders, frustrated to have been frozen out of talks on the future of the UK’s biggest water utility. Thames Water is running out of money and is living on an emergency lifeline from the group of lenders…

Archie MitchellBusiness reporter Getty Images Virgin Media has been fined £23.8m for leaving thousands of customers without access to lifesaving telecare alarms during the digital switchover. Communications watchdog Ofcom fined the telecoms giant after ruling it failed to protect vulnerable users of the devices, typically elderly and disabled people, during the transition from analogue to…

Alex ForsythPolitical correspondent BBC A few weeks ago, I was driving along the M6 late at night, towards the West Midlands, when I came across the orange flashing lights and miles of cones that signify road works. Two lanes were closed and the overhead gantry warned of a 50mph speed limit on the near-empty motorway….

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