Research & data journalism
Living investigations that turn official ONS, Ofgem and Bank of England numbers into answers you can act on – with every source, method and update date on show, and a calculator one click away.
Showing 8 of 8 investigations
From 29 October 2026, first-time buyers purchasing a home over £450,000 pay a reduced 20% Lifetime ISA withdrawal charge instead of 25%. This reform stops the 6.25% loss on your own savings while clawing back the government bonus, ahead of the proposed First Time Buyer ISA in April 2029.
Published 23 min read
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Learn how UK micro-importers work out the true landed cost of Alibaba orders using a free GB EORI number, Postponed VAT Accounting, and 10-digit HS commodity codes. Our 2026 playbook exposes hidden port fees, Delivered Duty Paid traps, and the October 2028 low-value import duty cliff.
Published · Updated 20 min read
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The confirmed Ofgem cap for Q4 2026 sits at £1,723 a year for a typical home. We chart all twelve quarters since 2024, uncover the £308 fixed standing charge divide, model four real-world household archetypes, and map the £133 regional postcode lottery across Great Britain.
Published 12 min read
Read Full ReportIn 289 of 361 UK local authorities (80.1 per cent), median private rent breaches the standard 30 per cent affordability threshold on a single wage. We analyse the wage-rent decoupling across all four nations, audit the Renters Rights Act 2026, test the rent-versus-buy hurdle across 12 regions, and map four real household budgets.
Published · Updated 14 min read
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A forensic audit of all 361 UK local authorities across rent, energy, council tax and transport reveals an annual postcode divide of up to £27,903. We expose the upside-down tax map where a £10m Westminster penthouse pays less council tax than a modest terrace in Nottingham, map ten municipal border cliffs, and audit four real household budgets.
Published · Updated 13 min read
Read Full ReportWith the Bank of England Base Rate holding at 3.75 per cent and headline inflation at 3.1 per cent, cash savers are finally earning a genuine profit on their money for the first time in years. In plain terms, that means the interest landing in your savings account is actually outpacing the rising cost of your weekly shop, rather than just keeping up with it. But don't celebrate just yet. Frozen tax thresholds are quietly dragging more of your interest into the taxman's pocket, even though your pay hasn't stretched any further. Add to that mortgage rates that remain stubbornly high and private rents climbing at 8.2 per cent, and it's clear this rare bit of good news isn't shared equally. Whether you actually feel better off this year depends entirely on where your money sits: tucked away in savings, tied up in a mortgage, or handed over each month to a landlord.
Published 10 min read
Read Full ReportWill solar panels, a home battery or a heat pump actually pay for themselves in 2026? We checked the official numbers: Ofgem price cap decisions, government monitoring of 291 real heat pumps, and Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics. Here is what they mean for your household bills.
Published 18 min read
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