Newsroom

The Consumer Council has revealed a significant increase in the number of complaints about airlines it has received during the coronavirus pandemic. This comes as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Kelly Tolhurst, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) prepare to face the Westminster Select Committee on Transport to explain the Government’s policy on airline refunds on Wednesday 20 May.  

Following the news of easyJet’s data breach, The Consumer Council is advising all easyJet customers to be very cautious of any communications purporting to come from easyJet or easyJet Holidays.

Budget Energy customers in Northern Ireland may have been left with questions following the announcement that Flogas Ireland has finalised an agreement to purchase the electricity supplier. The Consumer Council is shedding some light into what the acquisition means for consumers.

The Consumer Council appreciates the announcement today that Power NI’s tariff will decrease 4.8% from 1 July 2020. This reduction reflects some of the recent falls in wholesale prices. The average Power NI annual bill will decrease by £29. This means that the average Power NI bill will now be £571 per year.

NIE Networks and The Consumer Council are reminding the public to stay safe and guard against bogus callers on the doorstep. There are concerns that bogus callers may take the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to take advantage of consumers.

The Consumer Council has launched a range of educational family activities, games and quizzes to teach kids of all ages and adults about their consumer rights, budgeting and how to avoid scams.

The Consumer Council has been urging the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure that airlines provide passengers with the refunds they are legally entitled to under EU regulations, following numerous flight cancellations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Consumer Council is advising households and small businesses to ensure their energy bills are accurate and as low as possible during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Royal Mail announced today (Tuesday 28 April 2020) that from 2 May it will reduce its service delivery by removing letter deliveries on Saturdays.  Tracked parcels and Special Delivery items and most parcel will still be delivered on Saturdays.

Trading Standards and The Consumer Council are warning unscrupulous traders to stop exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic to profiteer, or face action.