A fraudster in the United States is using my name and email address to open accounts and buy goods and services in the US. 

Recent examples include a hotel booking and opening an account with an online store selling medicines and supplements. 

I’m spending a lot of time trying to convince various retailers that this is a case of identity fraud and that they should shut down the offending accounts. Often, there is no clear way to contact the site to report identity fraud, and/or the retailer has no system for dealing with my reports

Name and address supplied

How much value does a loft conversion add?

The report goes on to say that increasing the floor area of your home by 10% could add up to 5% value, while adding an extra bathroom could add up to 4%.

Commenting on the figures, Andrew Harvey, Nationwide's Senior Economist, said: 'We’ve used our house price data to look at the factors that affect the values of homes as well as the potential to add value. 

'Location remains key to house values, but other factors, such as the number of bedrooms, are also important to homebuyers. Home improvements that increase the size of the property, such as an extension or loft conversion, remain a compelling way to add value.'

Why an extra bedroom is key

'This analysis from Nationwide offers more proof that adding space is the key to adding value to your home. 

'To maximise the value added, ensure the space is practical and well-designed. You won't see the same increases in value for a poor quality conversion, or a conversion added to a house that already had plenty of bedrooms. 

'You should also bear in mind the number of bathrooms you have – ideally, you want a bathroom on every floor where there's a bedroom.

'If your home is in a high-demand location (eg, with good schools and transport links) or an area in which space is at a premium you will likely see a greater increase in value following a loft conversion.'

Navigating the loft conversion process

Planning permission and building regulations for lofts

One of the most common reasons homeowners regret renovations is that costs spiral or the end result doesn't meet expectations.

Ensuring your conversion complies with local laws is essential for a smooth sale later on.

In March 2025, we surveyed 33 Which? members who had converted their loft in the last 10 years. 

One member regretted not being more conscious of the regulations during the conversion: 'I was not aware of all the height lost in the loft due to the suspended flooring and the extent of the insulation required at roof levels as compared to the loft pre installation.'

Another said they regretted not going for a full conversion: 'I would like to have had a hip roof at the front as well as the back.'

How to find a reputable builder or loft conversion specialist

Finding a reputable specialist is key to ensuring a successful project. The figures above assume that the conversion is well executed – a poorly finished conversion may have a detrimental impact on the value of your home. 

A vetted professional will also ensure your project meets building regulations, protecting your investment and preventing legal headaches when you eventually try to sell the property.

'A free holiday still counts as a gift

Unfortunately, paying for the holiday is likely to be considered a gift by HMRC. 

That might not be an issue if you live for another seven years, in which case the holiday would not be liable for inheritance tax (IHT). If you die before then, the holiday’s value could be counted as part of your estate. 

If you plan to leave your home to direct descendants you’ll also benefit from the residence nil-rate band of £175,000. So your estate would need to be worth more than £500,000 (£1m for couples) before any IHT is due. 

If it’s a smaller trip and you spent less than £250 per person, this could be covered by the small gifts allowance. This can only be used for gifts to people who haven’t also benefited from your annual allowance in the same tax year, meaning that any other gifts you give those family members during the same tax year could be taxable. 

Which? Money 1-to-1 guidance

Our team of money experts can answer your questions big and small, on topics from pensions to tax and savings to scams.

Which? Money members and their immediate family get unlimited access to 1-to-1 guidance sessions.

New data from comparison website Compare the Market shows how much this can add to your annual premium. If your home has flooded before, you could pay £437 a year for your cover – £239 more than the UK average annual premium of £198. 

Even living near water can push costs up slightly, with average annual premiums at £210 – around £12 higher than the UK average of £198.

But the effects vary across the UK. Here, we break down where customers pay the most and least because of flood risk, and what you can do to get the best available price.

Where you live makes a difference

Check how affected you are in your region using the table below.

How flooding is getting worse

According to Met Office statistics, the winter of 2025-26 was the wettest since 1836 for the West Midlands, Cornwall and Leicestershire. The trend was widespread, with various UK counties recording seasonal rainfall rates among the top 10 on record. Of the four UK nations, only Scotland had a drier-than-average winter. 

These form part of a longer term UK trend of generally wetter weather, driven in part by climate change. 

According to the Association of British Insurers, ‘adverse weather claims’ – such as floods and storms – are responsible for an increasing proportion of the total costs insurers pay out per year. In 2025, the amount spent on flood claims rose by 38% to £312m. 

How this affects premiums

However, this trend could change if flood claim costs continue going up, with those living in high-risk areas likely to see the worst of it. And more of us will find ourselves in this category. 

In England alone, approximately 6.3m homes and business are considered to be at risk of flooding, according to the Environment Agency. It estimates this figure to rise to 8m by around 2050.

Amy Rootham, home insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: 'With millions of homes across the UK already at risk – and climate change expected to increase that number significantly in the coming decades – it’s becoming increasingly important for homeowners to understand their property’s flood risk and consider taking steps to improve resilience where possible.'

How you can get affordable flood cover

If your property presented a higher-than-average flood risk, it used to be the case that insurance could be unavailable or impractically expensive. Fortunately, there are options to find reasonably priced cover. 

But while generative AI might still feel new, there are even more sophisticated agentic AI models being developed. These systems don't just answer prompts – they also perform pre-agreed tasks independently. 

A retailer's AI agent might, for example, repeat orders of milk or toiletries, placing these orders autonomously for you. They might also independently seek out deals and organise deliveries on your behalf.

Your rights on misleading or inaccurate information 

The AI tools we have access to now aren't always accurate. 

So what will this mean when retailers start using agentic AI? 

It says all key information provided by AI agents – around prices, product information and your rights – must be accurate and in line with consumer law.

If a company uses an AI agent to provide a deal comparison service, for example, the AI agent must provide accurate results, as well as clearly disclose important information, such as how results are ranked and any links with suppliers.

How AI hallucinations are going to be managed

AI models can misinterpret data and 'hallucinate' results that are inaccurate.

The CMA suggests that businesses using AI should ensure there is a human actively checking that the AI agent is making correct decisions as part of the process.

If using AI for returns processes, for example, the CMA suggests that someone with appropriate experience should regularly review exchanges with consumers to make sure the AI agent is acting in line with the law and the retailer's policy.

It also advises companies to train their AI systems in consumer law.

Who is responsible if an AI agent breaches consumer law?

If a retailer's AI agent doesn't adhere to the rules outlined above – or if it makes it difficult for you to exercise your statutory consumer rights – it might be hard to tell who is responsible.

Retailers could be fined up to 10% of their worldwide turnover or face enforcement action if their AI agents break consumer protection law.

Crucially, the CMA states that businesses must act quickly if they spot that their AI agent is making mistakes or if there are problems.

The rules aren't clear on dodgy retailers and products

With this in mind, Which? recommends always doing your due dilligence – and following the below tips – before making any purchases recommended by an AI platform or agent.

How to shop safely online

We always recommend that you follow these simple steps to ensure you're shopping safely – and getting the best price – online.

Income protection insurance is designed to replace part of your income if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury.

A survey of 1,500 UK adults by financial services provider Shepherds Friendly found 59% of respondents didn’t realise income protection can cover mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety or depression.

Here, Which? explains what income protection covers, how it pays out and whether it’s worth considering.

What does income protection cover?

Income protection covers a wide range of conditions – essentially, any illness or disability that leaves you unable to work for a period of time. This might include physical conditions, such as cancer or a heart attack, or mental health conditions, including stress.

As with any claim, you will need to meet the insurer’s definition of being unable to work, which may involve medical evidence.

However, what is covered will depend on the policy. Pre-existing conditions are usually excluded, and income protection will not pay out if you are made redundant.

How income protection pays out

Income protection typically pays out a regular income rather than a lump sum, usually covering around 50% to 70% of your salary.

Payments don’t start immediately. Most policies include a waiting period, known as a deferral period, which can range from a few weeks to several months after you stop working. 

Once payments begin, they will usually continue until you are able to return to work, or until the policy ends.

How your ability to work is assessed can also vary. Some policies will only pay out if you cannot do your specific job, while others may consider whether you could do a different type of work.

Why many think they don't need it

The survey by Shepherds Friendly found 43% of workers said they don’t need insurance because they don’t earn enough, while 37% said they don’t need cover because they are healthy.

This suggests many see income protection as something they either can’t justify paying for, or won’t need.

But these assumptions can be risky. Lower earners are often the least able to absorb a loss of income, meaning even a short period off work could put pressure on savings or day-to-day finances.

While some employees may be able to rely on sick pay, this is often limited. Once it runs out, income can drop significantly, leaving many without a clear financial fallback.

Is income protection right for you?

Whether income protection is worth it depends on your circumstances. To work out if you might need it, consider:

If you already have strong financial support in place, such as substantial savings or long-term sick pay, income protection may be less necessary.

As with any policy, the level of cover, cost and exclusions will vary, so it is important to check what is included and whether it fits your needs.

5 ways to cut the cost of cover

If you are considering income protection, there are ways to lower the cost, depending on how much cover you need and what you can rely on financially.

In this episode, Which? Money’s Ruby Flanagan joins us to share her research into pension transfers, and reveals the reality faced by Which? members trying to navigate the process and to make managing their savings for later life easier.

Also, Lisa Picardo, chief business officer at PensionBee, explains why she thinks there should be an industry-standard 10-day timeframe for transfers, rather than relying on decades-old legislation that allows firms to take up to six months.

With pension dashboards set to roll out over the next year or so, more people are expected to locate and review their pension pots, likely leading to a rise in transfer requests. Without faster processes and updated regulation, this could create even longer backlogs, highlighting the urgent need for reform.

More podcasts from Which?

The Which? podcast showcases the best content from across our website and magazine. 

Plus, keep an eye out for bonus episodes that tackle important issues, from motoring and tech to health and wellbeing and travel.

How to listen to the Which? podcast

We're always releasing new episodes, and the podcast is available from wherever you usually get your podcasts.

As part of your subscription, Which? members also get access to exclusive podcasts.

Choosing the right sunscreen should be simple, but our experts have found that many shoppers are still being caught out by persistent myths regarding what is – and isn’t – safe when it comes to sun protection.

To help you stay safe, we’ve debunked five common sunscreen myths that could be compromising your protection.

Wearing a high SPF means less frequent application - MYTH

High SPF sunscreen isn't a free pass to reapply less often. 

While SPF30 sun cream will filter out 97% of UVB rays, SPF50 filters out 98%. You should still reapply every two hours to maintain protection, and top it up more often if you've been in the water or sweating heavily.

Once-a-day sunscreens last all day - MYTH

While there aren't masses of 'once a day' sun creams on the market these days (the term has fallen out of favour in the cosmetics industry with 'durable' being the preferred term), it's still worth watching out for the claims they might be making.

We previously tested once-a-day sun creams in 2016, which showed an average decrease of 74% in SPF protection on the products after six to eight hours of typical daily or holiday activities such as swimming, sweating and wearing clothes. 

Claims that these sun creams provide consistent SPF protection throughout the day could give people a false sense of security. Opting for a regular SPF30 or SPF50 sun cream and reapplying regularly is a better option.

SPF in make-up will protect your skin - MYTH

Make-up with built-in SPF shouldn't replace sunscreen. You'd have to apply a large amount to get the required level of SPF that it's claiming, and could leave you looking very odd when you're slathering on foundation.

A better option is an SPF50 face sunscreen applied under your make-up.

You don't need sun cream on a cloudy day - MYTH

Don't assume you're safe from the sun's rays behind clouds or windows. 

Having a base tan will stop you burning - MYTH

A tan is your skin's distress signal, and a sign that it's already damaged. When UV rays hit your skin, the body produces melanin to try to protect it, which is what causes it to turn brown.  

Building up a 'base tan' so that you can bypass the sun cream for the rest of the week is a bad idea, and every skin tone can be damaged by the sun's UV rays, so wear a sunscreen with at least SPF30 in it.

The travel team has revealed six underrated Spanish cities worth visiting that are easily accessible. An arty hub at the foot of the Pyrenees, an overlooked Andalucian foodie spot and a crowd-free medieval city in the south are among our favourites.

So whether you choose to tag a day trip on to your next holiday or are in search of somewhere new without the crowds, we have expert recommendations for your next Spain trip.

Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia

Jerez sits in the shadow of Seville, Cordoba and Granada, its showy neighbours who between them embody the popular image of Andalucia. Yet its orange blossom smells just as sweet, its flamenco is just as fiery, and at its heart Jerez is as historic as any of the big hitters – but without the tourist prices. 

It’s also the centre of the Spanish sherry scene, which, even if you’re not a fan, means you’re never far from fabulous food, particularly in the city’s tabancos - rustic, hole-in-the-wall bars where the wine flows straight from the barrel and spontaneous music can erupt at any time. You can fly direct from Birmingham, Gatwick, Leeds, Manchester and Stansted.

Cuenca, Castilla La Mancha

You’ll find plenty of drama in Cuenca – a medieval walled town which clings to towering limestone cliffs in the Castilla La Mancha region. It is most famous for its Casas Colgadas, or hanging houses, which spill precariously over the rocky ridge – and look in danger of being swallowed by the Huécar River below. You’ll get the best view of them from the Puente de San Pablo, an elegant iron footbridge that spans the gorge. 

Cuenca’s Unesco World Heritage centre has everything you’d expect from an enchanting Spanish town – a 12th-century Gothic cathedral and narrow, cobblestone streets lined with pavement cafes and flamenco taverns. It is also home to the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art. Day trip it from Madrid (the train takes just over an hour) or go all out with a stay at the Parador de Cuenca, in the former monastery of San Pablo – part of the Which? Recommended Paradores hotel chain.

Figueres, Girona

Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dalí, is just far enough away from Barcelona (60-90 minutes) that only more adventurous city breakers — or surrealist art enthusiasts — make the pilgrimage. But it’s a mistake to overlook this picturesque Catalonian city, and not just because of the huge, unmissable Dalí museum and reasonable accommodation prices (compared to pricier stays in Spain’s major cities). 

Keen walkers will be happy to hear that Figueres is located at the foot of the Pyrenees, surrounded by three national parks, and is conveniently close to the medieval city of Girona. And, importantly for summer holidays, it’s just 20 minutes’ drive from the beaches of Costa Brava, too.

A Coruña, Galicia

Beautiful, green Galicia, on the north west coast of Spain, looks more like Ireland than the southern Costas – thanks to an only slightly drier climate – but the food is amazing, the beaches and countryside are beautiful and direct flights from London take just over two hours. 

A Coruña’s long history as a great port is evident in the handsome Tower of Hercules lighthouse – built by the Romans and still guiding local shipping 1,900 years later. More recently the city’s become a summer refuge for visitors fleeing Spain’s sweltering interior. On a sunny day, the golden sands of Riazor Beach are far more inviting than better known beaches further south.   

Cáceres, Extremadura

If they ever build an international airport next to this fantastically preserved medieval city in the southern region of Extremadura, it will be overrun by tourists. As it is, it's mostly left to the cartoonishly huge storks that nest on the ancient walls and a few adventurous visitors who've driven the two and a half hours from Seville airport or the almost four hours from Madrid. 

The centre is almost like a living museum, with its high walls and narrow, cobbled streets, but there’s life in the atmospheric tapas bars around Plaza de Santiago. Stay for a plate of the exquisite local Iberian ham (from pigs fed on acorns from Extremadura’s great, oak forests) in Plaza de Santiago or – if you can afford it – visit the fantastic, three-Michelin starred Atrio, one of Spain’s great restaurants.  

Logroño, La Rioja

The changes were announced as part of the November 2025 budget, and will affect UK nationals living and working overseas, although HMRC estimates around 46,000 people currently paying voluntary Class 2 contributions abroad will be directly impacted.

Here Which? explains the upcoming changes, the new costs for workers, and the best alternatives to consider.

What’s changing and why does it matter?

To get the full rate of the new state pension in the UK, you need 35 years of National Insurance contributions. To get anything at all, you need 10 years. 

From 6 April 2026, workers living abroad will no longer be able to pay Class 2 voluntary National Insurance contributions to build their UK state pension. Instead, they will have to pay Class 3 contributions, which are more expensive. 

It currently costs workers £3.50 per week – or about £182 a year – for Class 2 contributions in the 2025-26 tax year.  

From April 2026, workers must use the Class 3 rate, which for the 2025-26 year, costs £17.75 per week, or £923 per year. For the 2026-27 tax year, the price rises to £18.40 per week, totalling nearly £957 per year.

According to the wealth managers at Skybound Wealth, this change means people living abroad will pay roughly £767 more each year at current rates to maintain their state pension record. Over 10 years, that adds up to more than £7,600 in extra costs, depending on how NI rates change.  

Any contributions you've already made will remain on your record and count toward your state pension. If you are currently paying voluntary Class 2 contributions from abroad, you can still complete your payments for the 2025-26 tax year.

How you pay determines when your final lower-rate contribution is collected:

HMRC is writing to workers affected by the change in July 2026 to let them know they cannot pay Class 2 for the 2026-2027 tax year.

The new 10-year rule

This isn’t the only change affecting people living abroad.

From the 2026-27 tax year, those living abroad must meet stricter eligibility criteria even to make Class 3 voluntary National Insurance contributions. 

You’ll either need to have lived in the UK for 10 consecutive years or have made 10 years' worth of UK-based NI payments. Previously, this limit was three years. 

However, HMRC guidance does offer an olive branch to certain taxpayers, with the previous three-year limit potentially retained for those who:

HMRC has also confirmed that those already paying Class 3 contributions from abroad do not need to reapply under the new rules.

The government says the changes are designed to ensure that individuals building a state pension from outside the UK have a ‘sufficient link’ to the country. It also argues that the higher Class 3 rate better reflects the value of the benefits paid out.

What happens to your private pension abroad?

If you move abroad, your UK workplace or private pension remains yours and stays invested, but your tax position and banking arrangements may change.

Additionally, some UK banks may require you to close or change your account if you move overseas permanently, meaning you may need to switch to an international account, which often carries higher fees and minimum balance requirements.

If you move your UK pension to an overseas provider, it will need to be moved to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). These are international schemes that HMRC has approved because they follow rules similar to the UK’s and report to it directly. 

Typically, UK providers will not allow you to transfer your money to any overseas plan that is not an official QROPS. However, even with an approved scheme, you may still face a 25% tax charge, alongside potentially high setup fees and management costs.

How your state pension changes overseas

The state pension will increase by 4.8% due to the triple lock in April 2026. The triple lock guarantees that state pension payments are boosted each year by the highest of inflation, wage growth, or 2.5%.

This year, the full new state pension amount is rising from £230.25 per week to £241.30 (£12,547 a year). Meanwhile, the full old basic state pension is increasing from £176.45 per week to £184.90 per week, taking the full annual amount to £9,614.

However, whether you receive this increase depends on where you live.

The UK state pension is only uprated if you live in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA), Gibraltar, Switzerland, or certain countries with a social security agreement with the UK, including the United States.

If you live elsewhere, your pension may be frozen at the rate when you first start claiming or when you left the UK.

According to the End Frozen Pensions campaign, around 450,000 retirees are affected, and those affected have lost out on over £26,000 in state pension increases over the past 15 years.  

Who else won’t get the full triple lock increase?

State pensioners who move to certain overseas destinations are not the only people who will miss out on the triple-lock increase this year. Others include: 

Originally developed as an assistive technology to help people who found traditional input methods difficult, voice control is now built into modern operating systems. Windows 11, for example, includes Voice Access, which lets you dictate text, navigate menus and control apps using spoken commands. It’s not an AI feature, so you don’t need a new Copilot+ PC to use it.

Below, we explore how voice control can be a powerful way to interact with your devices, whether you’re writing, multitasking or going hands-free.

On your smartphone

Control your phone hands-free

Voice control can be genuinely useful when you can't pick up your phone and type as you would usually – for example, when cooking, gardening or powering through an exercise routine in the living room. Both Android and iOS let you open apps, send messages, set reminders and search the web using simple spoken commands.

On both Android and iOS, you can also choose whether the voice assistant is active on the lock screen. There’s a potential security issue here, as a thief could take your phone and say 'Siri, take me home' to get directions straight to where you live. For this reason, many people prefer to switch it off. 

Use voice control safely while driving

Voice control on phones extends to their use while driving. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect to the entertainment systems of modern cars and enable you to offload things such as navigation and music streaming to your phone.

Being able to control this by voice is a much better option than trying to use a touchscreen – it’s illegal to hold and use a phone while you’re behind the wheel, unless you’re safely parked. Simply saying 'ask Spotify to play my playlist' or 'plot a route to Doncaster' gets you what you need (unless you don’t want to go to Doncaster) with the minimum of fuss.

It even ties into messaging apps such as Messages and WhatsApp. So your texts can be read to you – and a reply composed and sent – without you having to touch your phone. The same goes for phone calls. 

On your computer

Voice Access on Windows

Voice Access is Windows’ built-in tool for controlling your PC with your voice, and it offers three distinct modes. None of them require an internet connection to function.

Once it’s on, you’ll need to agree to a privacy policy, then choose your microphone and go through a short setup procedure that teaches you how it works.

Type with your voice

There’s a more interesting option here, too: Automatic Punctuation. With this off, you’ll need to say things like ‘comma’ or ‘hyphen’. But when it's switched on, it will infer them from your speech, which saves a lot of time and can make your dictation flow more naturally.

Switch apps and navigate your PC faster

Control your cursor more precisely

In this way, you can move your pointer over an icon with great accuracy. It’s also possible to number the icons on your home screen, so you can say 'tap seven' instead of having to say the full app name.

On your smart speaker

Make announcements around your home with Alexa

You can also change the Echo wake word from 'Alexa' to Amazon, Echo, Ziggy (if you’re a Quantum Leap fan) or Computer, so you can feel like Jean-Luc Picard, although its Earl Grey tea-making facilities leave a bit to be desired. This can be useful if you have multiple speakers and don’t want to trigger them all with one word. But when we tried it in a family home, we found that Echo responded more reliably to 'Alexa' than the other options.

Tips to get the best from voice control

Join Which? Tech Support

Which? Tech Support can help you keep on top of your home tech. Our experts explain things clearly so that you can resolve issues and feel more confident using your devices.

On 6 April 2026, the new tax year begins and the annual £20,000 tax-free allowance for stocks and shares Isas resets.

Here, we look at the advantages and risks of investing sooner rather than later.

Should you use your Isa allowance straight away?

‘That means money is invested earlier within the tax-efficient wrapper, giving it longer to benefit from the magic of compounding and potential growth. 

‘We can see how powerful early action can be in practice. For example, 28% of Interactive Investor Isa millionaire contributions for the year were made between 6 and 30 April 2025, shortly after the new tax year began.’

Is now a good time to invest?

It’s not just the Isa allowance to consider, as we head into the new tax year amid an ongoing war in the Middle East and the continuing fallout from global tariffs.

Some investors like to buy stocks and funds during downturns in the hope that share prices will recover, although it’s hard to know whether a drop is as low as prices will go or just the beginning of a major decline.

The longer you stay invested, the more likely it is (although not guaranteed) that you’ll be able to recover any losses sustained in difficult circumstances.

Should you try to time your investments?

If you time your investments perfectly, you’ll walk away with the biggest returns.

But no one has a crystal ball, and it’s a lot easier said than done. Getting the timing wrong can also mean you limit your chance to grow your money.

An alternative strategy is to invest a set amount every month over a longer period. 

You might not see the same highs as getting the timing exactly right, but you have a better chance of mitigating the lows of getting it wrong. 

As a regular investor, the value of your existing investments may fall (at least temporarily) in times of turmoil and when share prices drop, but you’ll also get more for your money when your regular investment buys up shares or funds at a lower price.

How to save with regular investing

Some investment platforms will offer discounts on trading fees when you set up a direct debit for monthly investments.

But some of the most intriguing recent research isn’t about energy at all. It’s about ageing at a cellular level, and how it might also help certain health conditions. 

The key takeaways

If your goal is… 

The study focused on people with severe mental disorders, who tend to have shorter telomeres and a life expectancy up to 15 years lower than average. The researchers’ actual conclusion was more cautious: coffee intake within recommended levels was linked to telomere length equivalent to an estimated five years younger biological age in this group.

What are polyphenols and how do they affect ageing? 

Polyphenols are natural, bioactive compounds found in plants that act as antioxidants, protecting cells from damage and reducing inflammation. 

Researchers tracked 3,100 adults over a decade and found that those whose diets were rich in coffee polyphenols had a cardiovascular ‘age’ that progressed more slowly than that of their peers who drank little or no coffee.

The reason may lie in phenolic acids, which help keep blood vessels flexible and also may help support healthy cholesterol levels. We cannot stop the ageing process, but while cardiovascular risk rises with age, the KCL research found that people with high polyphenol intake saw that risk climb at a significantly slower rate.

'Our findings show that long-term adherence to polyphenol-rich diets can substantially slow the rise in cardiovascular risk as people age. Even small, sustained shifts towards foods like berries, tea, coffee, nuts, and whole grains may help protect the heart over time,' explained Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, Professor of Human Nutrition at King's College London.

Can coffee help keep your gut healthy?

Can coffee lower your dementia risk?

A total of 131,821 participants were followed for up to 43 years, and the results found that drinking two or three cups of caffeinated coffee a day was associated with an 18% lower relative risk of dementia. 

Decaffeinated coffee, however, did not show the same level of protection. This suggests that while polyphenols (also found in decaffeinated coffee) help the heart, caffeine itself may help keep the brain healthier as we age.

The research also found that there is a ‘sweet spot’ in terms of how much coffee is best – a two-to-three-cup habit was beneficial, whereas drinking more than four cups didn’t add any extra protection, and indeed could disrupt sleep, having negative effects. 

The study also found that coffee’s benefits held up regardless of your genetic risk for Alzheimer’s. So even if dementia runs in your family, that two-to-three-cup habit appeared to offer a consistent layer of protection.

The lead author, Yu Zhang from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, noted that, of course, this isn't a ‘cure,’ but rather a tool for risk reduction.  

Coffee and diabetes

However, caffeine is a stressor. So, in the short term, particularly if drinking on an empty stomach and after a poor night’s sleep, caffeine can temporarily make your cells more resistant to insulin. 

Decaf or regular? Does the roast of your coffee or the caffeine content matter?

The answer to this question is, as so often the case, ‘it depends’.

The recent 2026 ZOE findings suggest that coffee's benefits for your gut are independent of caffeine. As mentioned above, the study found that Lawsonibacter thrived just as well on decaffeinated coffee.

If your goal is simply to maximise the amount of polyphenols you get, but you don’t like the effects of caffeine, then decaf is the perfect choice. As the polyphenols survive the decaffeination process, you get the health benefits without the sleep disruption.

Instant, espresso, or filter? Do they all have the same pros and cons?

Whether you choose your coffee based on convenience or taste,  2026 research shows that the method by which it changes the chemical fingerprint, and therefore its impact on your health.

Coffee and sleep 

Caffeine has a half-life of around 5-6 hours, meaning an afternoon coffee can still be active in your system at bedtime, disrupting deep sleep. Even if you fall asleep easily, this can leave you feeling unrefreshed.

What about milk – and other extras?

However, not all milks are created equal, and your choice can change how your body handles the caffeine hit. 

If you find that black coffee leaves you jittery, the solution may be as simple as a splash of dairy or soy milk. Adding a protein-rich milk may help some people feel a steadier energy release rather than the sharp adrenaline spike and subsequent insulin drop you might get from a black Americano on an empty stomach.

Oat milk is a favourite with many coffee drinkers for its flavour and ‘creamy’ texture. However, it has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Because oats are processed into liquid, the starches are broken down into maltose, which can cause a higher glucose response in some formulations, even in unsweetened versions.

For the healthiest cup, the latest nutritional data points toward three clear winners

Some soundbars come with a subwoofer, others claim to have subwoofers inside, while most at least give you the option to buy and connect one separately.

Subwoofers from popular audio brands, including Marshall, Sonos and JBL, start at over £400, so they are far from a cheap addition to your TV audio setup.

We've tested several soundbars with and without their subwoofers, so we've got a good idea of whether it's worth forking out for one.

Why don't all soundbars have subwoofers?

TVs typically struggle to produce low frequency sound, often because the speakers are just too thin to create the resonance required. 

Soundbars are deeper to fit bulkier speakers and do a much better job creating bassy low-end, but even the very best soundbars can't create the lowest audible frequencies that you'd expect to hear in a cinema.

That's what subwoofers are for. Interestingly though, our highest-scoring soundbars don't have one, and there are various reasons why manufacturers don't include them:

Do subwoofers improve the sound?

Sort of, but it's important to know that a subwoofer isn't a silver bullet that will turn a bad soundbar into a good one.

A subwoofer is only interested in the lowest frequencies and deepest bass, so it's not impacting the mid and high tones at all. 

Think of it as a drawer: with a good soundbar, you can pull it out most of the way, but adding a subwoofer lets you pull it out just a bit further. What's in the drawer is still the same, you're just seeing a bit more of it.

Subwoofers aren't always welcome either. We've tested several where the bass lacks subtlety and is out of sync with the rest of the mix. A good sub should blend seamlessly with the rest of the audio and when it doesn't, you'll find you're better off without one.

When they work well, they create a thick bedrock of low-end that makes whatever you're watching sound more immersive and atmospheric.

To subwoofer or not to subwoofer?

All that subwoofer information brings us neatly to our recent tests.

We tested three soundbars with and without their optional subwoofers to see if they made a big difference.

1. Marshall Heston 60 + Heston Sub 200

The Marshall subwoofer is almost as expensive as the soundbar and we weren't overly impressed. Does it add bass? Sure. Is that bass welcome? Not always.

The low-end is imprecise and sits separately from everything the soundbar does rather than blending in. For the hefty price, we expect the bass to be more subtle and refined. 

Sonos Arc Ultra + Sub 4

We had high hopes for the Sub 4, not least because it costs the better part of £1,000.

It's definitely one of the better optional subwoofers we've tested. The bass is punchy and precise, and never really felt separate from the rest of the soundbar audio, which is vital.

The low-end is strong, but doesn't overpower the rest of the sound.

3. Klipsch Core 300 + Flexus Sub 200

The Core 300 is one of the pricier soundbars on the market, but its subwoofer is at the cheaper end, particularly compared with the Sonos Sub 4.

Despite its price, the Flexus is impressive. It expertly renders the long deep drones that make thrillers and horror films so intense, and the louder rumbles from explosions and thunder without ever feeling out of step with the soundbar.

Whether you've bought one separately or the soundbar you have comes with one, make sure you're getting the most out of it.

Put it in the right place

Where you put it in your room is important.

They are typically designed to be understated, but subwoofers are bulky, so you're probably not going to want it too out in the open and it will need to be plugged in.

You want to find a spot in your room where the bass is strong and consistent. The easiest way to do this is to put your sub at ear height where you sit, then move around the room listening for that sweet spot.

Put on a piece of music with a lot of low-end to really hear the bass clearly. Once you've marked the places where the bass sounds best and is out of the way enough for your tastes, you've found your sub's new home.

Use your soundbar's equaliser

Most soundbars have a way of tweaking the subwoofer strength with an equaliser. 

In the settings you'll be able to reduce or increase the strength of the bass, or sometimes there's a separate setting for the subwoofer.

You'll find options to tweak mid and high tones, too, so experiment and see what sounds best to you.

Don't feel pressured to use one

Many soundbars come with a subwoofer, but you don't need to use it. If you find the bass off-putting, too powerful, or maybe your neighbours don't like it, then you don't have to plug it in.

A good soundbar will have a lot more bass than your TV and that might be enough for you.

This INIU gadget is the latest to drop in price. Right now, it costs just £13, which is its cheapest price in the past six months. 

It’s a pocket-sized piece of kit to keep your phone, tablet and headphones topped up while you're on the move.

INIU BI-B6 10000mAh Portable Charger

If you're worried about running out of juice on the go, this portable charger should keep you powered up. 

It can slip into your bag without taking up too much space. There’s also a handy LED display showing the remaining charge, so you always know exactly how much battery is left.

Is the INIU BI-B6 10000mAh portable charger any good? 

Read on to see what made the cut.

In this episode of Which? Shorts, we've spoken to our members to find out their real-life experiences with writing a will to find out which errors are most common, and explain the consequences of not having a watertight document.

Plus, we explain what steps you can take to ensure you will is error-free, whether or not you've made a will already.

More podcasts from Which?

The Which? podcast showcases the best content from across our website and magazine. 

Plus, keep an eye out for bonus episodes that tackle important issues, from motoring to tech, and from health and wellbeing to travel.

How to listen to the Which? podcast

We're always releasing new episodes, and the podcast is available wherever you usually listen to podcasts.

As part of your subscription, Which? members also get access to exclusive podcasts.

This deals round-up features only products we've rigorously tested in our labs – we never recommend 'deals' on duds.  

Our independent tests are objective and reflect how things are used in real life, so you can trust the accuracy of our reviews – make sure you read them before you buy.

Philips 3000 Series NA342/09

With a single drawer and a stylish design, the Philips 3000 Series NA342/09 is ideal for any kitchen that has limited counter-top space.

It has 16 cooking functions, from baking and grilling to defrosting and reheating, and the touchscreen has 12 presets: frozen fries, fresh fries, chicken drumsticks, meat, fish, breakfast, vegetables, muffins, vegan, dehydrated fruits, keep warm and a favourite button that lets you save your own preset.

The removable parts are dishwasher friendly, so you can save yourself time when it comes to washing up after dinner.

Puremate PM465 20 Litre

The Puremate PM465 20 Litre is a feature packed dehumidifier that includes a 24-hour timer, two fan speeds and a night mode which brings down the volume.

The wheels on the bottom of the device allow it to be moved easily enough from one room to another, and the overall performance in our tests was exemplary.

Haier HTW5618DWMG 

This Haier freestanding fridge freezer is designed to accommodate up to 12 bags of groceries.

It has full wi-fi connectivity, allowing you to control essential features via the hOn app on your smartphone or tablet. Key functions include super-cool, fast-freeze, holiday and eco modes. 

The fridge offers flexible storage with three shelves (one is adjustable) and a convenient water dispenser. At the bottom, two drawers optimise freshness: the upper drawer provides humidity control for fruit and vegetables, while the lower drawer features customisable temperature settings. The freezer uses an unusual design with two large drawers on telescopic runners, offering smooth, direct access to your frozen items.

Asus 16-inch Vivobook 16 (X1607QA)

Asus claims this mid-range 16-inch Vivobook 16 (X1607QA) is ‘more intelligent, more productive, more secure’. Considering the price, this laptop has an impressive array of features and specifications, including a rapid Snapdragon X-X126100 processor.

It also has a powerful dedicated neural processing unit (NPU), which qualifies it as a Copilot+ PC. This means it can perform certain types of AI-enhanced tasks without the need for an online AI service. Weighing 1.9kg, it’s designed to be used primarily on a desk because that's a substantial weight to carry around in a bag. 

That Snapdragon X processor is Arm-based, so make sure any peripherals (such as printers) or software you use have drivers that support Arm-based processors on Windows.

Silentnight Just Relax

Bag a bargain with this entry-level foam mattress, on offer at Argos. It's light and simply constructed from a polyurethane foam core, topped with pressure-relieving memory foam, and only 18cm deep. It's delivered for free, rolled up, so it's easy to carry into your bedroom. 

Beware if you prefer a firm sleeping surface as this mattress is as soft as they come. You may find that its sink-in top layer of memory foam makes it comfortable but a bit engulfing.

Google Pixel 9a

This mid-range Android phone comes close to the capabilities of the higher-end Pixel 9 series models and comes with the promise of seven years of security updates, too. It has a pOLED (plastic OLED) display, a very high peak brightness level and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s available in purple, pink, white and black.  

11-inch Apple iPad (2025)

The 2025 iPad (2025) is sure to tempt Apple fans, launching at almost half the price of an iPad Air and £170 less than the iPad mini. 

It has a 10.9-inch screen with 2,360 x 1,640-pixel resolution. It runs on the A16 Bionic chip with 6GB of Ram, which is the same processor found in the iPhone 15.

It has a sleek finish and comes in four colours: blue, pink, silver or yellow. It doesn’t come with Apple Intelligence, though, which is Apple’s latest software features powered by AI.

 LG 43NANO80A6B

This entry-level TV from LG incorporates the brand's Nanocell tech, which is designed to boost colour – that's unusual for a television that you can buy for less than £400.

For this price, you shouldn't expect a whole host of bells and whistles (gaming features are a little limited, for example), but there's still the option to use voice controls through LG's excellent Magic Remote, and recording is available, too.

Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute

The Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute bagless vacuum has a more generous dust capacity than previous models like the V7 and V8, so you won’t need to empty it as often. It comes with two floor heads: a universal brush head and a soft roller brush designed for hard floors.

You get an angled hinge attachment to help reach under low furniture, and it can be used as a handheld cleaner with the combi dusting and upholstery nozzle, crevice tool or mini turbo brush. It also comes with a wall-mountable docking station and a charger.

LG F4Y511GBLN1

LG says the F4Y511GBLN1 uses steam technology to reduce allergens by up to 99.99%, which might appeal to those with sensitive skin.

It has 12 washing programs, which is fewer than we’d expect to see at this price, but you get all the usual options such as cottons, delicates, synthetics, sportswear and an eco mode. There’s also a specific program for duvets and a quick 14-minute cycle for 2kg of clothing.

The AI mode is designed to optimise the wash pattern based on the weight and softness of the fabrics in the drum, but this isn’t something we've tested specifically.

April sale shopping tips

Check the Which? website 

As well as telling you which products are best and which are lacking, we’ve also put together a list of the best and worst shops. 

We’ve quizzed thousands of Which? members on their experiences of shopping in some of the country’s best-known stores and websites, as well as with lesser-known brands. 

Watch out for sneaky tricks

Some retailers use underhanded tactics to pressure you into making a purchase. 

These include anchor pricing (when products are on sale more often than they aren’t), pressure selling (‘30 people are viewing this right now!’) and dubious claims about the ‘before’ price of a product. 

Research customer reviews

It’s always a good idea to read reviews before you buy a product, but not all reviews are trustworthy. 

Returning goods

The regulations give you a 14-day window to return a non-faulty product, starting from the day you receive your goods. Many retailers will give you longer than this, but it's always best to check before you buy. 

From today, the price cap is set at £1,641 for a typical* household on a variable tariff. This is a drop of 7% from what you've been paying from January to March. It applies for three months.

The price cap protects domestic customers on variable tariffs from higher wholesale rates. It's particularly relevant now, as the global gas price is around double what it was before the conflict began.

Most customers on a fixed deal will also see a price cut from 1 April. Both cuts are mainly due to the government removing the costs of some environmental schemes from energy bills.

However, from July, bills are predicted to increase. The latest estimate is a jump of 18% from current rates, or £24 a month for the typical household*, according to industry consultancy Cornwall Insight. 

'Over a month into the Middle East conflict, energy markets are experiencing the kind of volatility not seen since 2022,' said Cornwall Insight's principal consultant Dr Craig Lowrey. 'A rise in July is pretty much unavoidable, but how high prices go remains to be seen.'

To protect yourself against predicted future price increases, it's still worth switching to a fixed-rate deal. There are a few options available, although choice is limited and companies are updating prices regularly.

Keep reading for more details on exactly what this means for your tariff, plus see the fixed deals that are still available today.

Variable-tariff customers: your energy bills from 1 April

The price cap on a variable, or out-of-contract, energy tariff drops by 7% from today. 

A typical household* will now pay £1,641 a year from April, a drop of £117 a year compared with January-March. That’s an average monthly saving of £9.75.

The price cap doesn’t limit your total bills; it caps the cost of each unit of gas and electricity you use. If your home uses more than average, you’ll pay more. If your home uses less, you’ll pay less. 

It's updated every three months by energy regulator Ofgem.

Fixed-tariff customers: your energy bills from 1 April

Fixed-tariff customers will also see bills cut from today. By now, your energy company should have told you your new rates and how much you'll save.

If you haven't heard yet, your energy supplier should tell you when it next contacts you.

You don't need to do anything for your new, lower rates to apply. They apply until the end of your contract.

Bills are falling because the government has removed the cost of two major energy schemes – the Energy Companies Obligation and Renewables Obligation – from all customers’ bills.

Almost all energy suppliers funded both schemes, so now that they no longer have to pay, they must pass the savings on to you. 

A few small suppliers had to fund only one scheme, so they have smaller savings to pass on to their customers. They include:

If you're a customer of one of these companies, you should still see a small saving. Exactly how much should have been communicated by your supplier.

Besides this, your fixed tariff's rates won't change until the end of your contract.

If you have a fixed tariff with a traditional prepayment meter (that uses a key or card), the savings will apply the first time you top up after 1 April.

Variable-tariff energy bills from 1 July

The current price cap of £1,641 for a typical household applies from 1 April to 30 June.

After that, the price cap is predicted to rise to around £1,929 a year for a typical* household, according to Cornwall Insight.

There's still time for this prediction to change. Energy regulator Ofgem, which sets the cap, looks at wholesale prices over a three-month period to determine its rates.

We're now halfway through those three months, so the higher prices in March will be factored into price-capped rates from July to October.

How much the price cap increases will depend on how much more global wholesale gas prices rise and how long they stay high for.

We're expecting the price cap for July to October to be announced around 27 May. 

'If higher wholesale prices continue, it will be the effects on the October cap that have the most impact,'  Dr Lowrey at Cornwall Insight said. The government has already said that it is considering options for how best to help energy customers through autumn if that turns out to be the case. 

Fixed-tariff energy bills from 1 July

If you're on a fixed tariff, the cheaper rates for your tariff from 1 April, when costs of two government schemes must be removed, will apply until your contract ends. 

No other terms of your contract will change. That will still apply even if the price cap jumps up in July. 

However, when your contract ends, you'll need to fix a new deal. You can find the end date of your tariff in your energy supplier app, your online account, or on your latest statement.

If you do nothing when your fixed tariff ends, you'll move automatically onto your energy supplier's variable (or out-of-contract) tariff. This is typically priced at the level of the price cap, which changes every three months. 

If your fixed tariff has exit fees, you don't have to pay them if you switch within the last 49 days.

Should I fix my energy prices?

We usually recommend fixing your energy tariff, and that's still our advice. It's still the best long-term option for most households. However, due to volatile global energy prices, the market for fixed deals is very limited at the moment.

When we last checked, on 31 March, the cheapest fixed deal cost around £1,785 a year for a typical* household. That's around £2.50 more each month than the January-to-March price cap.

Fixing a deal at around this price would mean you'd pay more than the price cap for the next three months (by £12 a month, based on a typical* household). 

You'd then expect to save around the same amount per month compared with the predicted higher price-capped rates in summer.

The exact price you'll pay for a fixed deal depends on how much gas and electricity you use. 

While incomes have remained broadly stable in recent years, the figures highlight the importance of the state pension and how many retirees rely on several sources of income.

Here Which? explain what the latest figures show and what it means for your retirement income.  

What’s happening to pensioners’ incomes?

The DWP's annual Pensioners' Income report looks at how much weekly income pensioners receive and where it comes from, based on a survey of 6,300 pensioner households and administrative data.

Pensioners’ incomes have roughly stayed the same over the past three years: according to the latest figures, the average weekly income for pensioners (after housing costs) was £455 in financial year 2025, compared to £443 in 2022.

For pensioner couples (where at least one person was of state pension age), the average weekly income in 2025 was £650. This was almost double that of single pensioners, who had an average weekly income of £332.

The importance of the state pension

The DWP’s figures highlight how vital the state pension is. Almost all pensioners (98%) receive it, and benefits overall make up a large share of income — 58% for single pensioners and 40% for couples.

The state pension is a particularly important source of income for those in low-income households.

For the lowest-income pensioners, benefits make up the majority of their income – 79% for couples and 88% for single pensioners. By contrast, for the highest-income groups, this falls to 17% and 29%.

The state pension age will rise to 67 from April, with further rises currently under review – but the effects of these changes won't be felt equally: people in low-income households and single pensioners, especially women, are all more likely to rely on benefits income.

What are the other sources of pensioner income?

Many retirees rely on a workplace or personal pension, as well as savings, investments and earnings to supplement the state pension.

This chart shows the percentage of gross mean income from different sources in the financial year 2025 for single pensioners and couples:

Are retirement incomes becoming more complicated?

The DWP’s figures suggest retirement income is changing.

For example, the average amount pensioners receive from their workplace pension has fallen by over 10% – from £369 to £328 per week – since 2021-22.

'In its place, more retirees are relying on a combination of workplace and personal pensions, savings, drawdown and, for some, part‑time work. That marks a fundamental shift in the retirement landscape. Where DB schemes offered certainty, today’s DC system places far greater responsibility on individuals to piece together a sustainable income.'

According to DWP figures, there's been a slight increase in the proportion of pensioners receiving earnings from employment: 16% of pensioners received earnings in 2025, compared with 14% in 2022. In some cases, this includes couples where one partner is below state pension age. 

There’s also been a statistically significant increase in the amount of people receiving income from investments: 62% of pensioners now receive income from investments compared with 58% in 2022. The average amount they receive per week has increased from £84 to £105 pounds.

4 tips for managing your income in retirement

If you’re relying on a mix of income in retirement, these steps can help you make the most of what you have.

1. Seek guidance if you’re unsure

If you’ve got a defined contribution pension, you’ll need to make important decisions about how to access and manage your savings.

There is free support available if you can’t afford financial advice. Anyone aged 50 or over can get free general guidance from Pension Wise, a government service run by Money Helper.

2. Make sure you claim benefits you’re entitled to

Income-related benefits can provide an important boost to your retirement income – and you may not realise that you’re entitled to support.

Applications for pension credit fell by 36% between February 2025 and February 2026, according to recent figures from the DWP. Pension credit unlocks a whole host of other benefits, including help with housing costs, bills and healthcare.

3. Top up your state pension

If you don’t receive the full amount of state pension, you may be able to top it up – even if you’ve already reached state pension age.

How much state pension you receive is based on your National Insurance contributions (NICs). You need at least 10 years' worth of NICs to receive any state pension, and 35 to claim the full amount.

If you reached state pension age on or after 6 April 2016, you can boost your state pension by buying voluntary NICs to fill any gaps in your NI record in the past six years. 

And if you looked after a grandchild or family member under the age of 12 while their parent worked, you might be able to claim backdated childcare NI credits. 

4. Make use of discounts and deals

And people over 60 can visit Culzean Castle and Country Park in South Ayrshire, Scotland – the highest-rated historic attraction in Which?’s most recent survey – for £16.50, saving 25% on a standard adult ticket.

Switching from a manual to an electric toothbrush can give you a brighter smile, guiding you on how long or how hard to brush, and the head moves much faster than when you brush by hand.

Is a cheap electric toothbrush as good as an expensive one?

You can still get a great clean with a cheaper electric toothbrush, you’ll just miss out on the advanced features of the pricier models.

Resident toothbrush expert, Manca Virant, says: 'Premium models from leading brands such as Oral-B and Philips Sonicare often include extras like various speed settings, brushing modes, digital screens and even brushing alerts. However, these don't automatically make it a Best Buy.

'First and foremost, a recommended electric toothbrush must effectively remove plaque. A Best Buy will also have amazing battery life; this often separates the great devices from the good ones.

 'We found some brilliant models at lower price points, but you may have to sacrifice some of the fancy-sounding extras to get an affordable all-rounder.'

Why you should never pay full price for an electric toothbrush

You can often find deals on electric toothbrushes during sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday.

We keep an eye on prices all year round and they can vary quite a bit. 

Less expensive models have smaller price swings but are often cheaper during sales, too. For example, the Philips Sonicare 5300 Series was priced between £48 and £170 in 2025.

Which is the best cheap electric toothbrush?

Which is the best electric toothbrush?

Features to look for in an electric toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes use a few different types of cleaning mechanisms. Some have circular oscillation so the head cleans around each tooth, some oscillate from left to right, and others are sonic, meaning they use high-frequency vibrations instead. 

Many electric toothbrushes have a two-minute timer, so you know how long to brush for. Others have an interval timer that lets you know when to focus on a different part of your mouth. 

It may also be useful to have a pressure sensor so you know how hard to press down as you brush.

Battery life could be an important feature, especially if you tend to travel a lot. Some toothbrushes last only a few days between charges, while others won't need charging for 12 weeks or more. 

High-tech toothbrushes may add a digital display and even occasionally smart connectivity, hooking it up to an app that guides you through where and how to brush your teeth most effectively. 

How often do I need to replace my electric toothbrush?

For people brushing their teeth for two minutes, twice a day, the NHS advises changing the toothbrush or toothbrush head every three months. Dentists also suggest changing it after illnesses such as mouth infections. 

Energy scams are popular among fraudsters and are typically spread using dodgy emails, texts and calls. While some can be easy to spot, others use sneaky tactics to make their schemes seem incredibly convincing. 

Below, we warn you of some of the most recent energy scams we've seen so you know how to avoid them.

British Gas scam call

Recent reports to Which? show that scammers are impersonating British Gas through cold calls. Worryingly, some recipients of this call noted that the caller knew information about them, including their email address and postcode.

A similar report explains that a cold caller claimed to be from British Gas and asked for personal information, including sort code, to check the recipient of the call was covered for boiler breakdown and repairs.

Other reports warned that callers have asked for their billing details and meter information, and that they were told that there was a problem with their upcoming bill. All appear to be an attempt to get bank details.

Reports are also circulating about cold calls from 'your energy savings adviser'. This is also likely to be a scam, and you should end the call and contact your energy supplier using a trusted contact number taken from a recent bill if you believe it could have been genuine. 

'Fuel subsidy' and 'winter allowance' texts

Scammers are using text messages to impersonate the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). 

The scam text tells you that the winter allowance offers a one-off payment of £200 to £300.

Another version of this message mentions an 'application for the fuel subsidy', which results in a 'one-time' payment of £300.

The messages will contain a link to claim, but this link will send you to a copycat government website, which will steal your personal and financial information. 

Avoid this scam by only accessing government services on the Gov.uk website, and do not follow links from text messages. 

Most people will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible in November or December 2026.

Energy-saving device adverts

As energy bills are forecast to rise in July, a new advert has popped up on Facebook and Instagram, which appears to be a deepfake video of a person peddling a plug-in energy-saving device.

The advert claims the device ‘analyses and optimises’ your power usage after plugging it into a power socket.

At the time of writing, the advert had reached roughly 155,260 accounts across the social media platforms and included a phishing link, which will steal your personal info, to purchase the £34.95 device.

The website claims that the device needs to be plugged in 24/7 and will lead to up to 90% savings on your electricity bill without changing your usage habits.

Reporting energy scams

Scam calls can be reported on an iPhone by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726.

If you have an Android phone, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.

For scam calls received on WhatsApp, open the WhatsApp chat with the dodgy phone number and tap 'block.' You can report the contact by tapping 'report contact' and 'block'.

Scam texts can be reported to your phone operator by forwarding them to 7726.

If you've lost money or spot an unauthorised transaction on your account, you should contact your bank immediately using the phone number on the back of your card.

Which? sent teenagers – wearing hidden cameras – into shops on the high street to try to buy vapes and book lip filler appointments. It is illegal for companies to sell vapes or book botox and lip filler appointments for under 18s.

Despite being aged between 14 and 17, the undercover teenagers were easily able to buy vapes and book a lip filler appointment. Some shops did ask the teens whether they were 18, but did not ask for proof of ID after they verbally confirmed they were of age.

Trading Standards services, based within local authorities, are the public body responsible for investigating underage sales, rogue traders, dangerous and counterfeit goods on a national and local level.

But despite enforcing over 200 pieces of legislation, Trading Standards teams across the UK have been depleted in recent years – meaning that our high streets are not being effectively policed for breaches of consumer protection law.

Which? wants urgent and serious reform to the consumer enforcement system to better protect shoppers, including on the high street.

Teens buy vapes without ID

Under the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015, selling a nicotine inhaling product – including devices, cartridges and refill vaping liquids containing nicotine – to anyone aged under 18 is a criminal offence.

It’s Trading Standards’ responsibility to check these rules are being followed, for example by carrying out visits and spot checks to premises.

With no meaningful enforcement in place, Which? wanted to see how easy it was for underage shoppers to buy vapes on the high street.

Our teenagers – aged between 14 and 17 – were equipped with a hidden camera, visiting shops that sold vapes.

It didn’t take long for our first successful sale, and by the end of the day, out of the eight shops we visited, five of them happily sold nicotine vapes to our underage secret shoppers.

In some cases the shops didn’t ask for ID at all. Other times, the teenager was asked for ID and when they said they didn’t have it with them, they were sold the vape regardless.

During one of these shops, when asked for their age, the teenager said they were 18. They were then asked for ID, but said they didn’t have it. Despite not having ID, the shop then tried to upsell the teenager a deal for two vapes for £20.

Which? has reported these companies to Trading Standards. The offence of selling nicotine vapes to children carries a fine of £2,500.

One of the vape shops said it takes the issue of underage sales extremely seriously and that its staff are instructed to request valid ID from customers who appear under 18. Following our findings, it said it's taking steps to reinforce its procedures, including retraining staff and ensuring stricter ID checks are applied.

Which? contacted the other shops for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 

Lip filler appointments

It’s illegal to administer botox or lip filler to a person under 18 in England, even if they have the permission of someone of age.

It’s also an offence to make arrangements or book an appointment to provide these treatments to people under 18.

Despite this, one of the secret shoppers, aged 17, wasn’t checked for her ID when she went into a cosmetic store, asking for a lip filler appointment.

She booked in the appointment (which she did not attend), and was then given a consultation where the lip filler treatment was discussed in length – and was recorded on her hidden camera. She was not asked for proof of age checks at any point.

Which? has similarly reported the shop to Trading Standards.

High streets across the UK impacted

For this undercover research, Which? chose one of the high streets with the fewest number of Trading Standards staff per 100,000 people.

But the issue isn’t specific to this particular high street; across the country Trading Standards teams are stretched too thinly to do their jobs enforcing a broad range of consumer protections and other laws properly.

Shockingly, one fifth (36 out of 187) of Trading Standards teams reported no criminal prosecutions in the 2023-24 financial year. A further 25 reported only one criminal prosecution.

With Trading Standards’ resources under enormous strain, and dealing with ever more complex businesses and national issues, consumers – including underage shoppers – may find themselves more exposed to crime due to a lack of effective enforcement.

Consumer protection needs better enforcement

With the consumer enforcement system under strain, the need for effective consumer protection is higher than ever.

Which? believes urgent and serious reform of consumer enforcement is needed, including a review of what Trading Standards should do and how. The hollowing out of enforcement services has left some areas with less than one Trading Standards officer per 100,000 people. Despite low resources, enforcement teams – stretched thin – are left to take on large companies and sophisticated crime.

Which? wants the government to restructure the consumer enforcement system, with more focus on its effectiveness, including a better use of intelligence data and sharing of services between what happens nationally, regionally and at local level. Which? also wants to see greater oversight and accountability.

But there is plenty that airlines can do to soften the blow, especially if they follow the law and open their wallets. 

When Massimiliano, 47, was bumped off a flight from Rome to Larnaca last summer, airline staff offered him €400 compensation and a new flight two days later. But as he waited at the hotel, he spotted something strange. His Wizz Air account had been credited with just €100 of non-exchangeable Wizz Air flight vouchers. The airline had changed its mind. Five months later, he was still fighting for the promised amount.

When Massimiliano was bumped, airline staff even gave him a ‘denied boarding’ form, committing to paying €400 in compensation. So what happened? 

According to Wizz Air, Massimiliano had agreed to its ‘voluntary rebooking offer’ – an unassuming tick-box during online check-in that asks passengers whether they would consider taking a later flight if there weren’t enough seats available, in exchange for €100  Wizz Credits. 

What the box doesn’t disclose is that if you tick it, the airline will apparently regard it as you surrendering your legal right to EC261 compensation and, in the process, hundreds of euros if you’re subsequently bumped. 

And while the airline still has to get you to your destination, even if you agree to voluntary rebooking, volunteers also lose their legal right to paid hotel accommodation if stuck overnight.

When we asked Wizz Air why Massimiliano had been offered, then denied, €400 in compensation, it said: ‘Regrettably, this occurred due to ground handlers, who didn’t consider the voluntary offer Massimiliano had already accepted… one of the agents overlooked the voluntary [€100] offer and completed the form with the incorrect amount of €400.’ 

It apologised, later agreeing to pay the €400 after all, and said it was providing additional training to employees. Although Wizz Air insisted that he volunteered, Massimiliano doesn’t recall agreeing to its ‘offer’ in the slightest. Either way, Wizz Air does nothing to alert potential volunteers to the fact that if they tick the box it will treat this as agreement to less compensation than they’re legally entitled to. 

Why do airlines offer money to give up your seat?

Airlines are allowed to bump passengers from flights. They routinely oversell seats, expecting some passengers  not to show up, in order to maximise profits. But there are rules in the UK and EU to protect passengers in this situation. Carriers can’t pick people to deny boarding until they first ask for volunteers – and advise them of their rights under EC261 or UK261. 

How much do you get for being bumped off a flight?

Volunteers on European/UK routes tend to be offered amounts just over EC261 compensation. Ben, for example, got £260 and a hotel for the night after volunteering on an easyJet flight from Lisbon to Bristol in May 2025. Last November, easyJet offered Mike €300 to take a later flight from Berlin to London. 

Which? member Caz also told us that she’d been offered €300 to give up seats on a flight from Istanbul to the UK. You’ll usually get the best deal at the gate when the clock is ticking – and on longer flights that can sometimes be hundreds or thousands of pounds in compensation, five-star hotel stays, upgrades and vouchers. 

Haseena and her son gave up their seats on a flight last October from Stansted to South Africa, with Emirates, in return for a free return voucher to use at a future date. ‘We were put up at the Radisson Blu, with free meals… we gladly accepted and flew out a day later.’ 

When Tina volunteered to give up her seat on an American Airlines flight from Heathrow to North Carolina – the first leg of a two-part journey to New York City – she received around £600 for a trip that originally cost about £220, and was rebooked onto a direct Heathrow to JFK flight, arriving two hours earlier than planned.

How much compensation should I demand? 

Keep EC261 numbers in mind when weighing up offers – the airline must provide overnight accommodation, so haggle for a good hotel stay and ask for upgrades. Airlines may offer a higher value in vouchers than cash offers, but check the expiry dates. 

If you’re travelling without checked luggage, say so, as airlines prefer to bump passengers without bags and you may get a better deal. It can be worth mentioning airline loyalty status, too, as higher tiers sometimes help. 

Before accepting any voluntary offer, check the small print and/or ask staff whether you’re expressing interest or actually volunteering. Find out the potential delay, whether the airline will rebook you on another carrier if necessary and whether it will cover a hotel stay. 

If anything is unclear, say no. If you agree to a deal, get it in writing, and ask for the staff member’s name and signature.

I was involuntarily bumped — what should I do?

If you’re involuntarily bumped off a flight, ask airline staff to find volunteers. If the airline persists, state your right to EC261 compensation, accommodation and meals for the duration of the delay. 

Airlines such as Wizz Air are banking on passengers being unaware of their rights, so follow our advice to make sure that your good deed doesn’t mean you ripped off.

Here, Which? highlights the causes of these delays and outlines your rights if your claim is held up.

How long PIP claims take

The DWP aims to make decisions on new PIP claims within 15 weeks of an application being made, and to process 75% of new claims within this timeframe.

The DWP has steadily reduced the PIP backlog; however, despite this progress, over 710,000 people were still waiting for a decision on their claim as of January 2026.

The PIP backlog consists of three main groups: 

New claims have recently overtaken reviews as the largest part of the backlog, with around 350,000 people waiting for a decision.

Applying for PIP can be a complex process, as it still mainly relies on paper forms. Applicants must also undergo an assessment with a health professional to determine their eligibility and the impact of their condition on daily life.

To help improve processing times, the DWP is currently piloting an online application process that has reportedly cut wait times by 20 days. However, the timeline for rolling this out to 20% of claimants has moved from 2026 to 2029.

Are PIP applications on the rise?

Despite record-high PIP claimant numbers and a peak in pending reviews, the common narrative that disability claims are still surging is incorrect.

According to the IFS, the decline is driven by three main things:

What to do if your PIP claim is delayed

Successful PIP claims are backdated to the date that you applied or the end of the three-month qualifying period, whichever is later. 

However, the financial impact of waiting for a decision can be significant.

If your application is delayed, you can contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to confirm your claim status, although the DWP generally discourages this as staff can't guarantee a decision date. 

While it's rarely possible to speed up the standard process, severe delays can be considered maladministration. If this is the case, you can submit a complaint directly to the DWP. 

Unfortunately, those waiting on a PIP claim don't have access to financial support, such as an advance payment, like other benefits. 

This is because PIP isn't a means-tested benefit and is based on disability needs, so there's no guarantee that an application will be successful. For other benefits, such as Universal Credit, eligibility is based on financial criteria, making it easier for the DWP to issue advances.

If you're facing financial hardship during the wait, the benefits charity Turn2Us said claimants should: 

What changes are being considered for PIP?

In March 2026, the DWP launched the Timms Review, which will focus on several areas of PIP, including:  

The call for evidence, which closes on 28 May 2026, is specifically seeking input from those with direct experience of the PIP system, including disabled people, carers and sector professionals.

You can submit your evidence anonymously, and all responses will be analysed by the DWP. The responses will then be used to decide on how to reform the benefit going forward,and the results are due to be published in autumn 2026.

Plans to increase face-to-face assessments

Immediate changes to PIP are coming next month, with the DWP increasing the number of Work Capability Assessments (MCA) and the use of face-to-face appointments. 

To accommodate this shift, the time between PIP reviews will be extended for most claimants aged 25 and over. These PIP review cycles will move to a minimum of 3 years for new claims, potentially rising to 5 years upon subsequent review for those aged 25 or over.

The Pokémon trading card game (TCG) has gone through a renaissance in recent years. This is due to rising popularity and the high resale value of some second-hand cards. As a result, many UK retailers have set restrictions on ordering booster packs and bundles.

Ahead of the new expansion, Mega Evolution: Perfect Order, we've rounded up where you can easily find stock on all Pokémon cards in the UK.

Where can you buy Pokémon cards in the UK?

There are dozens of retailers that stock booster or trainer packs of the card game. We've looked at the most popular below:

Can you buy Pokémon cards at supermarkets?

Some UK supermarkets stock Pokémon cards online, but you may find a wider selection in-store.

How can I find Pokémon card shops near me?

There is a wide variety of board game and trading card shops across the UK that host events and game nights, and will often stock both individually sold Pokémon cards as well as booster packs.

What comes in an Elite Trainer box?

These are collectable boxes that include several booster packs, some special cards, and a variety of accessories. Here's everything you get in one:

What do you get in a Pokémon booster pack?

Each booster pack of the Pokémon trading card game contains:

Each booster pack typically costs between £4 and £10, although older packs might be more expensive. There are also several bundles available that include certain accessories.

Audible is one of the most popular audiobook platforms with thousands of titles to choose from, including some of the latest bestsellers, new releases and exclusive originals. 

Here's everything you need to know to get started.

What is Audible?

With more than a million audiobooks, podcasts and originals, Audible is a huge digital library designed for listening rather than reading words on a page. 

You can download titles to your phone, tablet or Kindle to enjoy offline during your commute, workout or daily chores.

How to get Audible for free

If you've never used Audible before, you're eligible for its 30-day free trial, which gives you all the same benefits as a paying member. 

How much is Audible?

There are two monthly Audible plans to choose from: Audible Standard and Audible Premium Plus. 

The most basic membership, Audible Standard costs £5.99 per month, while Audible Premium Plus costs £8.99 per month. 

As a Standard member, you get access to one audiobook a month from the library. You can listen to it while you still have a subscription, but it's not yours to keep forever. You can also buy more audiobooks at full price.

As a Premium Plus member, you get one credit every month to buy any audiobook. These credits roll over, so you won’t lose them if you don't use them right away and the books are yours to keep, even if you cancel. This membership also includes unlimited access to the Plus Catalogue and exclusive discounts on additional titles.

Is Audible free for Prime members?

Audible isn’t included in Prime, but members do get a better welcome deal. 

Occasionally, Amazon runs time-limited promos for Prime members, like dropping the price of Audible for the first three months to 99p. Double-check whether any of these offers are available before you sign up. 

Can you listen to Audible on a Kindle?

This works with the Kindle (2016 or later), Paperwhite (2018 or later), Oasis, Scribe and Coloursoft, as well as the Kindle app.

You can switch between reading and listening without losing your place, thanks to a feature called Whispersync for Voice. 

When buying a Kindle ebook, simply tick the box to add Audible narration. There are currently more than 85,000 compatible titles. 

While you don't need a monthly Audible subscription to buy these narrated books, you must own both the ebook and the audiobook to sync them.

How do you cancel Audible?

You can cancel your Audible membership at any time. 

After cancelling, any audiobooks you’ve purchased remain yours to keep. However, you'll lose access to the Plus Catalogue and any unspent credits. 

If you still have credits left, consider pausing your account instead so you don't lose them.

In this bonus episode of our healthy living podcast, we're joined by our public health nutritionist Shefalee Loth and the founder of CityDietitians, Sophie Medlin, who share their expertise on supplements, exercise and the menopause.

Plus, our experts explain whether or not it's ever too late to adapt your lifestyle to make you live longer.

More Which? health and wellbeing podcasts

Get the Which? lowdown on popular health topics, with insight from leading experts and our in-house research team. Here are our recent podcast episodes:

More podcasts from Which?

The Which? podcast showcases the best content from across our website and magazine. 

Plus, keep an eye out for bonus episodes that tackle important issues, from motoring to tech, health and wellbeing to travel.

How to listen to the Which? podcast

We're always releasing new episodes, and the podcast is available wherever you usually listen to podcasts.

As part of your subscription, Which? members also get access to exclusive podcasts.

With Isa season in full swing and providers boosting rates to attract new savers, now is the perfect time to open an account. But rushing for the top deal could mean missed opportunities or costly mistakes.

Here's our pick of the most common pitfalls to avoid when opening a cash Isas this spring.

1. Not using your full allowance

The end of the financial year is a use-it-or-lose-it time for Isa savers. That's because the £20,000 tax-free limit resets every 12 months on 6 April and you can't carry any remaining allowance over to the next year.

You can, however, transfer the full balance of a previous year's Isa (including interest earned) or just a portion of it, without affecting your current year's allowance. 

And don't forget that if you've used up your annual Isa allowance but your partner hasn't, you can pay into their account instead, effectively increasing your shared Isa allowance to £40,000. If you want to save for your child, you could also open a Junior Isa on their behalf. Junior Isas have an annual allowance of £9,000. 

It means a family of four has a combined annual tax-free allowance of £58,000.

2. Getting caught out by small print

The average top-10 instant-access cash Isa rate on 26 March 2026 was 4.3% AER, according to Moneyfacts data. But seven out of 10 of the market-leading deals have catches.

For example, headline rates may include short-term bonuses. Plum's instant-access cash Isa pays the top rate of 4.66% AER, but that includes a 2.12% boost that expires after 12 months, leaving you with a much lower 2.54% thereafter.

Other accounts restrict the number of withdrawals you can make. Moneybox, for instance, offers a top rate of 4.26% AER for its instant-access cash Isa. However, savers can withdraw money from the account only three times per year before interest drops to 3.45%.

Fixed-term cash Isas may guarantee you the same rate for the entire term, but savers need to act swiftly when the account is due to mature. 

Take another look at the T&Cs, because if you don’t give your bank instructions about what to do next with your savings pot, your provider may roll your money into a lower-rate deal or dump it into a current account earning next to nothing. 

3. Only opening an Isa at the end of the tax year

It's true that rates get a boost in February and March, but there is a second 'Isa season' to watch out for.

The start of the new tax year on 6 April is when the tax-free allowance renews, and many providers hike interest rates on cash Isa products to entice savers.

If you have the funds to do so, consider maxing out your £20,000 allowance at the beginning of the financial year. Not only does investing earlier remove some of the pressure to make a hasty decision at the end of the tax year, but it also means your cash will be put to work for longer. 

4. Thinking in the short-term

Instant-access and shorter-term Isas currently offer better returns, but don't just look at the rate when choosing an account.

Remember, instant-access accounts have variable rates. This means that providers can cut the interest offered on these deals whenever they like, so your money might not grow at that pace for long. 

Locking your money away in a longer-term fixed Isa guarantees you the same rate for years to come, regardless of what's going on in the rest of the market. Fixing could also protect your cash from major changes coming up next year. 

5. Holding all your money in one Isa

New rules that came into effect on 6 April 2024 mean it's now easier than ever to switch between providers and get the best deal.

You can now open and pay into more than one cash Isa in the same tax year. Previously, you were limited to paying into just one of each Isa type per year.

Research shows that second steppers face a big jump in the price of property. The typical first-time buyer's home costs £226,955, while the typical second home costs £345,857, according to Rightmove. The 52% increase is the largest percentage rise recorded by the property portal.  

Here, Which? explains why it's becoming harder to move up the property ladder and sets out the key costs you’ll need to prepare for.

Why flat prices are holding movers back

The limited growth in flat prices compared with houses is a key factor behind the rising cost of moving up the property ladder.

The price gap between the average flat and the average house of any size is currently 26%, according to Rightmove. The average asking price of a flat is £301,338, compared with £379,526 for a house. 

Over the past 10 years, flat prices have risen by just 8%, while house prices have increased by 34%. Analysis from early 2026 found that flat sellers are far more likely to make a loss than those selling other types of property. 

In England and Wales, 19.9% of flat sellers sold at a loss, compared with 4.5% of house sellers, according to Hamptons.

Rightmove attributes the growing gap between the price of houses and flats to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which created a renewed race for space. In February 2020, before the first lockdown, the gap between an average flat and an average house was £24,010. By February 2026 that had increased to £78,198. 

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, has also highlighted rising maintenance costs, ground rents and service charges as factors weighing on demand for flats.

How mortgage rates are hitting second steppers

With the gap in price between the average first-time buyer and second stepper home growing, home movers will inevitably need to borrow more to make their next move.

At the same time, mortgage rates have been rising. While rates were falling at the start of 2026, the trend has reversed since mid-March, with lenders pushing up costs.

For example, Nationwide has recently increased fixed rates by 0.3 percentage points. Halifax and Lloyds Bank have pushed up fixed rates by 0.5 percentage points. 

At the start of March, the best two-year fixed rates, the most common type of mortgage for home movers, ranged from 3.55% to 3.7%, depending on your loan-to-value. Now there are no rates below 4%, which means your monthly repayments could be noticeably higher when you move.

Nicholas Mendes of broker John Charcol advises borrowers not to sit back and hope. He says anyone buying should speak to a broker early, because lenders can move quickly and the best options do not always stay around for long.

Where it’s hardest to move up the ladder

As with any property trend, the impact varies across Great Britain.

Buyers in London are hit hard when looking for more space. The typical price of a second stepper home is around 60% higher than a first-time buyer property, at almost £800,000.

But second steppers in the South East are hit harder in percentage terms, with properties costing 61% more than first-time buyer homes.

Wales is the most affordable area, with second stepper homes costing around 40% more than first-time buyer properties, according to Rightmove research.

The table shows the price difference between the average first-time buyer and second stepper home across Great Britain.

How much moving home costs

If you are thinking of moving, it's important to understand how much the process is likely to cost.

Data from price comparison site Reallymoving shows the average cost of moving home, including selling one property and buying another, is now almost £18,000. This is a rise of 27% compared with a year earlier.

Stamp duty remains the biggest expense, averaging £9,750. Estate agent fees follow at £4,615, while conveyancing costs average £2,182.

When choosing an estate agent, conveyancer, surveyor or removals company, be sure to compare prices from different providers to get the best deal.