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Published: 19 August 2021

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Lockdown life appears to have sparked a steep rise in outbuildings catching fire over the past year.

Figures from Freedom of Information requests by insurer Zurich have revealed that shed and garage fires increased by 16 per cent in 2020 compared with 2019. Zurich's Phil Ost said: 'Homeowners up and down the country have converted outbuildings into everything from bars and yoga studios, to gyms and offices. But as Brits take refuge in their garden sheds and garages, it appears to have sparked a rise in accidental blazes.'

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Published: 18 August 2021

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Top new mortgage deals are on offer for an average of just 21 days before being whipped away.

This is the shortest on record and nine days fewer than last month, data analysts Moneyfacts found.

Competition is fierce among lenders, and rates hit an all-time low this summer. Yesterday, NatWest launched a five year deal at 0.99 pc for borrowers with a 40 pc deposit. Borrowers have the highest number of loans - 4,660 - to choose from since March 2020.

Eleanor Williams of Moneyfacts, says the short shelf life is linked to 'frequent rate-repricing by lenders to compete and get new business'.

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Published: 18 August 2021

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hydrogen-fuelled home boilers would be worse for the environment than existing models that burn natural gas and which the Government wants to phase out, scientists have claimed.

So-called blue hydrogen is expected to form a key part of the Government's plans to fight climate change and ministers have said gas boilers could be banned as soon as 2035.

But the study, from Cornell University in the US, suggests its production - when methane, a key component of natural gas, is split - is 20 per cent more harmful to the environment than burning gas or coal for heat. The researchers said more greenhouse gases - methane and carbon dioxide - would escape during extraction.

Many environmentalists back green hydrogen instead, which is created by using electricity to split water.

Daily Mail

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Published: 12 August 2021

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Cables for high-speed broadband are set to be run through water pipes to connect hard-to-reach homes, ministers have revealed.

They are looking at a project called Fibre in Water to speed up the expansion of 'lightening-fast broadband' and mobile coverage in rural areas. Innovators are being offered £4million to test the method, which is hoped could be a quicker way to get fibre-optic cables into homes, businesses and mobile masts.

The plan for gigabit-capable broadband has the benefit of avoiding the disruption of digging up roads and land for cables. Digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman said: 'The cost of digging up roads and land is the biggest obstacle telecoms companies face when connecting hard to reach areas to better broadband. But beneath our feet there is a vast network of pipes reaching virtually every building in the country. So we are calling on Britain's brilliant innovators to help us use this infrastructure to serve a dual purpose of serving up not just fresh, clean water but also lightening-fast digital connectivity.'

In addition, the project will look at trying to reduce the amount of water lost to leaks, currently about 20 per cent of what goes into the public supply.

Sensors will be put into the pipes, enabling water companies to deal more rapidly and accurately with leaks. The Government is already looking at helping the push for 'next generation broadband' by letting telecoms companies access one million plus miles of underground utility ducts, such as electricity, gas and sewer networks.