Gambling, Hospitality Trade, Energy Caps and QR Codes

Available for over a year

The largest research project of its kind has revealed that a quarter of people who gamble in the UK suffer harm, and heavy gamblers are more likely to die early than people who don't gamble. The work by Oxford University's social policy and intervention unit had access 100,000 bank accounts of people tracked how they spent their money in 2018. Suddenly, everybody seems to be scanning QR codes - ; pointing their smart phone at the menu, ordering, and paying for it; no waiting to catch an eye; no physical contact. QR codes have been around since the nineteen-nineties, but suddenly, with Covid, their time seems to have come. So why did it take so long for them to catch on? Millions of households could face an energy bill hike of up to £96 from April, after Ofgem announced a significant rise in it's Price Cap this morning. The cap was originally brought in in January 2019, and was designed to ensure customers who are on a standard variable, or default tariff - are paying a fair price. We ask Ofgem why there needs to be a rise - and whether this really is good news for consumers. And we ask TV's Hotel Inspector, Alex Polizzi, whether now is a good time to enter the hospitality trade. PRESENTER - PETER WHITE PRODUCER - KEVIN MOUSLEY