Main content

Energy Ombudsman Powers and Cheques

Do you still write cheques to pay bills - we'll look at their future.

The chair of Parliament鈥檚 Energy Select Committee has told Money Box it鈥檚 鈥渧ital鈥 the Energy Ombudsman is given new, stronger powers as quickly as possible. Bill Esterson says that it is too easy for energy suppliers to simply ignore ombudsman decisions leaving consumers powerless. Energy UK, which represents suppliers, says customers have the right to expect a good service and, in the vast majority of cases, suppliers are able to work with the Energy Ombudsman to resolve cases within 28 days.

As people live longer healthier lives more and more are working longer - often well past the state pension of 66. A new analysis of HMRC data found a 12 percent rise in the number of people working past the state pension age over the past five years. What's driving that increase?

Top tips for filing your self-assessment ahead of the deadline next week.

And as the number of payments made by cheque drops, what does the future look like for their usage?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Haider Saleem
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 24th January 2026)

Available now

25 minutes

Last on

Sunday 21:00

Featured

  • .

Broadcasts

  • Saturday 12:04
  • Sunday 21:00

The Death of Retirement

The Death of Retirement

Money Box explores what retirement might look like in the future,

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Podcast