A drop in the energy price cap has taken place today (Monday, July 1) but the relief is set to be temporary as it is expected to go up again in October.
Regulator Ofgem’s new price cap for England, Wales and Scotland came into force today (1), meaning a typical household’s energy bill will fall by £122 a year.
This brings down the bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity to £1,568 a year, which is the lowest for two years.
Despite this, the prices are anticipated to go up in the autumn, which will more than reverse the latest decrease.
Experts say it is a good idea to take a meter reading now, to ensure billpayers are charged at the correct rate.
BBC News reports that Cornwall Insight predicts that a typical household’s annual bill will be back up to £1,723 in October, a £155, or 10%, increase from now.
Adam Scorer, chief executive of charity National Energy Action, said: “Modest falls in summer look set to be wiped out by bigger rises in autumn when people will need to put the heating back on.
“The cost of energy remains an unaffordable luxury that many of the poorest simply cannot afford.”
Consumer groups say there is an alternative to the price cap, pointing to a growing number of fixed-rate deals on the market following a dearth of competition in recent years.
Speaking to Sky News, Emily Seymour, the editor of Which? Energy, said: “With the price cap predicted to rise again in October, many consumers will also be wondering whether to fix their energy deal.
“There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach but the first step is to compare your monthly payments on the price cap to any fixed deals to see what the best option is for you.
“As a rule of thumb, if you want to fix, we’d recommend looking for deals as close to the July price cap as possible, not longer than 12 months and without significant exit fees.”
Energy bills at the moment are considerably lower than the peak after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when the government stepped in to limit bill rises.
Ofgem is currently reviewing the way the price cap is calculated, including sifting through a host of responses to a consultation on standing charges.
As summer heats up, many of you are probably planning a trip to the seaside, with Skegness being the top destination form many in the borough.
Although you can easily get their by car, trains from Netherfield and Nottingham also go straight to the seaside resort.
Train operator East Midlands Railway has now offered advice to passengers planning a trip to our nearest beach by rail.
Book in advance
Booking as early as possible will help you get the best price and availability. You can book up to 12 weeks in advance. By doing this, you’ll be able to select the train you wish to travel on and will be able to book your return journey at the same time. There isn’t the option to book a specific seat, but it will guarantee you a place on the train of your choice and a place in the priority boarding queue.
Arrive 30 minutes before your service
Give yourself plenty of time to catch the train. At peak times there will be queuing systems in place, with people who have booked in advance receiving priority boarding.
Remember, under 5-year-olds go free
If you’re travelling with children under 5, their tickets are completely free when accompanied by a fare-paying parent or guardian.
Resist the urge to take your food shopping with you
The temptation to bring everything including the kitchen sink on your travels is high – but there is only a limited amount of space on our trains. There are excellent supermarkets next to the train station including a Tesco and a Lidl right on the doorstep.
Shrink the size of your bedding with a free vacuum pack
EMR is offering free vacuum packs to help save space in suitcases and on trains. These are perfect for bulky bedding and for those who are on holiday for a longer time.
To get your vacuum bag, please contact our Customer Relations Team here, phone us on 03457 125 678, or email contact@eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk to order your free pack.
In a group? Grab a taxi from the station
If you are travelling to Butlins from the station and there are 5 of you – it may be cheaper to get a taxi. Taxis from the station to Butlins entrance are around £10 and you can pre-book Reds Cabs (who are affiliated with Butlins) on 01754 765555, but there is also a taxi rank across the road outside Costa Coffee.
Take advantage of the rainy options
If the weather takes a turn for the worse, there are still plenty of things to do. You can take a trip to the Wonder Circus, look out for posters in town, as there are very often special offers where kids go free and tickets for a reduced price. The Neverland Theatre is also staging its annual summer pantomime which is always great fun and excellent value for money.
Lazy days by the pool
One of the best value things in Skegness when it’s sunny is the Skegness Pool & Fitness Suite next to the Embassy Theatre. Booking in advance is essential on hot summer days as this outdoor pool can get really busy.
This took place throughout the EMR network to basically find out how travel patterns have changed post covid. There has been a dramatic change in travel patterns, so this survey was to help better understand demand by journey purpose and what products are being used. Volunteers were required so I ‘jumped’ at the chance as I often wonder where people are travelling. Some tell me and in the past I have had a person going to Paris and another to China!
There were 4 questions. 1) origin station, which was usually Carlton or Netherfield, but I came across an interchange passenger from Radcliffe to Netherfield, walk to Carlton and then to Lincoln. 2) final destination station. 3) ticket type and 4) Reason for travelling (i.e leisure, commuting (work) or (education), business, other).
Over the 15 days I saw 58 trains at different times of day at Carlton and 13 at Netherfield. Carlton had 290 responses and Netherfield 29. About 97% of those joining trains were happy to give me the information, but those alighting were reluctant, and as everyone alights at the same time I was lucky to get 1 or 2. Also when a dozen people turn up at the last minute for· the 08.04 Crewe there is no chance of getting all these. Additional information was given by some passengers, or questions were asked and I passed on this to EMR. What did surprise me was how many pre-booked ticket? and only 16 were using the Robin Hood ticket. One person did say he has stopped booking in advance and buys his ticket on the train in case his train has been cancelled. Most ‘popular’ destinations, Nottingham 95, Newark 47 and Derby 25.
Some will remember pre covid when the 08.08 Matlock train had as many as 52 joining (Tue. 3rd March 2020) and we also had a train from Netherfield at 08.33 which no lon?er calls there (9 on and 3 off on 3/3/20). We still have 4 trains missing on Mondays to Saturdays at Carlton, and these were at times that suited a number of regular travellers. ?ope we get these back in December. Only last week a person turned up at 11.00 wantin? to travel to Rugby. He knew there was a train at 10.04 and assumed there would be one at 11.00. He had to wait for the 12.04.
Not everyone gets the correct ticket. For example a person travelling to Newark was not sure at what time they would be returning so booked an anytime ticket, whereas they could have purchased the cheaper off peak return (after 09.00). Buying from a ticket machine you have to specify train times. Many would like to use the train on a regular basis, but the 08.04 to Crewe is too early and the next at 09.03 too late. One person said he had stopped taking his car into Nottingham, as in car parks your car was sometimes scratched when others opened their car doors. He said the bus was too ‘bouncy’ (state of the roads partly), whilst the train is so smooth.
Evening trains sometimes get delayed which is not good for commuters travelling home after work. As there are so many job opportunities in the area (see next item), people travel from Derby, Mansfield, Leicester and even South Wigston, but it ould make them reconsider if the travelling is worth it. Leisure travellers were going to such places as Bristol, Edinburgh, Grimsby, London St. Pancras, ij?wcastle and Trimley (Suffolk). Also on the 20.03 to Wigan (change at Crewe). The only trains I did not see were the 22.43 to Lincoln and the last 3 into Nottingham, although the last was replaced by a bus on the last week owing to engineering work. Also 8 Sunday trains. 9th May was the day after the ASLEF strike, so not so many early travellers, although 1 person did join the 05.49 to Newark.
At Netherfield I saw all the weekday trains and 2 on Sunday. Many make local journeys down the line to Grantham, but Norwich, Burton on Trent and Retford also featured.
Even though in the evening there are trains to Carlton and Netherfield within 10 minutes of each other, some prefer Netherfield trains as the station is nearer to where they live and starting from Nottingham are more likely to be on time. So it will be interesting to see if any changes are made to train services after the survey has been analysed. Hopefully for the better!
Timetable changes
No changes at Carlton or Netherfield apart from the odd minute or two. The 08.43 to Lincoln does leave 3 minutes earlier at 08.40.
EMR news
New Aurora trains for London services. Testing is now taking place on the Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line. This includes visits to our stations to verify alignment for doors, wheelchair ramps, stop boards (these are on platforms to help the driver to stop at the correct point. At Carlton 7 and 5- car stop boards are at the end of the platforms). Testing of these trains continues into early 2025, with the first trains due to be accepted by EMR around that time so that train crew training can begin. As mentioned last time, trains used on local routes are also being refurbished. Deep Clean Strike Days have taken place at a number of stations and more are planned at Netherfield, Burton Joyce, Fiskerton and Bingham in our immediate area.
Brief encounters
The pronunciation of Sileby has been corrected on station announcements. It is now Sileby as in tile and not Sillerby as before.
The promotion ticket to celebrate the return of train services to the Bedford to Bletchley line of £1 single fare between any 2 stations (50p children) has been extended until August
Work is due to take place at Leicester in a major project to transform access to the station.
ScotRail has extended its trial of having off-peak tickets valid all day until 27th September-
Newark Book Festival 11th to 14th July. Stalls in the Market place. I wiJl be assisting on a stall on 13th a week after we have a book sale at 5 Station Rd.
Engineering work at weekends. Check before you travel. Some on weekdays.
London, September 3rd, 1939. The world is on the brink of war.
In his final days, Sigmund Freud, a recent escapee with his daughter from the Nazi regime, receives a visit from the formidable Oxford Don C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia). On this day, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century intimately engage in a monumental session over the belief in the future of mankind and the existence of God.
“Anthony Hopkins is impeccable” Times ★★★★
Event Cinema – Waitress: The Musical (12A)
Wed 10 July at 1.30pm
After a successful run in US cinemas last December, we are excited to be screening the hit Broadway musical on the 20th June.
Follow Jenna Hunterson (Sara Bareilles), a small-town waitress and pie-maker with a loveless marriage. When a baking contest offers her a chance at escape, she navigates love, dreams, and newfound courage to take back control of her life.
Based on the beloved film of the same name, the musical adaptation was created with original music and lyrics by singer Sara Bareilles.
This recording was filmed during a live Broadway performance of the musical.
Inside Out 2 (U)
Fri 12 July – Sun 4 August
Returning to the mind of the newly teenage Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone…
Telegraph ★★★★ Independent ★★★★ Empire ★★★★ Radio Times ★★★★
The Bikeriders (15)
Fri 12 – Thu 25 July
The Bikeriders captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Jodie Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Austin Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny (Tom Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.
“Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are magnetic in this power struggle-cum-love triangle inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photographic study of Chicago bikers” Guardian ★★★★★
“Austin Butler and Jodie Comer star as bikers in a gloriously retro Scorsesean-inspired drama” The i ★★★★★
“Jeff Nichols moves in on Martin Scorsese’s turf with this gritty tale of ice cool ne’er-do-wells” Telegraph ★★★★
Event Cinema –Riverdance (PG)
Fri 12 + Sun 14 July
Having originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Riverdance has gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon. This 25th Anniversary production is a powerful and stirring reinvention of the show, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Award-winning music and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. See the close-ups, the amazingly fast feet, the expressions and emotions of the dancers and musicians, and the creative camera angles that show the work more intimately and revealingly than is possible for an audience sitting in the stalls.
The show is preceded by a brief documentary detailing the history of Riverdance and the interval features a behind the scenes look at this incredible show.
Wilding (PG) + Q&As
Mon 15 + Wed 17 July
Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling book by the same title, Wilding tells the story of a young couple that bets on nature for the future of their failing, four-hundred-year-old estate. The young couple battles entrenched tradition, and dares to place the fate of their farm in the hands of nature. Ripping down the fences, they set the land back to the wild and entrust its recovery to a motley mix of animals both tame and wild. It is the beginning of a grand experiment that will become one of the most significant rewilding experiments in Europe
*Monday 15 July (Recorded Q&A)
*Wednesday 17 July (Includes introduction from Mammoth – A Climate Action Cinema + Live Q&A)
Event Cinema – National Theatre Live: Present Laughter (PG)
Thu 18 – Fri 26 July
The multi award-winning production of Noël Coward’s provocative comedy featuring Andew Scott (Vanya, Fleabag) returns to the big screen.
As he prepares to embark on an overseas tour, star actor Garry Essendine’s colourful life is in danger of spiralling out of control. Engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention, Garry’s few remaining days at home are a chaotic whirlwind of love, sex, panic and soul-searching.
Filmed live from The Old Vic in London during a sold out run in 2019, Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical) directs this giddy and surprisingly modern reflection on fame, desire and loneliness.
Despicable Me 4 (U)
Fri 26 July – Thu 15 August
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.
Cinema prices are very competitive, with tickets at £6.80, and concessions at £5.80. Concessions are open to those Under 18, Students with valid student ID, and over 60s. On Tuesday’s, cinema tickets are just £5
These are the latest applications to have been decided and published by Gedling Borough Council over the last week (w/e 28/6/24) from around the borough.
Redwood House Newstead Abbey Park Nottingham Road Ravenshead Nottinghamshire NG15 8GD. Ref. No: 2024/0394TPO5
DECISION: Unconditional Approval
Non-material amendment to permission 2022/0200 (increase cavity wall from 100mm to 150mm; installation of solar PV panels; re-allignment of plots 941-949 to accommodate the retaining wall; change to dark grey for windows, soffits and fascia).
Land At Lambley Lane Gedling Nottinghamshire NG4 4PA. Ref. No: 2024/0366NMA
DECISION: NMA Approval Conditional
General purpose farm building complete with farm office and welfare facilities for use by the farming business.
Lambley Grange Park Lane Lambley Nottinghamshire NG4 4QA. Ref. No: 2024/0368
DECISION: GDO Agr Details Required
Non-material amendment to permission 2023/0891 (change the roof tiles to the existing host property along with the proposed front porch).
Removal of 4 already heavily pruned trees. 2 of which appear to be dead. Trees marked as x on sketch plan.
153 Main Street Woodborough Nottinghamshire NG14 6DD. Ref. No: 2024/0332TCA
DECISION: Trees in Cons Acceptable
Proposed new roof to dwelling, hip to gable extension; ground and first floor extension and conversion of garage to habitable room with first floor extension above garage.
96 Sheepwalk Lane Ravenshead Nottinghamshire NG15 9FB. Ref. No: 2024/0315
DECISION: Conditional Permission
Erection of single storey rear extension and proposed loft conversion.
71 Redland Grove Carlton Nottinghamshire NG4 3ET. Ref. No: 2024/0306
DECISION: Conditional Permission
Demolition of and erection of replacement porch
57 Main Street Burton Joyce Nottinghamshire NG14 5ED. Ref. No: 2024/0307
DECISION: Conditional Permission
Discharge of condition 10 of planning permission 2023/0702 (Construction Emission Management Plan (CEMP))
Variation of conditions 2 (approved plans) of planning permission 2021/1204 (Autocentres pod for passenger car MOT testing, servicing and repairs and Xpress Centres pod for passenger car automotive body repairs)
4 Victoria Park Way Netherfield Nottinghamshire NG4 2PA. Ref. No: 2024/0294
DECISION: Conditional Permission
3 x HIGH LEVEL FASCIA SIGN BOXES. ONE EACH TO FRONT, SIDE AND REAR ELEVATION OF BUILDING, 1 x FASCIA SIGN BOX POSITIONED OVER ENTRANCE DOORS TO FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING.
Unit R2 Victoria Park Way Netherfield Nottinghamshire NG4 2PE. Ref. No: 2024/0293
DECISION: Conditional Permission
4 x whole wall vinyl signs – 1 each on the front and rear elevations (same size) and 2 x side elevations 3 x 1.8m x 0.8m poster boards on doors on front elevation 1 x 1.46m x 0.8m poster board on front elevation 1 x 0.82m x 0.8m poster board on front elevation
4 Victoria Park Way Netherfield Nottinghamshire NG4 2PA. Ref. No: 2024/0295
DECISION: Conditional Permission
Single storey rear extension and new roof dormer to side
The Met Office forecast today will stay cloudy for much of the day with breaks to some sunshine at times. Isolated showers developing by midday. Feeling rather cool under cloud but warm in sunshine with light winds. Maximum temperature 19 °C.
A cloudy evening with a few isolated showers at first, becoming dry by midnight with variable cloud, the best of any breaks to the west. Minimum temperature 8 °C.
After a bright start, cloud and rain begin to spread in from the west, occasionally heavy over western hills and becoming breezy. Maximum temperature 19 °C.
These are the latest applications to have been submitted to and validated byGedling Borough Council this week.
The round-up of the latest plans that the council’s planning officers validated and published in a quiet week (w/e 28/6/24) include a proposal for a HMO in Woodthorpe. These applications will now be decided by Gedling borough planners.
Non-material amendment to permission 2023/0836 (render in lieu of repaired/new facing brickwork, to existing substation and proposed planter and boundary walls).
The subject Dwelling has been built and continuously used as a permanent, independent and separate dwelling (Use Class C3a) for a period in excess of 10 years as demonstrated by the evidence submitted in support of the Application.
Windyridge Spring Lane Lambley Nottinghamshire NG4 4PE. Ref. No: 2024/0383
Erection of a 6ft high fence running for approximately 30 m adjacent to the pavement on a corner plot.
43 Main Street Woodborough Nottinghamshire NG14 6EA. Ref. No: 2024/0382
Non-material amendment to permission 2023/0891 (change the roof tiles to the existing host property along with the proposed front porch).
The Met Office forecast a cloudy day with outbreaks of light rain and drizzle throughout. Light winds. Maximum temperature 19 °C.
A rather dull evening with outbreaks of patchy rain and drizzle slowly sinking south during the early hours. Light winds. Minimum temperature 10 °C.
Tomorrow is expected to see a bright start to the day with cloudy conditions spreading in from the north during the morning. A few isolated showers developing through the afternoon. Light winds. Maximum temperature 19 °C.
The Met Office forecast today to be rather breezy and cloudy, especially across western hills, where occasional showers are possible. Drier elsewhere with sunny spells likely, most frequent in the east. Any showers fading through the afternoon, with cloud gradually thinning and breaking, and winds also easing. Maximum temperature 21 °C.
Tonight is expected to see residual cloud and the odd shower at first, but otherwise dry with long clear spells and light winds. Cloud then thickening from the west through the early hours of Saturday. Minimum temperature 10 °C.
Tomorrow will be cloudy with outbreaks of light rain and drizzle moving into some western hills but otherwise dry. Any brighter spells remaining limited. Feeling rather humid, despite temperatures staying near normal. Maximum temperature 23 °C.
