the energy regulator ofgem has asked suppliers to pause the forced installation of prepaid metres. it follows revelations that a debt collection company working for british gas broke into the homes of vulnerable people to install the metres. prepayment metres require customers to pay for their energy in advance. it s more expensive than paying by direct debit, but are sometimes the only option for people who have struggled to pay and are in debt to a supplier. ben king has more. an undercover reporter from the times newspaper joined a team of debt collectors, entering the home of a single father with three young children. they count as vulnerable. but, these workers from arvato financial solutions, working for british gas, opened the door and installed a prepayment meter anyway. installing prepayment meters by force is legal, but it s meant to be a last resort, and should not be done to vulnerable households. if people cannot afford to top up the meters, they will be left wit
for motor neurone disease. campaigners say new research funding needs to be handed out quicker. i met imeta i met a family bakery in manchester finding out what the interest rate rise means for businesses and customers. manchester united to decide on the future of their player mason greenwood after charges of attempted rape and coercive behaviours against him are dropped. while some of you will see some light rain or drizzle through the day it will actually be a mild day when the sunshine comes out with a feel of spring in fact. don t get too used to use that, though. i will have the full forecast here on breakfast. it s friday, the 3rd of february. the family of a woman who s gone missing in lancashire has made an emotional plea for people to come forward with information. 45 year old nicola bulley disappeared a week ago, while walking her dog in st michael s on wyre. we can speak now to our reporter, dave guest, while walking her dog in st michael s on wyre. who joins us fr
for a summit on ukraine president zelensky says he believes his country deserves talks on joining the eu this year. deserted railway stations as train drivers in england stage their second walkout this week. australian tennis star nick kyrgios admits assaulting his ex girlfriend but avoids a criminal conviction we ll have the latest from canberra. # falling in our hearts # here again, hawai i # aloha, aloha # and could this song by the former sex pistols by the former sex pistolsrontmanjohn lydon written about his wife s alzheimer s be chosen to represent ireland at the eurovision song contest? it s very hard to be away from her. but i have to do this. i have to bring awareness to this problem. hello, and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. the us department of defence says it s tracking what s believed to be a chinese surveillance balloon that entered american airspace two days ago. the military considered shooting it down over the state of montan
while fighting in ukraine. and the blanket bog in scotland that is aiming to become a world heritage site. and coming up on the bbc news channel: the countdown is on for this weekends s six nations. scotland have named their tieam to face egland. we ll bring you the latest. good afternoon and welcome to the news at one. the bank of england has raised interest rates from 3.5 to 4% meaning they remain at their highest level since 2008. the increase could add nearly £50 a month to the average mortgage payment at a time when many people are already struggling with crippling energy and food bills. it will also have an impact on repayment charges on bank loans and credit cards but it is better news for savers, who should get a higher return. the bank of england says the increase should help to control rising prices reflected in the high rate of inflation. 0ur economics correspondent andy verity reports. in leeds like every where else, the cost of keeping up a mortgage is jumpi
good morning. it is a fairly cloudy start for money. some drizzle in the west, some heavier rain in scotland. that will push north eastwards through the day, with brighter skies in central and eastern areas. details later in the programme. good morning. it s thursday, 2nd february. british gas is facing an investigation after using debt collectors to break into the homes of vulnerable people and forcibly fit pre payment energy meters. the tactic which results in someone s heating being cut off if they don t have the cash to top up their meter is only supposed to be used in homes where there are no young children, pensioners or other vulnerable people. but an undercover reporter from the times newspaper found the meters were being fitted in homes which should be protected. aru na iyengar reports. hello? british gas, your gas supplier. we re here with a court warrant. can you please open the door? otherwise we will have to open it for you. this is the exciting bit. i love t