Harbour Homes is working hard to assist tenants with the high costs associated with moving into and running a home.
Since April this year Harbour Homes has:
Invested £30k in housing starter packs for new tenants to purchase high-quality used furniture from Four Square Edinburgh Initiative. Eligible tenants receive a voucher for up to £500 (the amount varies depending on what is needed) to choose their furniture and have it delivered for free. They may also purchase brand new items such as cot mattresses and bedding
Secured funding of £15k from the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust for tenants to access one-off grants for things like furniture, flooring and white goods, and to relieve the cost of living crisis
Set up a carpeting/flooring fund of £6k for tenants who cannot otherwise afford floor coverings
Allocated £3k to a white goods/washing machine fund for tenants
Fiona Whitelaw, Tenant Advice Team Leader at Harbour Homes, said: “With the cost of living crisis showing little sign of abating and changes to the Scottish Welfare Fund, unfortunately many more of our tenants are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for essentials such as flooring, furniture and white goods.
“We’re really proud of all the work we’re doing to secure and free up funding so people can have these essentials in their homes.”
Shoppers who regularly buy groceries from local supermarket convenience stores instead of bigger supermarkets are likely to pay hundreds of pounds more over the course of a year, new research from Which? has found.
The consumer champion analysed the prices of own-label and branded items at the two largest traditional supermarket convenience chains, Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local, and compared the costs with the same items at their larger equivalents or bought online.
The results highlight the eye-watering costs people face if they live in an area where larger stores are scarce or online delivery access is poor.
Which?’s research found that shoppers buying the same 75 items at Tesco Express, including Anchor Spreadable Butter, a Hovis white bread loaf and own-brand milk would be spending an extra £15.73 on average a week than those shopping online or at a larger Tesco store – £817.91 more over the course of a year.
At Sainsbury’s, Which? compared the prices of 69 groceries including Heinz tomato soup, McVities biscuits and Birds Eye Potato Waffles and found that shoppers using Sainsbury’s Local instead of shopping online or going to a larger store would have spent an extra £477.93 over the year.
While supermarket prices fluctuate all the time, Which?’s analysis revealed steep mark ups at both Sainsbury’s Local and Tesco Express stores on individual items.
In the worst case included in Which?’s research, own-label sweet potatoes were 95p on average when bought online or at a big Tesco but £1.30 on average at Tesco Express – a difference of 37 per cent.
Which? also found Mr Kipling Bakewell slices were £1.27 online or at larger stores, but cost £1.62 at Tesco Express – 28 per cent more.
At Sainsbury’s the worst offender was Heinz Cream Of Tomato soup, which was £1.15 online and at the bigger store but £1.37 at Sainsbury’s Local – a 19 per cent mark-up.
Similarly Birds Eye Potato Waffles were £1.71 at Sainsbury’s, both online and at bigger stores, but £2.01 at Sainsbury’s Local.
Not all items were more expensive at convenience stores compared to big supermarkets. Anchor Spreadable Butter Tub (500g), Colgate Total Original Toothpaste (125ml) and Magnum Almond Ice Cream (4 pack) were all 3 per cent cheaper on average at Sainsbury’s Local compared to larger Sainsbury’s stores and online. Tesco’s own-label unsalted butter block (250g) was 2 per cent cheaper on average at Tesco Express than at larger Tesco stores and online.
The large differences in price show how challenging food shopping can be, especially for people who are more vulnerable to food insecurity, don’t shop online, or don’t have easy access to a larger supermarket.
In November, Which? published the Priority Places for Food Index, developed with the Consumer Data Research Centre at the University of Leeds, which showed that seven in 10 UK Parliamentary constituencies have at least one area in need of urgent help accessing affordable food – meaning that people living in these areas are most at risk in the cost of food crisis.
While supermarket convenience stores offer a local lifeline for many, or are an easy alternative when looking to avoid doing a big shop, Which?’s research shows that at a time when grocery prices are soaring, many shoppers face higher costs than they would do if they went to a larger supermarket or shopped online.
Which? is campaigning for supermarkets to do more to support consumers through the current cost of living crisis in a range of ways.
This includes ensuring that affordable ranges are available, for example by offering a range of budget lines for affordable essential items that enable a healthy diet across their stores including convenience stores and particularly in locations where people most need support.
As well as ensuring budget range availability in all stores, Which? is calling for supermarkets to make unit pricing clearer, more legible and consistent so that people can more easily understand the best deals. Offering targeted support by focussing their marketing budgets and promotions to support those struggling, with offers, vouchers and loyalty card benefits targeted at the places and households where people are most in need.
As part of its Affordable Food For All campaign, Which? has published a 10-point plan of steps supermarkets can take across these three key areas to help ensure affordable food is available to everyone who needs it.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: “Convenience stores offer a local lifeline for some shoppers, but Which? research shows shopping at a supermarket convenience shop rather than a bigger store comes at a cost – at a time when soaring grocery prices are putting huge pressure on household budgets.
“We know the big supermarkets have the ability to take action and make a real difference to people struggling through the worst cost of living crisis in decades. That’s why we’re calling on them to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food lines at a store near them, can easily compare the price of products to get the best value and that promotions are targeted at supporting people most in need.”
Which? recently launched its Affordable Food For All campaign calling on supermarkets to step up and help consumers keep food on the table. The consumer champion has defined how this can be achieved in a 10-point plan that sets out specific steps supermarkets can take in three main areas: clear and transparent pricing, access to affordable food ranges across all stores and more targeted promotions for consumers who are struggling.
Alongside the University of Leeds Consumer Data Research Centre, Which? has developed the Priority places for food index which shows where in the UK people are the most vulnerable to food insecurity.
Morrisons has cut and will hold down the price of over 400 of the most popular items to make good food affordable for families this autumn.
With the UK now in recession and some family budgets under pressure, Morrisons yesterday reduced the prices of the 400 essentials by an average of 23 per cent.
Morrisons has already cut the price of over 800 customer favourites across its stores since last year.
This week’s cuts will span Morrisons fresh food, store cupboard staples and cleaning. Products will include fruit and veg, meat and poultry, bread and cornflakes, rice and pasta, plus bleach, cleaning fluid and toilet rolls.
The lower prices are intended to help families returning to work and school. For example, the cost of a family lunch box will be coming down as will the cost of the nation’s most often cooked meal spaghetti bolognese with beef mince, ragu sauce and own-brand spaghetti all coming down in price.[1]
David Potts, Morrisons Chief Executive said: “It’s been a tough year for many families who find themselves stretched. To play our full part in feeding the nation, we’re cutting prices and holding them low to make our food more affordable for everyone. These are not short term promotions these are price cuts that are here to stay.”
Morrisons has been listening carefully to customers who have said that budgeting and value for money have become more important since the Covid-19 pandemic started. Many are worried about its effect on the British economy[2].
