It’s been a long, three-year battle, but there is finally good news for consumers regarding credit cards, as States Members have unanimously supported a proposal to allow credit reference agencies the access to the personal data that they need. Since first publicly raising the issue in early 2020, and then directly engaging with the Government of Jersey in early 2023, the Jersey Consumer Council has been fielding calls and responding to emails from hundreds of Islanders, who’ve experienced being turned down for credit cards, additional family cards or store cards, or who’ve had their accounts closed based purely on their JE postcode. And, last year, hundreds of Islanders responded to our credit card survey, the anonymous data from which we shared with the Government during meetings this year. The Government has taken on board our concerns, and the concerns of Island consumers, and has this year been working on a solution to allow credit reference agencies the access to the personal data that they need to process credit card applications. We’re delighted that the States Assembly has now today (Tuesday, 3 October) supported a legislative tweak that will allow credit-checking agencies to access Jersey’s official Register of Names and Addresses. In the UK, the electoral register is a key source of information for these agencies, however Jersey law previously prevented them from accessing our local register, and they are unable to use any other sources of public information. This change will make it easier for these companies to access information in Jersey, which we hope will see an end to the credit card issues that Islanders have been experiencing in recent years. Speaking in the States Assembly, the Social Security Minister, Deputy Elaine Millar, said that the solution proposed through this proposition would 'enable the Government to deliver to credit reference agencies, in a secure manner, information similar to that contained within an electroral role'.  Deputy Millar added: "I'd like to recognise the work done by the Jersey Consumer Council in identifying the scale of this particular issue, and it's campaigning work, with both the banks and the Government, to try and find the reasons for, and the solution to, this problem." Our Chairman, Carl Walker, said: “I’m delighted to see three years of hard work by the Jersey Consumer Council culminate in unanimous approval by the States Assembly for this law change, which will make credit card applications much simpler for Jersey residents. “This is a great example of collaborative working between the Jersey Consumer Council and the Government of Jersey. “The Council appreciates that data privacy and security are of utmost importance and concern to Islanders, especially as online fraud continues to bombard consumers on an almost daily basis. In this regard, the Consumer Council backed this move on the understanding that the Government will implement robust measures to safeguard Islanders’ personal information and ensure compliance with relevant data protection laws. “And while we are extremely mindful of the risks involved in using credit cards in terms of falling into debt, we are supportive of this move as credit cards not only offer vital consumer protection under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, but also give Islanders an important fraud safety net when shopping online, and when ‘tapping’ or using wireless forms of payment. “Furthermore, having access to a more comprehensive credit history, financial institutions can make better informed decisions about credit card applications. This fosters responsible lending practices and reduces the risk of individuals obtaining credit they cannot manage."

Did you know that Sunday, 1 October was International Coffee Day? Organised by the International Coffee Organisation, the annual day is billed as ‘a celebration of the coffee sector’s diversity, quality and passion’. It’s thought that coffee beans were first discovered in Ethiopia – the coffee bean is actually the pit from inside the coffee berry. The Arabs started drinking coffee in 15th century, and it then began spreading across Asia, Italy, Europe, and the Americas. It was introduced to the British colonies by the Dutch in the 1600s. In the 1970s and 80s, branded instant coffee became popular in most homes in Britian. In 1980 a 200g jar of coffee was £1.69. Here’s what our grocery surveyors found a jar of coffee to cost when they last carried out a price comparison survey, on Wednesday, 20 September: Morrisons: £4.63 Co-op: £4.79 Valley Foods: £5.40 Waitrose: £6.32 Marks and Spencer: £7.00 Coffee is just one of the many products that we survey the Jersey prices of fortnightly. Visit pricecomparison.je or download our app to your mobile device by searching ‘Jersey Price Comparison’ in your App Store.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been contacted by many of you who wanted us to investigate why you are not able to receive goods from UK retailers that had previously delivered to Jersey.  We took your concerns to Jersey Post and asked them to answer your questions. Here’s what they told us… Q: Is it correct that Jersey has been reclassified from a 'Domestic' area to ‘International’? A: Jersey is no longer classed as ‘Domestic’, but it still enjoys the advantages of UK rates and has not been reclassified as ‘International’.   Q: Please could you clarify when and why the classification change was made? A: The reclassification was to allow two things: 1) moving ‘due date’ by one day and this facilitated the removal of the mail plane. In the previous ‘domestic’ scheme, the ‘due date’ was next day. 2) to allow pre-advice, which both Royal Mail and Jersey Post need for customs manifesting and to plan operational processing.   Q: What is the difference in the price of postage from the UK to Jersey, as an International postal area? A: The price of postage from the UK to Jersey has not changed. This will be a matter for Royal Mail going forward and their price reviews usually happen at the end of each year for implementation in the new year.   Q: Will this change mean that some retailers will now not deliver to Jersey? A: There is absolutely no reason why retailers shouldn’t be delivering to Jersey and Jersey Post are very happy to support UK retailers if they are having difficulties.   Q: What else does this mean for Jersey? Are there wider implications to this reclassification, such as online shopping, online applications, competitions, insurance etc.? A: There are no such implications.   Thank you Jersey Post, for taking the time to answer these questions.  If any UK retailers tell you they're unable to deliver to Jersey due the reclassification, you may wish to share the information in this article with them, or let us know.

Over the summer, we carried out a review of GP fees. We were prompted to do this as many of you had got in touch about a sudden increase in costs for seeing a doctor – more than £10 in some instances – just before the Government announced their £20 subsidy for standard appointments and free appointments for children. We've published our findings in our latest newsletter, which is currently being distributed to all homes in Jersey, or can be read online here: Newsletters (consumercouncil.je) As you'll see from our price table, the price range between the cheapest surgery and the most expensive is still significant – nearly £20 in some instances. Furthermore, and perhaps more worryingly, is that not all surgeries seem to have passed on the £20 saving they have been contracted to do. We'll be keeping a regular eye on the cost of healthcare prices and letting you know of our findings. Find out more in our latest newsletter: Newsletters (consumercouncil.je)

If you’re looking for an excuse to have a mid-week pizza then look no further – today (Wednesday, 20 September) is Pepperoni Pizza Day! The day is a celebration of what is apparently regularly voted the world’s most popular pizza topping. Like many groceries, oven pizzas can vary in price considerably across our supermarkets in Jersey, it’s hard to know where to go for the best deal. And, similarly, takeaway prices can also vary substantially. So, to mark Pepperoni Pizza Day, we thought we’d compare the prices of both frozen and takeaway peperoni pizzas across the Island, to help you shop around for the best prices. Keep reading to see the Island's cheapest, and most expensive, pepperoni pizzas.    Did you know? Legend has it that Raffaele Esposito created the first pizza in June 1889. The Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, inspired the pizza maker so much that he created the pie-shaped delicacy and, in the queen’s honor, he named it Pizza Margherita. He topped the pizza with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella to represent the colours of the Italian flag. Pizza has evolved – and grown considerably in popularity – since then, and there’s now endless possibilities of toppings and flavour combinations available. However, pepperoni remains the most popular, regularly topping polls. Pepperoni takes its name from ‘peperoni’ – with one ‘p’ – an Italian name for a pepper. In Italy, pepperoni is known as ‘salame piccante’ or spicy salami. Pepperoni is a dried sausage made of a mixture of pork, beef, and spices, often including peppers. The name ‘pepperoni’ began being used following the First World War, primarily in Italian-American communities, initially.   Frozen supermarket peperoni pizzas – from the most expensive to the cheapest (All prices correct as of Wednesday, 20 September, and show the cheapest frozen peperoni pizza available in store. Please note, prices may vary in other branches of the same stores). Marks and Spencer (King Street) – £4.25 Alliance (St Helier) – £2.75 Morrisons (Five Oaks) – £2.57 Waitrose (Rue des Pres) – £2.30 Iceland (Grouville) – £1.99 Co-op (Locale Pontac) – £1.95   Takeaway peperoni pizzas – from the most expensive to the cheapest (All prices correct as of Tuesday, 19 September, and show the price for a 12” pizza, unless stated otherwise. Please note, the majority of these can be ordered on food.je, but Pizza Express and Domino’s must be ordered from them directly.) Domino’s (11.5”): £20.99 (however, lots of deals available to add to bring the price down) Pizza Express (thin base): £16.40 Alvin's Hot Stuff Pizza: £15.99 Franky's: £15.95 Cafe790 at Strive (no size specified): £15.95 West Side Pizza: £15.60 Pizzeria Famosa (no size specified): £15 Pizza Express (thick base): £14.45 The Portelet Inn: £14.25 Casa Mia (no size specified): £13.95 Fresh Crust Pizza: £13.90 Robin Hood (deep pan): £13.90 Pope’s Pasta (no size specified): £13.60 Pizza Lovers: £13.20 Vasco da Gama: £13 Bolero Bistro: £13 Pizza Quarter: £12.75 Robin Hood (thin base): £12.70 The Watersplash: £12.50 Max Grill: £12.50 Bonetti's at The Merton (no size specified): £12 Caffé Ristorante Italia (no size specified): £11.95 The Langtry: £11.95 Turkish Delight: £11.90 Alfonso's Pizzeria & Coffee Shop: £10

As we head towards autumn, Which? magazine have given some great ways to save money on your laundry. Here are our top tips, taken from their article:   Reduce your washing temperature Wash at a temperature of 20°C or 30°C to save money. Which? Say that if you wash at 30°C, it could save you £25 a year, or at 20°C the saving is £40 a year. Tips Switch to a liquid laundry detergent to help shift stains. Which? found that tough stains lift more easily with liquid at lower temperatures. Pre-treat tough stains with diluted detergent or stain remover before the wash.   Fill your machine Rather than putting several smaller washes on quick programs, try less washes on longer programs, but fill the drum. Which? found that by doing bigger washes four times a week it used 17% less energy than three smaller washes on quick programs. By doing this you’re also using less washing detergent, so it’s a saving on both.   Maintain your tumble dryer Which? tested a range of heat pump dryers with over 20 loads of washing. They were shocked to find out that some machines used 50% more energy on the last load compared to the first load. This is because of the filter being blocked. Tips Wait until your machine is cooled. Find your lower filter at the bottom of the dryer. Once unlocked, remove larger fluff and hair from the heat exchanger. Rinse the filter if it’s removeable. Dry thoroughly before putting back.