Main content

Social Care Funding; Peat-Free House Plants; Dynamic Energy Tariffs

Why is to so hard to find peat-free houseplants? How should we fund social care as a nation? Successive governments have promised to solve it and failed.

Successive governments have tried and failed to solve the funding issues in social care. As a nation we know the costs will only rise due to an ageing population. Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised people would not need to sell the family home to pay for their care, but the government is yet to announce it's plans. Ahead of the Queen's Speech we talk about some of the proposals on the table.

Why is it so hard to find peat free houseplants? Houseplants have been one of the fastest growing categories in the gardening sector, proving popular with millennial renters without gardens. Yet no mention is made by many houseplant sellers of the environmental damage caused by the use of peat. The National Trust and RHS charities have made peat free commitments but are struggling to source houseplants. We look at why.

One of the benefits of smart meters is that they make flexible pricing possible. Energy suppliers want to encourage us to use less energy at peak times by offering tariffs that change with the wholesale market. We speak to Chief Executive of Octopus Energy about their new tariff that changes price every half hour. The company hopes that saving money will prompt customers to change their behaviour and use energy at times when there is less demand.

Presented by Winifred Robinson.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

Available now

39 minutes

Broadcast

  • Mon 10 May 2021 12:18

Health

Health

A selection of the best health advice and discussions from You & Yours.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

From hanging wallpaper to takeaway apps, some of our favourite features about lifestyle.