6:56 am, April 1, 2023
Businesses told to save energy as bill support ends
The government has launched a bid to help businesses use less energy on the same day as it pulls away most of its energy bill support for companies.
Small and medium-sized companies will be told that they can save money on their bills by putting light and heating on timers, turning down flow temperatures on boilers and switching to more efficient light bulbs.
‘Falling wholesale energy prices are welcome news, but this in no way changes our firm, long-term commitments to vastly boost UK energy efficiency across industry and households,’ said minister for energy efficiency Lord Callanan.
Toyota makes 10 millionth Yaris
Toyota has now produced its 10 millionth Yaris worldwide, joining several other models from the brand that have reached and surpassed the milestone figure.
First introduced in 1999, the Toyota Yaris is now in its fourth generation and is produced at sites all over the world in 10 different countries, including Japan, Brazil and China. The model is also called the ‘Vitz’ in other overseas markets.
Since 2001, European Yaris models have been produced at Valenciennes in northern France, while in 2021 the European footprint was expanded with a plant in Kolin, Czech Republic. More than 4.6 million Yaris models have been manufactured in Europe, too, with a third of all Toyota models sold in the continent in 2021 being a Yaris.
Port of Dover declares critical incident
The Port of Dover has declared a critical incident as high levels of traffic caused coach passengers to experience lengthy delays.
It comes as operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways also reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible for waits and queues.
DFDS announced on Twitter just after 9pm that the wait time for coaches is approximately seven hours from arrival at the port.
The port said high volumes of coach traffic were due to the Easter holidays.
High street to benefit from business rates drop
Shops, pubs and other high street firms are set to see tax cuts of more than 50 per cent from today amid new property valuations, according to data.
Last year, the government announced the first revaluation process for business rates – the equivalent of council tax for UK commercial properties – in six years.
Thousands of businesses will pay less due to drops in the value of commercial real estate, as well as increased sector support, which come into effect on April 1.
FTSE ends first quarter up 180 points
The FTSE 100 has ended the first quarter of the year in positive territory despite a massive sell-off in early March which pummelled the index.
London’s top share index saw its value rise by 0.2 per cent on Friday, ending the month, and the quarter, on a slight high.
The index closed the tumultuous three months at 7,631.74 points, 180 higher than it finished last year, but well off the peak of more than 8,000 that the index reached in February.
It has been a turbulent quarter as a four-month upward trajectory following September’s mini-budget was interrupted by the collapse or near collapse of several global banks.
Friday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Group 1 Automotive’s UK boss Mark Bridgland makes shock departure from business
- Land Rover Defender restoration specialist Spirit of 48 goes into administration
- Polestar grows footprint with opening of fifth Space in UK
- Inchcape expands presence in Indonesia as it buys Mercedes-Benz’s business in the country
- Auto Trader shares ‘undervalued’ as broker highlights potential to increase profits
- Motor retail industry could be set to change forever as Mackie Motors awaits result of landmark High Court appeal
- Peter Vardy opens former Cazoo handover site as… a used car dealership
Protesters spared jail over ‘reckless’ Silverstone track invasion
Six Just Stop Oil climate change protesters have been spared jail after a track invasion which risked ‘serious harm’ to Formula One drivers and marshals at last year’s British Grand Prix.
Louis McKechnie, Emily Brocklebank and Bethany Mogie, who were among five campaigners who were dragged off the circuit at Silverstone as two Formula One cars passed close by, were given suspended jail sentences at Northampton Crown Court on Friday.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Garnham also handed 12-month community orders to fellow protesters David Baldwin, Alasdair Gibson and Joshua Smith.
Amazon workers to stage more strikes
Amazon workers are to stage fresh strikes in an escalation of a dispute over pay. The six days of action follow a series of stoppages earlier this year.
The GMB union said more than 500 of its members at the online giant’s site in Coventry will walk out for three days from April 16 and again from April 21-23.
It also announced it will be balloting its members at five more Amazon sites across the Midlands for strikes over pay.
Rain but becoming drier
Rain will begin to ease in the south and west with some sunny spells developing, according to the Met Office.
In the far southwest, however, there will be heavy showers while the east will find it dull and chilly today.
Tonight, there will be some light rain but mainly cloudy from Wales to west England while in Northern Ireland and east England the cloud will break meaning a chilly night.
