British Gas says customers increasingly prefer dealing with AI, as owner Centrica prepares to cut 1,300 customer-service jobs. But chatbots may be brilliant at routine enquiries and hopeless when people face debt, bereavement or billing disasters. The future isn’t AI versus humans—it’s AI for speed, humans for care and customers retaining the choice.Continue reading “AI can cut queues—but removing humans could destroy trust”
Category Archives: Liz Barclay
Plug-in solar gets green light—but beware the fire risk
Plug-in solar panels will be legal in the UK from 27 August, opening the door to cheaper electricity for shops, cafés, workshops and home-based businesses. But owners are being warned to buy certified equipment, check their insurance and install it safely—or a money-saving panel could become a serious fire hazard. GREEN LIGHT FORContinue reading “Plug-in solar gets green light—but beware the fire risk”
Football gave landlords a sugar rush—not a recovery
World Cup fever sent takings soaring at some pubs, but the final whistle brought Britain’s cost-of-living crisis roaring back. The gains were brief and uneven, restaurants largely missed out and spending quickly slumped—proving football may fill beer gardens, but it cannot fix hospitality’s deeper crisis. WORLD CUP CASH SPLASH DRIBBLES OUT The dataContinue reading “Football gave landlords a sugar rush—not a recovery”
Forget scale-ups… Britain’s growth starts with the smallest businesses
By Professor Mark Hart, Deputy Director, Enterprise Research Centre “Growth in Every Postcode”: A Scale-Up Target Measures the Wrong Thing Andy Burnham’s promise of “good growth in every postcode” struck a chord with Britain’s small business owners. But if the new Prime Minister wants to turn that ambition into reality, Professor Mark HartContinue reading “Forget scale-ups… Britain’s growth starts with the smallest businesses”
Young workers flood into construction as skills-card numbers surge
Britain’s construction industry is getting a much-needed injection of young talent, with nearly 100,000 under-25s gaining industry skills cards and strong growth in plumbing, electrics and plant operation. As housebuilding, infrastructure and green retrofitting drive demand, a new generation is discovering that construction offers skilled, technical and potentially rewarding long-term careers. YOUNG PEOPLEContinue reading “Young workers flood into construction as skills-card numbers surge”