Rental costs, Mastercard, energy and motor insurance

The cost of renting a home in England and Wales was 5.2 per cent higher in July than the same month a year earlier, according to lettings agent Your Move.

Its survey, based on analysis of about 20,000 properties, suggested that average monthly rent paid by private tenants rose to £846. The increase was sharpest in the South East of England. The annual rise in this region of 14.9 per cent was explained by a ripple effect from high rents in London. London had the highest average monthly rents, at £1,273, the survey suggested. Mastercard

A £14 billion legal claim has been filed against Mastercard on behalf of UK consumers seeking damages for anti-competitive card fees.

In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that regulators were right to condemn the cost of its interchange fees – the fees retailers pay banks to process card payments. It is claimed that consumers faced higher costs than they should, as retailers passed on the unnecessary high interchanges fees in their prices.