We report on the consumer who has found a novel way of dealing with nuisance calls.
Cold calls drive most of us to distraction, but few of us do much about it except complain. Not so Lee Beaumont, who decided to get his own back by setting up a premium rate number and cashing in every time he got a call. According to Citizens Advice, two-thirds of us have received unwanted contact from claims management firms trying to get us to try for PPI compensation, so maybe more of us need to take action – read the regulator's warning before you do though.
The housing market is buzzing, but that's not great for would-be buyers, who are finding it increasingly hard to afford homes. Shelter says 1.8 million families in England are stuck in the private rented sector, and is calling on government investment in a new style of shared ownership. Meanwhile, there has been yet another warning that the government's Help to Buy scheme could lead to a house price bubble – this time from a group of mortgage lenders. Members of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association said prices could rise by 11% by the end of 2016, causing problems for the very people the scheme is designed to help. Already in some areas you need a substantial amount of money behind you to consider buying – new figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show the average income of first-time buyers in London hit £52,000 in the spring.
Confusing energy tariffs are set to become a thing of the past, and soon. In good news for consumers, the regulator Ofgem has announced that by the end of the year firms will only be able to offer four pricing structures for each type of fuel. Better still, by spring 2014 they will be obliged to tell customers about the cheapest deal they are offering. The sun may be shining now, but we will soon be turning on the central heating again. These new rules should at least make it easier to shop around for the best deal.
Also on the site this week
Photograph by David Phillips • Can I bank on Barclays to pay my PPI refund? Miles Brignall has the answer
• Wish you weren't here? You might feel better about being back from a break in a home where you can pretend you are still on holiday
• Pocket money increases as parents loosen purse strings
Daft deal
Some deals are daft in any language – including this not-so-hot offer on ice creams in Turkey. Spotted at a Tesco Kipa in Gocek and sent in via Guardian Witness.
We would love to hear from you if you have seen similar silly offers. Send your pictures to money@guardian.co.uk or via GuardianWitness. The best will be in Saturday's Guardian Money section.
Real deals
• Sticking with your current provider may not necessarily be your cheapest option when it comes to gas and electricity. Use our comparison service to compare the market to find the best tariff for your usage.
• Fixing your mortgage rate now could give you peace of mind. Call our mortgage advice service, provided by London & Country Mortgages, who will give you no-obligation advice on the best mortgage deal for you.
That's all this week.
Hilary Osborne, editor guardian.co.uk/money
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