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Green Energy Tariffs, Grow your own Mushrooms, Digital Exclusion

We look at the popularity of home grown mushroom kits and a new way to compare green energy tariffs.

A third of households - nine million of us -are currently on a green tariff with their energy supplier. However a survey by U-Switch found that most of us don't understand what that means. The comparison site has launched a new way to compare the green tariffs on the market. They've ranked tariffs and labelled them as bronze, silver or gold based on how they source their renewable electricity. The vast majority of green tariffs have been labelled bronze, because they rely on cheap offsetting instead of buying renewable electricity directly from suppliers.

Exotic mushrooms can be expensive to buy, and hard to find if you're foraging. Now you can grow them in your kitchen. A number of businesses have been selling grow your own mushroom kits, and they've been very popular. You can grow oyster or shitake mushrooms in a matter of weeks, sometimes in kits using recycled coffee grounds. We hear from some enthusiasts.

Age UK has warned that many older people risk being excluded from hospitality venues, because they can't download the NHS Covid-19 app to 'check in' with. A survey by the charity found 50% of people aged 65 to 74 years, and 70% of people aged over 75 don't own a smart phone. In addition to track and trace requirements, many businesses are asking customers to access menus and make orders via apps or websites. Venues are supposed to be offering alternative ways to be providing contact details, but is that happening in practice?

Presented by Winifred Robinson.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

Available now

39 minutes

Broadcast

  • Thu 22 Apr 2021 12:18

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