Newsgather

internet access

Steady12 stories9 sourcesLast updated: 5/28/2026

Latest Stories

Octopus Energy CEO Suggests Households Could Accept Occasional Blackouts for Lower Bills
Developing
Business·5/1/2026AI summary

Octopus Energy CEO Suggests Households Could Accept Occasional Blackouts for Lower Bills

Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson has suggested some households would accept occasional electricity blackouts in exchange for 25% lower energy bills, sparking controversy on the anniversary of Europe's largest power outage in Spain and Portugal. The comments come as UK dual fuel bills are expected to rise to almost £2,000 from July, with grid upgrade costs climbing from £254 to £457 annually. Jackson, 54, clarified he was not advocating for blackouts but said Spanish consumers would accept occasional outages for cheaper electricity. At least six people died in last year's Iberian blackout, including two who died after being unable to run breathing equipment.

G
Guardian Business
Octopus Energy CEO suggests households might accept blackouts for lower bills
Developing
Business·5/1/2026AI summary

Octopus Energy CEO suggests households might accept blackouts for lower bills

Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson has suggested some households might accept occasional electricity blackouts in exchange for significantly lower energy bills, citing Spain's 25% cheaper electricity as a model. Speaking at an industry conference on the anniversary of Europe's largest power outage that affected tens of millions in Spain and Portugal, Jackson clarified he is not advocating for blackouts but argued consumers would trade reliability for lower costs. The comments come as Octopus Energy campaigns against tens of billions of pounds in UK grid investment that it says drives up household bills.

G
Guardian Business
Tin Can: The Dumbphone Aimed at Children That Looks Like a Landline
Tech
4/28/2026AI summary

Tin Can: The Dumbphone Aimed at Children That Looks Like a Landline

The Tin Can is a simplified phone device for children designed by three Seattle fathers, featuring bright colours, big numbers, a curly cord between handset and base, and no texting, apps or games. Priced at $100 with a $9.99 monthly subscription for calling regular numbers, it connects via wifi and plugs into a normal power socket. Parents can approve a contact list to eliminate concerns about strangers. Bloomberg reports hundreds of thousands of sales with school endorsements, though critics question whether kids will actually want to use a device that lacks the features they typically desire.

G
Guardian Tech