Consumer Watch

If you have any tips or cautionary tales to relate on consumers issues, we would like to hear from you. Email gnaughton@gmail.com

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Deal of the Week

Bord Gáis Energy's arrival in the residential electricity market is good news for consumers. The company is already promising to guarantee minimum savings of 10% off ESB rates for customers in the first year. That goes up to a 14% discount for customers who are already natural gas customers and paying by direct debit. The move has been piloted among farmers already with an 18% uptake. Consider making the switch.

Tip of the Week

A recent visit to a specialist Asian grocery shop in city centre Dublin turned up some real bargains. A five-kilo bag of basmati rice cost €14.99 (five kilos of the cheapest own-brand basmati rice available at a nearby supermarket worked out at €18.90); oyster sauce priced at €3.99 for 500 millilitres in the specialist shop would have cost €12.20 in the supermarket, based on €3.66 for 150 mls; fish sauce at €2.89 for 750 mls wasn't even available in the supermarket. Specialist shops are not always expensive.

Bad Value of the Week

Marks and Spencer probably won a few fans with its Valentine's promotion last week. Shoppers could buy a starter, main dish, side dish, dessert, a bottle of Cava and a single red rose for €25. So far so good. But consider this: M&S has frequently made a similar offer of a main dish, side dish, dessert and bottle of wine for just €12.50 (an excellent deal, by the way). Essentially people paid an extra €12.50 for a starter and a rose, even though they probably had to buy flowers anyway.