Category: Missed a ThameNews story?

LOOKING for ways to cut your energy bills and thinking about the Green Deal? What do you need to know? Useful information and advice from Thame CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau):-

The Green Deal is a new Government scheme to help with energy saving improvements to your home such as loft insulation, double glazing and solar panels. The scheme lets you make these improvements without having to pay up-front. Instead, you take out a loan which is repaid through the savings on your energy bills. Like any credit arrangement, the Green Deal is a serious financial commitment, so you need to think carefully about whether it’s right for you.

The loan is attached to properties, not people, so if you move house then repayments will pass to the next owner or tenant. You’ll have to let them know that loan is attached to the property before they agree to buy.

The scheme is designed so that savings always outstrip repayments. But this isn’t a guarantee, so taking out a Green Deal loan may mean that your bills increase. If you’re on an electricity meter repayments will be taken off your credit in small amounts several times a day, so you may find that your credit is used up faster.

If you decide to go ahead, the first step is an assessment of your home, which you often have to pay for. Green Deal assessors and providers must be officially accredited. Check by looking at the register gdorb.decc.gov.uk/consumersearch.

If you decide to go ahead after your assessment, there is a seven-day cooling off period . If you change your mind during the cooling off period, you won’t have to pay a cancellation fee, although you are likely to have to pay some of the assessment cost if work has been carried out before you cancel. Green Deal loans are covered by the Consumer Credit Act, which gives you important rights. If you have a complaint, you should contact your provider. If they can’t sort out your problem, you can contact the Energy or Financial Services Ombudsman.

If you can’t save money through the Green Deal, you may be able to get extra financial help under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) for energy saving improvements to your home, including solid wall insulation and cavity wall insulation.

Get free, confidential, independent advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau. See www.adviceguide.org.uk or your local phone book for contact details. Your nearest CAB is in the Market Square, Thame 
Adviceline: 08444 111 444 or 03 00 33 00 650 (Mobile)

Also get advice about the Green Deal, the Energy Company Obligation and other ways to get help to save energy in your home from the Energy Savings Advice Service on 0300 123 1234.

A doctor from Thame who specialised in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, has been named as one of the top plastic surgeons in the UK.

Adrian Richards, from Thame, was hailed by top media doctor Mark Porter, the resident medical specialist on programmes like The One Show and Radio 4’s flagship medical series, Inside Health.

Dr Porter has compiled a list of the best 30 surgeons in the UK in response to new rules governing the cosmetic industry to crackdown on cowboy surgeons.

Adrian Richards, 49, is a plastic surgeon who trained in London and has travelled all over the world learning about cutting edge techniques which he has brought back to the UK.

He has extensive experience as an NHS surgeon at Stoke Mandeville hospital, and is also the medical director of Aurora Clinics, an ethical private plastic surgery practice.

He is also the founder of Cosmetic Courses, the UK’s biggest training school for doctors and nurses in the art of using Botox and other non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures.

Adrian Richards, who is married with four children, said: “It is great to receive recognition from Dr Porter, someone whom I admire a great deal.”

He added: “Plastic surgery techniques are changing all the time and it is important to keep up with new ideas and procedures as they arise.”

He has been an outspoken critic of the widespread use of sub-standard PIP breast implants, and has removed them from hundreds of patients, some of whom had suffered severe health problems. He has also supported the findings of the Keogh Report which was launched in the aftermath of the PIP scandal, and has called for a crackdown on the use of treatments like Botox and dermatological fillers by untrained practitioners.

Adrian concluded: “Aurora Clinics works with the best British surgeons in their fields, all highly qualified and trained, and we are all keen to see tighter controls on the cosmetic surgery industry.

“Sadly, there are firms out there which put patients at risk and everyone must be vigilant.”

Adrian Richards is a Member of both the British Association of Plastic and Reconsructive Surgeons (BAPRAS) and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the leading British professional bodies for plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery.

He is an author and has written a best-selling textbook ?Keynotes on Plastic Surgery?.

Aurora Clinics include the Gatehouse in Northampton, the Saxon Clinic in Milton Keynes, the Paddocks Hospital in Princes Risborough and 10 Harley St in London.

WHEN a trader goes into administration, its rights and responsibilities change. Depending on your situation you might end up losing out, so it?s important to know what you can do to protect yourself.

A common problem when shops go bust is what you can do if you have a gift card. Once they go into administration shops are under no obligation to continue to accept gift cards, although some may continue to do so. If you have a gift card then hold on to it, even if it isn?t being accepted, as the situation can change. This works both ways, so if a shop is taking vouchers then make sure you use them while you can.

If you?ve put down a deposit on an item that you have yet to receive, then whether or not you receive it will depend on whether it has been ?earmarked? for you. If it has then the shop should fulfil your order, but if not then you may not see the goods. If you?ve bought something, for example electrical or white goods, which become faulty then it might be easier to claim under the manufacturer?s guarantee.

You can log a complaint with the administrators which will add you on to the store’s list of creditors, but realistically most customers will be a long way down the list. If you used a credit or debit card you may be able to make a claim from your provider, and if the goods or services you bought came with a manufacturer?s guarantee or an insurance-backed guarantee, you may be able to make a claim under them. If the trader was a member of a trade association, contact them to see if they can help. You can find out more about what rights you have and what you can do if things go wrong, by going to www.adviceguide.org.uk or calling our consumer service on 08454 04 05 06.
Your nearest CAB office is in Market Square, Thame
Adviceline: 08444 111 444 or 03 00 33 00 650 (Mobile)

SOURCE: Thame Citizens Advice Bureau

ADVICE from the Thame CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau): Gyms often play on people’s new year resolve to be more active and offer enticing deals, but you can find yourself tied into a long-term contract without realising unless you study the small print very carefully before signing up for anything.

Your contract will normally have details about when and how you can cancel and what the charges will be. Usually you will still have to pay fees for the lifetime of the contract (or some sort of cancellation fee) if you decide to cancel early even if your circumstances have changed.

If you do decide to cancel your gym membership make sure you do it in writing and keep a copy of the letter. It may also be sensible to send the letter recorded delivery so you have proof of when you sent it and can find out whether the gym has received it or not.

There are some instances when you can cancel a gym contract early without a penalty or even get a refund. This could apply if the contract terms specifically allow for you to cancel in certain circumstances, such as at the end of an introductory rate. You can also cancel early without a penalty or charge if your contract terms are deemed to be unfair. Your contract could be seen as unfair if it is automatically renewed without your permission or the terms are unclear. It is also easier to cancel a gym contract without having to pay a penalty or even get a refund if it sets a minimum contract term that is more than one year.

Your nearest CAB office is in Market Square Thame
Adviceline: 08444 111 444 or 03 00 33 00 650 (Mobile)

IMAGINE that on the outskirts of Thame there lies a special land ? a land crossed by many paths that each lead to a new and exciting place. You step onto one of these paths and it takes you down through swishing grasses, alive with crickets and grasshoppers chirping their welcome.

You arrive at a pond where emerald dragonflies and azure damoiselles dance in the sunlight, skimming the water in a dazzling display of aerobatics. Frogs wallow in the mud, keeping cool until sundown when they emerge to romance in the moonlight.

Imagine this path then leads you through beds of reeds and sedges that whisper secrets in the wind. Songbirds nestle safely between their swaying stems and sing out their gratitude in a repertoire of chirps, clicks and warbles. The path leads to a wooden bridge that crosses a meandering stream. A kingfisher darts by – electric blue – hunting for fish and other edible delights. A small crayfish scuttles under a rock in case he?s on the menu, but the kingfisher is already long gone.

You cross the bridge and find yourself in a beautiful meadow, where wild flowers glow pink and yellow amongst the waving grasses. Brightly coloured butterflies flit past like excited fairies and bees hum happily as they fill their sacks with pollen.

Imagine the path leads you along the stream, under weeping willow trees and blossom-filled hedgerows. You reach the entrance to a woodland, dark and mysterious ? should you go in? You decided to enter and discover that it is not such a scary place after all, but a place full of birdsong and playful squirrels, and gently swaying trees.

As you emerge back out into the sunlight the path takes you along the woodland edge, where butterflies bounce across the hedgerow and out onto yet more meadows ? there appears to be no end to this mysterious land.

Imagine if this place really existed! Well, actually it does: It?s called Cuttle Brook local nature reserve; just a few minutes walk from Thame town centre and it?s YOURS!

So please accept this invitation to come and walk its paths, discover its secrets and enjoy a real breath of fresh air. All are welcome, but please ensure that you leave only footprints so that others may enjoy a pleasant visit and the wild life is not disturbed or endangered.

If you would like to get to know this magical land better you are welcome to join a group of dedicated volunteers, who work away at maintaining Cuttle Brook?s magic places and keeping the wild ones happy.

Also, this summer they are building a new bridge over the brook and would welcome any extra helping hands.

For more information contact: Elaine Aldridge via 01844) 292307- Email: leafylaine@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.cuttlebrook.org.uk
PHOTE: Courtesy of Deborah Porter

GOOD news that Citizens Advice Bureaux are to get a cash boost from South Oxfordshire District Council. They serve a great need, giving out advice like the following:

SALES goods may be reduced in price because the trader needs to clear stock at the end of the season, because they want to attract customers, or because there are known faults with the goods. As a consumer, the law says that any item you buy from a trader in a sale must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and match any description given. If it doesn?t then you are entitled to a repair, a replacement, or a refund.

Traders must also point out any faults with damaged sales goods, for example a missing button on a coat. If this does not happen you are also entitled to a repair, replacement or your money back.

Things become more problematic if you have simply changed your mind. A trader doesn?t have to do anything in this situation, but some traders do have their own returns policies where you can be offered an exchange or a credit note. More information on these types of returns policies can be found on the back of your receipt or displayed next to the tills.

Proof of purchase, like a receipt, will be needed to return goods bought in the sales and be aware that some returns policies state that goods which have been opened or the package damaged will not be accepted. Some retailers will also not accept returned goods which could carry infection such as pierced earrings, so remember to check the trader?s terms and conditions if you think you think you may want to return them later.

For more information on your consumer rights go to the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk

CAB adviceline 08 444 111 444 or 0300 3300 650(mobile)

Your local CAB is in Montesson Square, Thame (Market House)
IMAGE: Courtesy of: uk.finance.yahoo.com