This Later life      October 2007

this later life…

The mobile reigns supreme

It’s official – the mobile is king. Industry regulator Ofcom has confirmed that more UK households rely solely on their mobile phone than they do on their landline and, for the first time, the time spent on a mobile phone call (82 billion minutes) accounts for over one third of the time spent on all calls (234 billion minutes). However, a new study by independent price comparison and switching service uSwitch.com reveals that mobile phone users are failing to tap into a massive ?1.9 billion in savings because, amongst other things, they are afraid of losing their phone number if they switch network.

43 million Brits have a personal mobile phone and 9 million have switched network over the last year – an industry churn rate of 21%. Switching has enabled consumers to make annual average savings of ?113 and collectively over ?1 billion in the last 12 months. It therefore comes as something of a surprise that 39% of mobile users – nearly 17 million people – have never made the move to a new network. While nearly 3 million believe that it’s simply ‘too much hassle’, 2.5 million are staying put as they incorrectly believe that they will lose their phone number.

The uSwitch.com poll of almost 4,000 mobile users reveals a severe gap in awareness of the ‘number porting’ process – the facility that enables consumers to keep their phone number when they change provider.

The process was introduced into the UK in 1999 but contains several flaws and, as a result, consumers appear to be shying away from taking advantage of the process. The poll revealed that a staggering 12 million consumers would be willing to switch mobile network more regularly if it was easier to keep their phone number.
Of those that have switched to a new mobile network, 6 out of 10 did not keep their existing phone number; nearly three million consumers were unaware that this was possible and over 4 million, felt that the process of transferring their number was simply too long or too complicated to bother with. A further 1.8 million, decided to take a new phone number to avoid any interruption to their service.

While the UK was one of the first countries to introduce the number porting system, it now severely lags behind other countries, which are able to complete the process up to 350 times faster. Mobile phone users in Australia can transfer their phone number in 3 hours; in the USA it takes 2.5 hours and in Ireland the whole process can be completed in just 2 hours. More importantly, the process takes place at minimum inconvenience to the consumer – all arrangements are made by the new mobile network eliminating any need for the customer to make contact with the network they are leaving.

For more information visit www.uSwitch.com 

or call 0800 093 06 07

 

Age Concern and Home Heat Helpline

Age Concern and the Home Heat Helpline launch the ‘Take Control’ campaign aimed at older residents. Take Control Test launched to check whether vulnerable households are doing everything they can to avoid fuel poverty. New advice on how older residents can‘take control’ when it comes to heating and insulating their homes’.

The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) and Age Concern joined forces today to launch a new ‘Take Control’ campaign targeting older residents, their friends, neighbours and family. The aim of the campaign is make sure older residents are doing everything they can to avoid fuel poverty and to urge friends and family to give them the support and advice needed to make sure their homes are as energy efficient and as cheap to heat as possible.

A group especially vulnerable to living in fuel poverty are older citizens and research carried out by the Helpline last year revealed that 4 in 10 over 55s believed that insufficient heating could impact negatively on their health and wellbeing.
 

The main theme of the campaign is the launch of the Home Heat Helpline Take Control Test which older residents, friends, neighbours and family members can take to see whether there is more they can do to reduce their fuel bills, insulate their homes, reduce the amount of energy they waste or access the financial support they are entitled to.

The Take Control Test includes the following statements:

I/they have never calculated whether I/they spend more than 10% of income on fuel

 

1. My/their house is cold/damp for most of the year
2. I/they have to keep the heating off sometimes to keep fuel bills down
3. I/they struggle to regularly pay fuel bills
4. I/they don’t have any draft excluders fitted in the home
5. I/they don’t have double glazing fitted
6. I/they don’t have loft insulation
7. I/they have not contacted my/their energy supplier to see whether there is financial support available
8. I/they have not looked into ways to improve my/their home’s energy efficiency – e.g. energy saving light bulbs, turning appliances off at the wall when not using them, fixing dripping taps
9. I/they don’t’ regularly check my/their thermostat and could not say what its currently set to
 

www.homeheathelpline.org
 

Rapid Broadband Growth Helps Close the Digital Divide

Research announced today from the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) reveals that 68% of all European internet users aged 55 years and over now use broadband at their main point of internet connection and that broadband adoption amongst silver surfers is growing at a faster rate than the average European internet user (26% year on year growth compared to 14%). This increase in broadband penetration is leading to major changes in the way this older generation are communicating and spending their leisure time.

The EIAA Silver Surfers Report, the latest in the Mediascope Europe series, explores these changes and reveals interesting insights into their digital lifestyles. This older demographic now spends an average of 8.8 hours online per week - a growth of 18% since 2005 - and 78% of the time they spend online is for personal reasons rather than work. One in four log on to the internet in a typical week and weekend use is growing at a rate of 19% year on year.
 

Online tools: No longer the domain of the young.

The internet is quickly becoming a key communication tool for this generation and they are developing a much deeper level of involvement with online content. Use of online forums has seen significant growth of 113% since 2005, with 17% of silver surfers now regularly visiting these sites.
 

The research also dispels the myth that social networking is the domain of the young, nearly one in five (18%) visit sites such as MySpace and Bebo at least once a month - not that far behind the younger digital generation (16-34 year old internet users), 28% of whom regularly access social networking sites.

Making the most of the convenience and costs savings of VoIP is becoming rapidly more popular with this older generation. 14% now regularly make calls over the internet, illustrating 100% year on year growth and further evidence that this group are becoming ever more tech savvy.
 

Silver surfers are also making the most of the entertainment available online.

• 21% now listen to the radio online

• 7% have downloaded TV programmes and films

• 40% year on year growth since 2005 and 7% are enjoying online gaming.

Taking a Trip

The research reveals the wide array of websites that the older demographic are using to enrich different areas of their life. Travel and holiday sites are particularly popular with this group - an indication of the increased leisure time and disposable income that this group enjoy.

• 60% visit travel sites and 55% visit holiday sites (7% and 6% higher than the average European internet users respectively). Their research also converts into purchases, with 47% having bought travel tickets online and 32% having bought a holiday online.

• Using email and carrying out searches online seems to be second nature, with 83% regularly carrying out both activities. Keeping up to date with current affairs and news is also important, with nearly two thirds of silver surfers visiting online news sites (61%).

Not all Fun and Games

• 61% of users of all media aged 55 and over cite that the internet provides what they want quickly and saves time and more and more are carrying out some of their day to day tasks online.

• Over half (53%) of all of these users now use online banking and finance sites.

• 74% of internet users aged 55 and over have shopped online, buying an average of 7 items and spending €830 in a six month period; well above the average online shopper (€750). 38% are using price comparison sites and books (29%) and electrical goods (18%) prove popular online goods.

Two million people aged over 60 have a sight and hearing loss

It is estimated that two million people in the UK aged over 60 have both hearing and sight impairments. Sense, the national deafblind charity, is launching a campaign called Fill in the Gaps on 16th July to raise awareness of this. Given the right support many people can continue to lead fulfilling lives carrying on with their favourite activities. Without the right support people can become isolated.

Sense has produced a useful booklet for the public called `The Good Life’ showing people how they can communicate with and support older relatives who are losing their sight and hearing. Given the number of people affected we expect many will benefit. We want to change people’s attitudes from “what do you expect at my age?” to “I expect to continue to live The Good Life.”
Look up: www.Sense.org.uk  
 

laterlife interest

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