GET extra cash in your pocket ahead of summer with our guide to reclaiming cash.
You could be in line to get over £2,600 back – and there are some key dates to mark in your diary.
Lucy Andrews explains what to do.
Tens of thousands of prepayment meter customers will get compensation and their debts written off by energy suppliers.
Ofgem has found that energy suppliers have broken rules when installing prepayment meters to collect debt.
Some £18.6 million in compensation will be paid by eight energy suppliers to at least 40,000 customers.
They are: Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity.
There is no need to take action – you will be contacted directly by your supplier if you are affected.
The amount you could get will vary depending on which rules were broken in your case, ranging from £40 for failures like poor record keeping, to £1,000 if you were forcibly switched.
But you should make a complaint now if you think you were treated badly.
It’s normal for customers to build up energy credit during the warmer months, but ask for a refund if you’ve accrued too much.
Consider claiming your money back if you have built up more than two months’ worth of bill payments, said comparison site Uswitch.
The formula for working out how much to ask back is to look at your credit balance, and minus two months’ payments.
Energy suppliers are sitting on £3.3 billion of customer’s money, while the average customer racked up £215 in surplus credit last year, according to watchdog Ofgem.
Each company has its own refund process, so ask yours how to claim.
Get an up-to-date meter reading ready, as this will be needed in order for your supplier to process the refund.
Claiming credit back is a good idea, otherwise you are losing out on any interest you could make on your cash.
Put your refund in a high interest easy access savings account, so you can easily dip back into it when bills go up in the colder months.
Atom Bank offers the best rate at 4.75 per cent, according to comparison site Moneyfacts.
If you bought a car, van or motorbike on finance between 2008-January 28, 2021, you could be in line for a payout worth £1,100.
The Financial Conduct Authority is investigating hidden commissions earned by car dealers who negotiated deals with high interest rates for customers.
This week it issued an update on compensation. It said it could be an opt-in or opt-out redress scheme.
Opt-in means that you will need to sign up for compensation, so you could miss out if you don’t register.
Opt-out means you are automatically included, but the downside is that you could have to wait longer for your money.
The watchdog has estimated that on average, people paid £1,100 more in interest on a typical £10,000 four-year car finance.
The scandal could cost lenders as much as £16 billion, according to the consumer site Which?.
You can make a claim now by contacting the lender who you signed the finance agreement with, not the car dealer. Check your paperwork if you don’t know how your lender is.
You will have to wait for any potential payout. The Supreme Court should decide by next month what the final bill for compensation will be.
Then, the FCA will respond in six weeks with a plan of action as to how people can get their payout.
“Consumers should expect compensation early next year,” said Alex Neill from the consumer group Consumer Voice.
IF you are taxed through PAYE, make some important checks to see if you have overpaid.
The average tax refund was £1,562 in 2023, according to Rift Refunds.
You might be on the wrong tax code if you changed jobs, signed up to employee benefits like a company car, or your HR department has made a mistake.
You should have recently received an important slip of paperwork, a P60, from your employer.
Check your “final tax code” on the form. If it’s wrong, then you could end up underpaying, or overpaying, tax.
The most common tax code is 1257L, which is used for most people with one job.
If this code also has W1, M1 or X on the end, you are on an emergency tax code and paying more than you should.
If you think you are on the wrong tax code, phone HMRC on 0300 200 3300 for a quick response.
If you have overpaid, you will be reimbursed and paid 3.25% interest on top.
Depending on your situation, you will either be able to claim a refund online, get a cheque in the post, or the tax will be refunded back to you through your wages.
Around 47 million Mastercard customers are in line for a compensation payout of up to £70.
Make a claim if you bought anything from a shop or supermarket that accepted Mastercard between 1992 and 2008.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has approved a settlement for Mastercard to pay £200 million to affected customers.
It was accused of wrongly slapping fees onto transactions made over a 15-year period.
Although retailers paid the fees, shoppers lost out because retailers passed the cost on by hiking prices.
You are eligible to make a claim if you bought anything from a shop or supermarket that accepted Mastercard between 1992 and 2008 – even if you didn’t use a Mastercard.
You can’t file a claim yet. An online portal is expected to launch in the next few weeks on the mastercardconsumerclaim.co.uk website. Register for updates so you’ll be notified when this is live.
Payments are expected to be made by the end of this year. The amount you could get will depend on how many people register, although it’s estimated each person could get £45 to £70.
LOVE Island’s first bombshell can be revealed by The Sun after Maya Jama teased it was a American girl – and she’s already in the villa.
The sexy Yank is Antonia Laites, a pool party waitress from Las Vegas.
Antonia is a hot brunette who looks after the VIP cabanas at posh Fontainebleau Resort in Sin City.
She’s also lived in Miami.
The beauty strutted into the villa on the very first day to shake up the action from the off.
A source said: “Being Love Island’s first bombshell of the series is a big deal and is always reserved for the sexiest cast members.
“In the past it’s been the likes of Davide, Uma and even Ekin-Su on All Stars.
“Antonia landed as part of a huge first day and everyone is very excited.”
She arrives in the love nest at a great time as the ITV2 dating show is celebrating its 10th anniversary– and has hit 2 BILLION streams on ITVX.
It comes after Maya teased the bombshell’s arrival on social media when she played a voice note.
The video, shared on the show’s social media, showed Maya receiving a message on her phone which she played aloud.
“Hey Maya, I heard you want more twists,” Antonia can be heard saying.
“How about an American bombshell?” she continues.
“Get ready, I’m on my way!”
An excited Maya then announces, “That’s the sweet sweet sounds of an American!”
Departures:
Love Island begins tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX
SUPERMARKET shoppers love reaching for a Pizza Express pizza – but can you find an own-brand one that’s just as good?
They can be pricey when compared to supermarket own brands.
At the moment a Margherita will set you back between £4.35 – £6.00 depending on where you buy it.
Natasha Harding tried six supermarket brands and compared them to Pizza Express Margherita pizza – and rated them all out of 30.
£4.35 (when bought with Nectar), Sainsbury’s
Per 100g: calories, 263 fat, 8.7g sugar, 3.4g salt 0.93g
If the secret to a good pizza is in the dough, then Pizza Express hits the spot.
The base cooked to perfection and it was a good size for two people.
There was a good amount of topping and it cooked evenly in about 12 minutes.
However, there are other pizzas that taste just as good for a fraction of the cost.
Taste: 8/10
Value: 5/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Out of 30: 19
£1.99, Aldi, Aldi
Per 100g: calories, 308 fat, 10.2g sugar, 4g salt 1.09g
It cooked nicely in 12 minutes and was big enough to feed four people.
The base was deliciously crispy and the cheese and tomato topping tasted authentically Italian.
I haven’t tried this flavour from Aldi before, but absolutely will in the future – my winner – and less than half the price of Pizza Express, that’s dinner sorted.
Taste: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Overall rating: 10/10
Out of 30: 30
£1.90, Sainsbury’s
Per 100g: calories, 298 fat, 9g sugar, 2.6g salt 0.76g
Good value and a perfect size for two.
I wasn’t so keen on this one as I thought it was a bit bland and there wasn’t enough cheese to tempt my tastebuds.
However, my daughter and her friend loved it and she’s asked if she can have it for tea regularly.
At that price, I’m happy to oblige – and if I join her, I’ll add extra cheese on my half.
Taste: 8/10
Value: 10/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Out of 30: 25
£2.58, Asda
Per 100g: calories, 238 fat, 7.7g sugar, 3.9g salt 1.09g
It cooked well in just over 12 minutes and the generous size means it would satisfy four people, especially if you add a couple of sides.
The topping was plentiful and the fact that you’re getting a lot of pizza for your money means that this is a good staple for a family if you’re unsure what to serve up for dinner.
Taste: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Out of 30: 24
£1.99, Lidl
Per 100g: calories, 254 fat, 8.6g sugar, 2.3g salt 1.08g
Another well priced pizza but I wasn’t so keen on the taste.
The tomato had an intense, slightly synthetic taste that I couldn’t get away from.
The cheese was generous and tasted great – and it cooked to perfection.
If you like a stronger taste sensation, it might be one for you but it’s not one I’d be keen to buy again.
Taste: 6/10
Value: 10/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Out of 30: 23
£3.10, Tesco
Per 100g: calories, 259 fat, 7g sugar, 2.8g salt 0.75g
It cooked nicely in just over ten minutes and looked very appealing once it was ready.
It was generously sized and the base was just the right consistency of being thick enough but crispy too.
It was oh so cheesy which hit the spot for me – I’d definitely buy it again if I needed a cheese fix.
Taste: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Out of 30: 23
£2.75, Waitrose
Per 100g: calories, 260 fat, 8g sugar, 4.6g salt .75g
I felt a bit let down by Waitrose offering as the Essential range is fantastic.
The base was a bit thin, and it could have done with some extra toppings as it felt a bit lacklustre.
If I was to buy it again, it would be as a base to add some extra ingredients to.
Taste: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Out of 30: 18
DONALD TRUMP has made a surprise appearance at UFC 316 – but this time Elon Musk was nowhere to be seen.
The President was cageside to watch Merab Dvalishvili’s title scrap with Sean O’Malley on Saturday night.
Trump was flanked by UFC kingpin Dana White in a one-man entourage as he entered the arena in Newark, New Jersey.
He received loud cheers from the capacity crowd at the Prudential Center before taking his seat close to boxing icon Mike Tyson.
Trump shook hands with former NFL stars Will Compton and Taylor Lewan as he settled in to watch a packed main card.
Son Eric, daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were also in the audience, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The 47th President arrived in New Jersey on Friday, where he stayed at his golf course in Bedminster.
Trump was on the end of a high five from Kevin Holland after his submission victory against fellow welterweight Vicente Luque.
And he later shared words of encouragement to Georgian star Dvalishvili following an epic end to the main event.
Trump’s appearance was also notable for the absence of former sidekick Elon Musk.
His relationship with the world’s richest man disintegrated earlier this week.
The former allies battled it out on social media after disagreeing on Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, with the President claiming Elon had “gone crazy”.
Musk, who is worth an estimated $330 billion, was a major contributor to Trump’s presidential campaign.
He reportedly spent $250 million in supporting the Republican’s race for the White House last year.
Musk accompanied Trump to his last UFC showing in April.
The President was given a thunderous reception as he entered the arena for UFC 314 in Miami, Florida.
But prior to Saturday’s action, Trump indicated his working relationship with Musk was irreparable.
“I’m too busy doing other things. I won an election in a landslide,” he said.
“I gave [Musk] a lot of breaks, long before this happened.
“I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Former president Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk's relationship started rocky, but the pair have since reconciled, with Musk fully endorsing Trump and interviewing him on X Spaces on August 12.
In 2022, Elon Musk and Donald Trump publicly feuded on X, then still known as Twitter.
Trump called Musk a liar and “bulls**t artist” during a rally in Alaska.
“Elon is not going to buy Twitter,” Trump said at the time.
“You know, he said the other day, ‘I’ve never voted for a Republican.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know that – you told me you voted for me. So he’s another bulls**t artist, but he’s not going to be buying it.”
In response to Trump’s critiques, the SpaceX founder clapped back.
“I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset,” Musk posted.
Musk also went on to buy X months later.
The X owner said he had previously voted mostly for Democrats since becoming a United States citizen in 2002.
Musk initially backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
“My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist,” Musk wrote on X in 2022.
“I had hoped that would [be] the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far.”
His shift in political parties might be attributed to his plummeting relationship with President Joe Biden who didn’t invite Musk to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit.
Despite their past issues, Trump and Musk’s relationship took a turn in March after they met at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump was also previously against electric vehicles but has since changed his stance.
“I’m for electric cars,” he said at a rally earlier this month.
“I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.”
Following the assassination attempt at Trump’s rally in July, Musk announced his support for the former president.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X after the shooting.
During a recent press conference, Trump spoke highly of Musk.
“I respect Elon a lot. He respects me,” he said.
“Elon, more than almost anybody I know, he loves this country. He loves the concept of this country, but like me, he says this country is in big trouble, it’s in tremendous danger.”
Musk has been pictured at events at Mar-a-Lago and the UFC, buddying up with Trump.
Trump selected Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency – a taskforce aimed at cutting bureaucracy.
In the Octagon, it was a night to remember for Dvalishvili, who proved too strong for O’Malley in their main event rematch.
The reigning bantamweight champion secured his first-ever UFC submission following a brutal choke-out.
And he celebrated by vaulting out of the Octagon for a handshake and words with Trump.
The President also shook hands with a devastated O’Malley, who was able to leave the Octagon under his own steam after the choke.
“He was well trained, he was well prepared, and I knew that he was going to make changes,” Dvalishvili told reporters after the third round win.
“Every time I lost I made big changes and I learned from it.
“But I’m getting better and better. I wasn’t showing this technique [before] and I have more tools in my pocket I’m still working on, and then little by little I will show.
“Now it’s my time.”
Elsewhere on the main card, there were also wins for Kayla Harrison, Joe Pyfer, Holland, and Mario Bautista.
THERE is “no doubt” Iran would use a nuclear bomb on its enemies, a female activist has revealed.
IT researcher Fereshteh, from Tehran, warned the “crisis-stricken regime” is clinging on to power by forcing its people to live in extreme poverty and ramping up executions.
Speaking to The Sun, Fereshteh, 35, revealed that she joined a resistance unit of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran after the regime tortured and executed her beloved sister.
Hundreds of resistance units have been set up all over the country – aimed at undermining the regime’s authority.
Members organise and lead protests, destroying statues and images of regime leaders and documenting human rights abuses.
Fereshteh revealed the situation in Iran is a “powder-keg” and a “ticking time bomb” ready to explode as Iranians grow angrier than ever at repression, corruption and high prices.
She says things are worse now than in September 2022 when the death of a Kurdish girl named Mahsa Amini triggered mass protests.
Outraged citizens in more than 280 cities in 31 provinces of Iran took to the streets and brought the mullahs’ regime to the brink of collapse.
Fereshteh said: “There was the massacre of more than 750 innocent people by the State Security Forces, which were in fact street executions.
“More than 30,000 arrests involved torture and heavy bails for release, sometimes rape.
“And the abandonment of bodies in rivers or unfinished buildings, sometimes poisoning people with tainted juice or toxic serums in prisons, and the intentional failure to care for sick or tortured prisoners that led to their death, and many other crimes, the protests continued for months.
“The outraged people had nothing more to lose.
“After that, the regime tried hard to impose an atmosphere of repression by increasing executions and creating a suffocating environment.”
Fareshteh said there was a 34 per cent increase in executions in 2023 – with 860 in one year.
In 2024, there were at least 1,000 – and this year, new records are being set month by month.
“Now the situation is worse than before,” Fareshteh said.
“Inflation is crippling, and while people’s salaries and incomes have not changed much, the exchange rate has risen.
“The Iranian people are almost four times poorer, and prices have increased by the same amount, most people’s tables are getting smaller every year, and more are living below the poverty line.”
Fereshteh said the regime’s brutality towards its own people has increased since the Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels last December.
“This regime has no solution other than increasing executions at home, especially after the fall of the Syrian dictator and the
successive blows to its proxy forces in the region,” she said.
The mullahs’ regime tortured and executed my innocent sister, even burying her body themselves, creating lasting trauma for my family that I will never forget or forgive
Fareshten, resistance unit member
“Ali Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme Leader, used to call Syria, its strategic depth, and he repeatedly said that if we don’t fight in Syria and Iraq, we will have to face the enemy in Iran’s major cities.
“Now, the regime sees its only way out in trying harder to build nuclear weapons and acquire a bomb.
“In the absence of any solution in the crisis-stricken mullah regime, the situation in Iran is like a powder keg.
“And everyone, even the regime’s leaders, constantly warn about the explosion of people’s outrage from repression, corruption, and high prices.
“The difference is that the people of Iran, especially the youth, know that the regime has never been in its current state of weakness.”
Fareshteh revealed how her activities for her resistance unit include painting political graffiti and encouraging others to stand against the regime.
She said she joined the unit to avenge her sister’s death which she will neither “forget or forgive”.
Being a member of the resistance in Iran can carry a death sentence, but Fareshteh remains undeterred.
She said: “I am the continuer and avenger of my beloved sister, who was the top student in her high school in mathematics and physics.
“The mullahs’ regime tortured and executed my innocent sister, even burying her body themselves, creating lasting trauma for my family that I will never forget or forgive.
“I carry out activities involving posting pictures and doing graffiti, and I speak to and raise awareness among the people about the social responsibility that rests on all of us.
“International support is very important. At one time, the regime’s lobbies deceived foreign countries by pretending that everything was fine in Iran.”
She added: “In the 2022 uprising, technology unveiled the countless crimes of the corrupt and murderous regime.
“International solidarity will press Western governments to stop appeasing and dealing with this dictatorship.”
Fareshteh’s comments comes after the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) presented shocking details about a covert nuclear weapons facility operated by the regime.
Chilling satellite pictures released last month showed a secret nuclear site codenamed “Rainbow”.
It is believed the base is being used to develop nuclear missiles with a 2,000 mile (3,000km) range.
The NCRI say that Tehran is using oil and chemical facilities as a front to create terrifying nuclear weapons with the ability to strike US bases in the Middle East.
Feresteh says the discovery of the base comes as no surprise as the regime’s goal has always been to acquire an atomic bomb to “blackmail” the international community.
“Repression at home and the export of terrorism and fomenting crisis have been one of the foundations of this regime’s survival since its inception,” she said.
Now, the regime sees its only way out in trying harder to build nuclear weapons and acquire a bomb
Fareshteh, resistance unit member
“In the past two years, everyone has seen that the main obstacle to peace and security in the region has been the mullah regime.
“After the fall of the Assad dictatorship… the only way out it sees is to increase executions at home and increase its activities to acquire an atomic bomb as a lever to continue blackmail the international community.
“This regime has not stopped trying to acquire a bomb for even a day.
“And the recent revelation… clearly exposes the regime’s unreliability and deception in its pursuit of a bomb.”
Exclusive by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)
CHILLING satellite pictures reveal Iran’s sprawling secret nuclear site codenamed “Rainbow”.
Sources in the country have uncovered how the base is being used to develop nuclear-capable missiles with a 2,000-mile range – able to strike US bases in the Middle East.
Tehran’s tyrannical regime is using oil and chemical facilities as a cover for nuclear bases, bombshell docs shared with The Sun by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reveal.
Haunting aerial images expose a network of clandestine sites – including “Rainbow” – used by iron-fist leaders to create terrifying nuclear weapons.
A powerful nuclear blast from Iran could have disastrous consequences for the Middle East – and beyond – thanks to the capability of the warheads.
Now sources inside Iran have revealed the regime’s nuclear weaponisation entity, Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research’s (SPND) secret project to accelerate nuclear ability.
Hidden under the guise of a chemical production facility, the crowning jewel of the operation is a base known internally as the “Rangin Kaman (Rainbow) Site”.
It is some distance from Iran’s already known nuke bases, and is masked as a chemical production company known as Diba Energy Siba.
Fereshteh said that despite facing “unprecedented repression and executions” the regime has failed to contain protests and even executions are not intimidating the public as they once did.
She told how the political prisoners at some of Iran’s most notorious prisons have been on hunger strike every Tuesday for 68 weeks as a protest against the death penalty.
“Every week, their statement, which is courageously smuggled out of prison and published, speaks of their fighting spirit and loyalty to their commitment to freedom and the rejection of the death penalty,” Fereshteh said.
“Imagine that they are trapped in the prisons of religious fascism, but despite all the pressure the regime exerts on them, these strikes have continued for 68 weeks.
“The people’s anger and hatred grow stronger each day.
“During the uprisings, I witnessed young girls, and even elderly women remove their hijabs when passing by the oppressors, signaling their defiance.
“The intensity of this anger has reached a point where the regime no longer dares to harass women for not wearing hijabs as aggressively as before.”
Fereshteh has now called on the governments of the US and UK to “stand with the Iranian people” to prevent the regime completing its nuclear programme.
She said: “The British government must immediately activate the trigger mechanism to prevent the regime from having more time to complete its nuclear program.
“Since this regime will under no circumstances abandon its efforts to produce a bomb, this again underscores the necessity for the West to stand with the main opposition to this regime and the people of Iran and to provide political support for their efforts to change the regime.”
She added: “Not a day passes without various segments of the population – retirees, workers, teachers, nurses, medical staff, students, and those whose wealth has been plundered by IRGC-affiliated gangs – taking to the streets to protest against the regime.
“Moreover, the increasing demonstrations from farmers and factories and businesses facing ongoing water and power shortages illustrate that we are witnessing an explosive society.
“Today, in Iran, there is no segment of society whose patience has not run out with this anti-people regime.
“The regime has managed to maintain its grip on power solely through blatant repression and a daily increase in executions.
“For decades, the people of Iran have watched with disbelief and pain the leniency and wrong policies of the West towards a regime that is the main cause of instability and warmongering in the region and terrorism globally.
“No one here doubts that the ruling fascist regime must go, and the only way to end the crimes at home and the warmongering, terrorism, and support for terrorist forces abroad is to end this regime.
“This is achievable.
“Our expectation from the international community is to stand with the people and resistance of Iran.”
VAPERS have been warned over a common mistake that could cause their devices to erupt into “ferocious” toxic fires.
The lithium batteries inside vapes can have a severe chemical reaction if the devices are treated recklessly, fire safety experts have warned.
Throwing them around or dropping them too much can damage the batteries over time.
“Given we commonly keep smaller vapes in our pockets, if they fail and catch fire it’s not uncommon to see serious burns as a result,” Giuseppe Capanna, product safety expert at charity Electrical Safety First, told The Sun.
“If a vape is substandard, exposed to high temperatures, short circuits or becomes damaged, it risks causing a toxic fire caused by a chemical reaction inside the battery cells.
“This process, called thermal runway, creates ferocious fires releasing a large amount of energy in a short space of time.”
It’s also important to use the right charging cable, and avoid leaving a vape in high temperatures or submerged in water.
“If you own a vape it’s really important you treat it with care, avoid carelessly throwing it around which may cause the battery inside to become damaged over time,” explained Capanna.
“Ensure you use a compatible charger for your device and keep it away from areas where it may be exposed to high temperatures or risk coming into contact with water.”
It follows a government ban on single-use vapes, primarily due to environmental concerns and a rise in youth vaping.
Since 1 June 2025, businesses have had to stop selling or supplying all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes.
As well as being an eyesore, littered vapes – both single-use and reusable – can also be a fire risk.
They also introduce harmful chemicals into the soil, rivers and streams, so it’s “vital” they are recycled, according to Capanna.
“Incorrectly disposing of your vape in your household bin risks it becoming crushed when being processed in the back of the lorry, triggering waste collection fires that release toxic fumes,” he said.
“When your vape comes to the end of its life, either check if your local retailer offers a take back scheme to safely hand in your battery, or find your nearest recycling centre that will accept battery powered devices.”
The London Fire Brigade has warned that here has been an uptick in vape-related fires across the UK, due to the devices being incorrectly thrown away in normal waste.
When the lithium batteries become crushed in waste collection vehicles on their way to the landfill they can spark fires.
Lithium batteries store a lot of energy in a small space and although lithium-ion battery products that have been built to a poor standard are a higher fire risk, any battery is at risk of exploding and catching fire if it has been crushed or becomes damaged.
London Fire Brigade
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson told The Sun: “Fires involving vapes can occur when the lithium-ion batteries that power them fail or become damaged or crushed.
“Lithium batteries store a lot of energy in a small space and although lithium-ion battery products that have been built to a poor standard are a higher fire risk, any battery is at risk of exploding and catching fire if it has been crushed or becomes damaged.
“When lithium-ion battery fires happen, they can be ferocious and can spread in seconds.”
Between 2020 to 2024, the London Fire Brigade was called out to 41 vape-related fires, occurring in homes, shops, and even hospitals.
Six fire engines and approximately 40 firefighters were dispatched to tackle a blaze at a shop in Harlesden in August 2024, which was believed to have been sparked by a faulty vape’s lithium battery.
Photos provided by the London Fire Brigade show blackened rooms blanketed with ash.
In April 2024, a day ward at Hampstead hospital was left damaged after the lithium battery in a rechargeable vape exploded in a visitor’s bag.
Another photo from the brigade shows a South London home ravaged by a vape-related fire.
A bedroom has been reduced to ashes, with all contents inside obliterated.
Another risky mistake is to charge vapes by the bed or sofa.
Glenn Flannery, commercial director at fire alarm systems provider Spy Alarms, warned that this is a “definite no-no”.
“These devices often come without standards such as CE or ISO marking and therefore fall into a similar risk bracket as things like e-scooters.
“However, due to their size and nature, we often find them being charged by the bed or the sofa… The primary fire hazard linked to vapes is their lithium-ion batteries, which can fail catastrophically if damaged, improperly charged, or poorly manufactured.”
According to Spy Alarm, households should take the following precautions to reduce the risk of a vape-related fire:
