A typical small business (such as a restaurant, pub or independent retailer) is now paying over £5,000 more a year in energy bills than before the energy crisis in 2021.

Data from Cornwall Insight's newly launched Business Energy Cost Forecast predicts annual electricity bills for a "typical small business" to be an average of £13,264 by April 2025 - 70% more than they were before the energy crisis began.

While this is a decrease on 2022-23, when the bill for a typical small business rocketed higher than £20,000, the market has never fully recovered from the impact of the energy crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

And, unlike household energy bills, businesses do not benefit from any price cap to protect them.

"For all the criticism of the household energy price cap, it does provide a level of protection that businesses simply do not have," says Dr Craig Lowrey, principal consultant at Cornwall Insight. 

"Given the impact of the cost of living crisis on consumer spending and high street trade, the government will need to seriously consider how to support businesses with their high energy costs if they want to prevent further closures."

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business reporter

Last week we brought you news of the pound hitting its highest level against the US dollar since March 2022. 

After a slight dip, sterling is back at those levels with £1 buying more than $1.32. 

It's good for any Britons travelling to America or buying anything in dollars, as your pound is literally giving you more bang for your buck.

The currency shift comes after the chair of the Federal Reserve declared that "the time has come" for an interest rate cut.

Higher interest rates are generally supportive of a domestic currency - one reason is investors get more for their money.

A lack of guidance on how many cuts are likely across the rest of the year bolstered market predictions that several were on the cards before the end of 2024.

That has pushed the US currency sharply down against a basket of international rivals.

The pound is doing well,  but not quite as well, against the euro, as £1 will get you €1.18, the most since the very start of this month. 

The oil price is up about to $81.04 for a barrel of the benchmark Brent crude, the highest in nearly two weeks. 

The UK's benchmark stock exchange index, the FTSE 100 index of most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange, is up 0.46%. 

The larger FTSE 250 index of more UK-based companies rose 0.19%.

Sir Keir Starmer has given the clearest indication yet that major tax rises are coming in the October budget.

In a news conference in Downing Street, the prime minister said the economic legacy from the previous government was worse than expected - or "dire", to use his word.

He said even the Office for Budget Responsibility had been unaware - and pointed to bigger-then-forecast borrowing for last month.

Sir Keir said: "I'll have to turn to the country and make big asks of you... to accept short-term pain for long-term good."

He went on: "I know that after all you have been through, that is a really big ask and really difficult to hear. 

"That is not the position we should be in. It's not the position I want to be in, but we have to end the politics of the easy answer that solves nothing."

Sir Keir reiterated his promise that VAT, national insurance and income tax won't rise, and the pensions triple lock will be protected.

Follow live updates of this story in our Politics Hub...

Ikea has soft-launched a new marketplace that will allow customers to sell their unwanted furniture to each other - and it looks set to come to the UK.

The platform, Ikea Preowned, will be tested in Madrid and Oslo until the end of the year with the aim of rolling it out globally, The Financial Times has reported.

Ikea already has its buyback programme which allows customers to bring back used furniture, which it then sells on at a discount. The store's Circular Hub (previously known as the Bargain Corner) also sells off display and damaged goods.

Customers will enter their product on Ikea Preowned and their own pictures with a selling price while Ikea's own artificial intelligence-enabled database brings in its own promotional images and measurements.

The buyer collects the furniture directly from the seller, who has the option of receiving money or a voucher from Ikea with a 15% bonus.

Listings are free but Ikea could eventually charge "a humble fee", said Jesper Brodin, chief executive of Ingka, the main operator of Ikea stores.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey says his fears over persistent inflation are easing - in comments that will be noted by anyone hoping for lower interest rates in the near future.

In the text of his speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday, Mr Bailey said the "second round inflation effects appear to be smaller than we expected" and that "we are now seeing a revision down in our assessment of that intrinsic persistence, but this is not something we can take for granted".

The governor cautioned it was "too early to declare victory" over inflation, and given that indications from the Bank have been that rates will fall more slowly than they rose, his words have not led to a sudden expectation that the base rate will be cut again in September.

Instead, a November cut is seen as a more likely, but Mr Bailey's comments will give hope to those hoping for rates dipping below 4% next year. 

Inflation returned to target 2% in May, only to rise again to 2.2% in July. A further uptick is anticipated when energy bills go up later this year.

Interest rates are hiked to encourage saving over spending, and when this happens price rises tend to slow.

Five-year fixed mortgages are currently the most popular among remortgagers - with half of borrowers taking this option.

That's according to July figures from the LMSMonthly Remortgage Snapshot.

The second most popular deal is a two-year fixed rate, well ahead of three-year fixes (just 7% of people), 10-year (2%) and trackers (2%).

The snapshot contained other interesting data, including:

• 45% of people who remortgaged in July increased their loan size. The average amount was £20,243;
• 26% of people said the main reason they refinanced was to release equity from their homes;
• A far lower percentage, 19%, reduced their loan size, by an average of £15,561;
• 68% saw monthly payments rise, by an average of £367.03 a month;
• 11% saw no change, 21% saw payments reduced (by an average of £304.20.

Airline passengers who were mistakenly sold first-class tickets for up to 85% less than the intended price will have their bookings downgraded.

Qantas listed the flights from Australia to the US at less than $5,000 return - about $15,000 cheaper than usual.

Approximately 300 customers took advantage - but in a statement Qantas has now said this was "a case where the fare was actually too good to be true".

It blamed a coding error.

"As a gesture of good will, we're rebooking customers in business class at no additional cost," a Qantas spokesperson said. "Customers also have the option of a full refund."

After the revival of popular Cadbury's chocolate bar Top Deck earlier this year, we asked you which discontinued treat you would like to see brought back - and we got so many responses that we've decided to make a weekly feature of it called Bring It Back. 

Every Tuesday, we'll pick one from our comments box and look at why it was so beloved and, crucially, find out whether the companies in question might consider reintroducing them.

This week we are looking at what was once a mainstay at pub or corner shop shelves - Brannigans Roast Beef and Mustard crisps.

The thick-cut crisps emerged in the 1980s and became known for their strong aroma and pepperiness.

But in 2020, KP Snacks, which also makes favourites such as McCoy's, Hula Hoops, Space Raiders and Nik Naks, announced the crisps would be discontinued due to "declining demand".

The company said that while the product had been cited as a fond favourite, "its popularity had regrettably not been shown in consumer demand".

Despite sales having slowed, it's been one of the most frequently lauded discontinued snacks in our comments section over the last month or so.

One of our readers, Steve Mac, said: "Got to bring back Brannigans Roast Beef and Mustard! An amazing crisp and great flavour."

Karlos added: "They were an absolute favourite in my house when I was growing up. Nothing I've tried since has given me that eye watering hit that they did. I loved them."

Another reader, Mr S, commented: "Brannigans Road Beef and Mustard crisps were and still are the best I have ever had, there is not a crisp out there today that comes close in flavour."

The Money blog contacted KP Snacks to put our readers' calls to them - but their response might not fill Steve Mac and co with much hope.

A spokesperson said: "It's great to hear there's so much love for Brannigans Roast Beef and Mustard and while there are no plans for a comeback, never say never!"

Given no comeback appears likely any time soon, we spoke to crisp experts and rival brands to see what alternatives are out there.

Adam Coghlan, editor of food magazine Vittles Restaurants, said he wanted to see the crisps back because they were the "best crisps - particularly in the pub".

"The brown paper bags were unmistakable, so too was the heat and strong pepperiness of the proper mustard - the perfect foil for the yeasty salty umami beef flavour. They were also thick-cut, in fact perfectly so, to enjoy (as a kid) with a coke and later, as an adult, with a beer," he said.

Mr Coghlan said his best alternatives were probably Golden Wonder Wuster Sauce, Real Handcooked Ham and Mustard, or a simple Smiths Bacon Fries or Scampi Fries.

Tash Jones, commercial director at Fairfields Farm crisps, told the Money team: "Since Brannigans' crisps were discontinued, crisp lovers might have been on the search for a good alternative to their legendary beef and mustard flavour. 

"Fortunately for bereft fans, beef flavoured flavours have exploded in popularity recently and there is more choice than ever before. We at Fairfields Farm, however, humbly submit our Roast Rib of Beef flavour crisps as a worthy contender for fans' affections. They have a deep, rich umami flavour and like Brannigans they are actually suitable for vegetarians."

On whether she would like to see Brannigans back, she added: "Our sales are soaring, so we have to be honest and say no thanks!"

Which currently discontinued chocolate bar, crisps, sweets - or any other food product - would you like to see brought back, and why? Let us know in the comment box at the top!

By Jimmy Rice, Money blog editor

Thanks for visiting Money, our live blog for consumer and personal finance news and tips, as we return following the bank holiday weekend. Here are five reasons to pop back over the coming days...

The 'hidden' protection when buying things using debit or credit card

Last Tuesday's Basically... feature outlined your Section 75 rights when using a credit card to buy items over £100. Today we'll be looking at a lesser-known protection offered by major card providers - and not limited to credit cards - called chargeback. 

'Best crisps ever'

This week's Bring It Back feature - published this morning - looks at whether Brannigans Roast Beef and Mustard crisps will ever return to shelves. Scores of you suggested them as the discontinued snack you'd most like to see make a comeback, so we spoken to KP.

Cheap Eats

This week we'll be hearing from the chef-patron of the Michelin-starred Sportsman, who picks his favourite budget-friendly eats in Kent.

Everything to know about savings and mortgages

Every Thursday we hear from Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes, who offers some advice for making the most of your spare cash and reveals the best rates on the market right now. Then on Fridays we do similarly with mortgages, hearing from industry experts on what anyone seeking to borrow needs to know at the minute before rounding up the best rates with the help of the guys from Moneyfacts.

Big Issue sellers' stories

This week's Saturday long read focuses on a Big Issue seller named Andre Rostant - we hear his story and how selling the magazine works financially.

We've got lots of others tips and features planned for this week, so bookmark news.sky.com/money and check back from 7am each weekday - or 8am on Saturday for our weekend feature.

The Money blog is produced by the Sky News live team, with contributions from Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young, Ollie Cooper and Mark Wyatt, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. It is edited by Jimmy Rice.