tesco direct travel insurance

Tesco Bank launches Travel Insurance

23 March 2021

• Travel added to Tesco Bank’s award-winning insurance range that includes Pet, Home and Car
• Protection against Covid-19 related disruption as standard
• Three levels of Defaqto-rated cover are available, as well as optional extras and add-ons
• Tesco Clubcard points and a discount are available to Tesco Clubcard members

Tesco Bank has expanded its offering to customers with the launch of travel insurance.

Tesco Bank Travel Insurance will include Covid-19 cover as standard, to help protect customers who test positive and experience Covid-19 related disruption, either before or during their trip.

Three tiers of cover are available to suit a range of customer needs, offering different levels of protection for travel and belongings.  All policies come with core features that include cover for medical expenses, trip cancellation or delays, and lost or stolen baggage or money.

Customers can also tailor their policy with a range of helpful optional extras and add-ons, such as gadget protection and Winter Sports Cover.

Two specialist products are available aimed at backpacker travellers and customers aged over 80.

Policyholders will enjoy helpful rewards, including the ability for children under 16 to be covered for free on single and annual multi trip policies and the chance to save money on their travel insurance when they buy Tesco Travel Money first. Tesco Clubcard members who buy direct can save 5% and collect Clubcard points when they provide their Clubcard number.

Mark Airey, Tesco Bank’s Insurance Commercial Director, said:

“We’re proud to expand our award-winning insurance offering to Tesco shoppers with the addition of Tesco Bank Travel Insurance.

“We appreciate that the immediate outlook for travel remains uncertain, however the need for travel insurance is greater than ever – whether holidaying in the UK or abroad.  Offering Covid-19 protection as standard helps to give customers peace of mind they are protected should they test positive, and they have to cancel or cut short their trip.

“With a range of cover levels available to Tesco shoppers, we’re confident customers will find a policy that suits them and their holiday once travel at home and abroad is permitted.”

Tesco Bank has partnered with ROCK Insurance Group to manage the scheme, while ROCK has selected Axa Partners to provide underwriting, claims handling and medical assistance services.

Antony Martin, Managing Director at Rock Insurance Group said : “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Tesco Bank to launch travel insurance to its customers. ROCK is providing Tesco Bank’s customers with a wide range of travel insurance products and services that are available online or via a dedicated call centre, meaning that more people will be protected and have the confidence to travel as soon as restrictions have eased.”

Paul Moloney, Sales Director at AXA Partners said : “We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with Tesco Bank to provide underwriting and other services for its new travel insurance proposition.

“It is our duty as insurers to safeguard customers’ trust; implementing solutions that provide assurance and protect what matters. We very much look forward to providing Tesco Bank customers with quality travel insurance cover both now, and when we are free of this pandemic.”

Tesco Bank Travel Insurance can be purchased by visiting https://www.tescobank.com/travel-insurance/  

Notes to editors

• Tesco Bank Travel Insurance is arranged and administered by Rock Insurance Services Limited and underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A. UK Branch.
• Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply to cover.
• Covid-19 cover includes cancellation if you fall ill with Covid-19, medical claims whilst travelling, and curtailment (if you need to come home early) due to the illness of a close relative due to COVID-19 We don’t include cover for cancellation where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and local authorities advise against travel.
• Cover can be purchased on a single trip or annual basis and will be available to individuals, couples, families and groups of up to 12.
• Backpacker insurance is aimed primarily at travellers looking for cover for trips longer than three months or a variety of destinations, while the Later Life policy is designed for customers over 80 years old who may find it difficult to obtain cover due to pre-existing health conditions.

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Tesco Bank: Travel Insurance reviews

100% increase in 5 star reviews, 100% increase in 1 star reviews, latest highest rating:.

Latest lowest rating:

About the Travel Insurance

Do you buy travel insurance before going abroad? There are hundreds of different travel insurance policies on the market, all designed to help you stay protected while travelling...and giving you piece of mind, whether you're enjoying a sun swept beach or on an adverture-packed holiday. But with so many different policies to choose from, finding the right policy for you can be quite confusing. Reading our Tesco Bank travel insurance reviews can help you find out what other travellers have to say. You can also write your Tesco Bank travel insurance review too!

Review Tesco Bank: Travel Insurance now

Tesco bank travel insurance reviews ( 8 ), i recently traveled to spain and decided to get trav..., you're not covered for any pre-booked, failed on promise to get back.

Very comprehensive annual travel insurance

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Tesco Travel Insurance Review: How do Prices Compare?

• Getting a Tesco Clubcard discount
• Covering end supplier failure and virtual doctor acces (top-tier Premier Plan)
• Good add-on options
• Mobile phone only covered if you get the gadget add-on

Editor's Rating

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here .

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Tesco travel insurance offers 3 tiers of cover, from a bare bones Economy plan to their top-rated Standard and Premier covers. Here's what you need to know about what they offer.

In This Review

Tesco holiday insurance key points, is tesco travel insurance any good.

• Tesco Cruise Insurance

Tesco Holiday Insurance Price Comparison

Tesco holiday insurance types - economy, standard premier, tesco travel insurance vs admiral travel insurance, tesco travel insurance vs saga travel insurance, tesco travel insurance vs direct line travel insurance, tesco travel insurance phone number, tesco holiday insurance.

Tesco offers three levels of Annual and Single Trip travel insurance—Economy, Standard and Premier, which are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance (par of the AXA group).

Trip cancellation is included on all policies, in addition to emergency medical expenses and travel delay.

The higher tiers include higher coverage limits and the top tier include access to a virtual doctor and end supplier failure, which can be a valuable feature.

Here are some key points:

• 3 levels of cover (Economy, Standard and Premier)
• Multi-trip cover for any number of trips up to 31 days each
• Single-trip cover for trips up to 365 days
• 10% Tesco Clubcard discount when you buy direct (enter your Clubcard number when you get your quote)
• Top-tier Premier policy includes end supplier failure and access to a virtual doctor
• Optional extras: winter sports, golf, gadgets, cruise and car hire excess insurance cover
• Covid cover includes : if you have to cancel or cut short your trip as a result of contracting COVID-19; medical treatment if you contract COVID-19 abroad; if you’ve got to return home early because the region you’re in goes into lockdown.

Does Tesco Travel Insurance Cover Trips in the UK? Holidays in the UK are covered under Tesco Annual Multi-Trip policies, so long as you pre-booked at least 2 consecutive nights of pre-booked accommodation or pre-booked transport at least 50 miles from home.

Pre-Existing Conditions: Tesco may be able to offer cover for some pre-existing medical conditions, for an added cost in most cases. If Tesco is not able to offer cover for your pre-existing conditions, then claims arising as a result of those existing conditions would not be covered. As part of the quote process you will be asked a number of questions about the health of you and your travelling companions.

Over 65s: The policy booklet states that the age limit for single and annual multi trip policies is 79 years old, with a max of 65 years for the winter sports add on. However, those 80 or older can call 0345 030 6127 to discuss a quote over the phone.

Tesco prices seem competitive relative to others in the market, considering the features. While their claims figures for 2021 left us with some questions, figures for 2022 look more promising. , has lower claims acceptance rates. The latest data from the Financial Conduct Authority shows that their underwriter, Inter Partner Assistance SA, accepted 70-75% of claims made on annual European policies in January to December 2022, just a touch below the industry average of 76.15%. In terms of worldwide policies, it accepted 80-85% of claims (much better than the 60-65% the previous year), just on target with the industry average of 81.56%.

Does Tesco Travel Insurance Cover Cruises?**

Cruise cover is available with Economy, Standard and Premier Tesco travel insurance policies as an optional add-on for an additional cost. Over 80s who buy Later Life travel insurance get cruise cover included as standard for no additional cost.

We gathered Tesco travel insurance quotes for a solo 30-year-old traveller, for single trip cover (2 week trip) and annual, multi-trip cover, across a range of geographical locations, and found prices starting from under £40 for a 2-week trip.

Oddly, we found that annual, multi-trip cover was in some cases cheaper than single trip cover, so if you think you can save money buying single trip cover be sure to check annual prices as well!

For example , single trip cover for a 2-week trip to France was quoted at £39.94, but an annual policy cover Europe was only £27.65, clearly the better deal there.

According to our research, prices of Tesco's provide good value according to the average cost of travel insurance .

Unsurprisingly, Tesco's Premier travel insurance is noticeably more expensive—Premier policies not only include higher levels of cover for baggage, trip cancellation, etc. but also include end supplier failure and virtual doctor access.

Not reflected in these prices is a 10% discount for Tesco Clubcard holders. You need your Tesco Clubcard membership number on hand when applying online to get the discount.

Insurance quotes can vary significantly from day to day and according to each individual's details, so please just use this data for general educational purposes only; your quotes may reflect a large degree of variation.

You can learn more about average costs for these locations in our other research on UK travel insurance costs for Europe and America .

Cover for a family of 4 is basically 2X the cost of cover for a solo traveller, because kids go free!

Tesco offers three tiers of travel insurance—Economy, Standard and Premier.

Optional extras that you can add on to all three tiers include winter sports, golf, cruise, gadget and car hire excess insurance cover.

Tesco Single Trip travel insurance covers trips up to 365 days abroad. Tesco Annual Multi-Trip policies cover any number of trips a policy year, up to 31 days each. Those under age 65 can extend the maximum trip duration to 45 or 60 days for an extra charge. There is a 15-day maximum trip length for Winter Sports trips, if that option is purchased.

Tesco Economy

Economy is Tesco's entry-level travel insurance plan. Emergency Medical expenses and Travel Delay are included, plus you get £1,000 per person for Trip Cancellation.

However, there's no cover for end supplier failure, no cover for missed inbound departures, no access to a virtual doctor and lower limits for most coverage categories across the board.

The excess is £99 per person.

Tesco Standard

As Tesco's solid mid-tier offering, Standard policies have similar features to the Economy plan, but offer cover for missed inbound departures and higher limits across most coverage categories.

The excess is £75 per person.

Tesco Premier

Tesco Premier is the top-tier travel insurance plan with the highest levels of cover across nearly all categories. Additional cover includes end supplier failure and access to a virtual doctor.

Another perk is that there is no excess with Premier plans if you have a successful claim.

Cover Limits (Single & Annual Multi-Trip) per Insured Traveller

Please read some of our Travel Insurance Guides if you're trying to decide between Single Trip or Multi-Trip policies, learn about What May Not be Covered by Travel Insurance or decide if you Need Travel Insurance or Not .

Tesco Travel Insurance Reviews

To better understand the value of Tesco travel insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared it to other plans in the market so you can see which may be more suitable for you.

Admiral travel insurance offers three tiers of travel insurance cover, all for very competitive prices and including Personal Belongings protection.

Those looking for cover for catastrophes (e.g., volcanic ash cloud and storms) should consider one of Admiral's top two tiers—Gold or Platinum.

If your plans include a cruise in the next year, then Admiral offers comprehensive Cruise cover for an added cost (included on Platinum), which includes Missed Port Departure, Cabin Confinement, Unused Excursions and Cruise Interruption. Insolvency is not covered on Admiral plans, however.

Bottom Line: If your travel plans include a cruise, then Admiral might provide more comprehensive travel insurance for you—but you can buy cruise cover as an add on with Tesco.

Saga travel insurance if offered as one, simple travel insurance plan to those over 50 years of age—with no upper age limit.

We like that Saga includes cover for Catastrophe and a higher level of Personal Belongings/Baggage cover on all policies, plus Golf.

Another perk is that travellers whose international flight is delayed more than 2 hours can benefit from access to a LoungeKey airport lounge, as part of Trip Delay cover.

While travellers can be covered of any age, prices do rise steadily for older customers.

Bottom Line: If you are an older traveller, especially in your 70s or 80s, Saga may be a more viable travel insurance option for you, as they specialize in "mature" travellers.

Direct Line travel insurance plans include cover for End Supplier Failure and Natural Disasters, plus cover for the replacement cost of used points or miles in case of Cancellation/Curtailment for a trip bought with air miles or another rewards structure.

While prices are a bit higher than average, according to our analysis, you are getting these extra cover features.

One surprising extra is Baggage—you'll need to pay extra to cover your personal belongings as they're not included as standard—BUT once purchased, your mobile phone will be covered as part of Personal Belongings/Baggage.

Bottom Line: If you really want cover for your mobile phone when you travel, you can get cover through Direct Line's optional Baggage cover.

• Tesco travel insurance online claim form
• Tesco Travel Insurance Policy Wording

Erin Yurday is the Founder and Editor of NimbleFins. Prior to NimbleFins, she worked as an investment professional and as the finance expert in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business case writing team. Read more on LinkedIn .

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Great Customer Service from Tesco Insurance/ Bank

Tesco came up as the best price for car insurance on a comparison site. I wanted to clarify some points that I wasn’t sure of and was really happy to be able to speak to a Tesco bank customer services who was a real English speaker. Very refreshing would recommend and use again.

Date of experience : 26 April 2024

Safe banking

Tesco bank are very proactive in dealing with customer problems. Only ever had to contact them a couple of times, during many years with them. Very helpful. Tesco bank have contacted me, when unusual actions appeared on my account. Again, they were very quick to rectify.

Date of experience : 25 April 2024

Excellent Experience

Contacted Tesco Bank following a potential credit card scam. I dealt with a very pleasant and efficient gentleman. He assured me that all was well, cancelled my credit card and issued me with a new one. The whole process took a few minutes. One thing I suggest is to have the ability to cancel a card and issue a new one via the phone app in addition to contacting the bank itself, as other providers do.

Date of experience : 22 April 2024

I don't know if it's the best but it's one of the best I opened a Tesco bank account and…

I opened a Tesco bank account and easily started using the app on my mobile phone. My credit card application is very easy and the results are very fast. Customer service is top level.

Date of experience : 24 April 2024

My Home Insurance renewal quote was…an eye-opener.

My Home Insurance renewal quote was more than double last year's premium despite there being no claims or changes over the year. I can only assume they hope that people will fall into the "auto-remewal" trap. Opportunistic and rather distasteful business practice,as far as I'm concerned, from a "Big Name".

Great help from Tesco contact for car insurance

I obtained a quotation for car insurance from Tesco Bank through Confused.com but needed to get some answers to queries. I contacted Tesco directly. The Tesco Bank contact was very helpful, answered all queries very well and patiently. Great service.

Home insurance doubled on auto renew…

Home insurance doubled on auto renew but more sensible offer quickly found. Had to cancel car insurance for health reasons, quickly done.

On contacting Tesco regarding car…

On contacting Tesco regarding car insurance I realised that I had not included my partner to drive my car. Not only was the insurance amended straight away, a refund was given straight away.

Awful and Threatening

Awful. My wife tried to cancel her elderly mother’s car insurance auto renewal. She was told that to attempt to do so was “in breach of contract” (there was no contract as the current insurance would be allowed to lapse and not be renewed) and that Tesco would “send in the bailiffs.” I am absolutely livid that Tesco would seek to attempt to threaten and intimidate my wife. Definitely would not recommend.

Date of experience : 15 April 2024

renewal quote

renewal quote was nearly 100% more than last year. Felt I was being well and truly ripped off Its all down to price,, if its more than other companies I always go elsewhere. I also have Tesco car insurance, we shall see what the new price is and if more than others I shall move to them, its that simple.

I've just bought home insurance with…

I've just bought home insurance with Tesco , I diďit on line , straight forward, easy to navigate and loads cheaper than my old company. I'm really pleased with my experience. Thankyou

Very competitive prices and a clear…

Very competitive prices and a clear phone line, which may sound ridiculous but so often these days it’s not.

Motor car insurance

Motor car insurance, very good policy for my requirements at a very competitive price, all secured on an extremely good website. Which was clear and unambiguous, I would highly recommend Tesco Bank for car insurance !

Tesco car insurance has saved me loads…

Tesco car insurance has saved me loads of money and hassle I don't think I'd change again, 2nd year coming up, customer loyalty does matter!!

Stolen credit card

My credit card was stolen. Tesco’s Bank were very helpful and understanding and I was able to speak to real people easily and not rely upon a frustrating bot.

Adam was very helpful

Adam was very helpful, he listened to my query, then resolved it in a timely manner and called me back with positive outcomes. Adam is a great at what he does, well done - keep up the good work!

Great Service

When I called to change my car on my insurance the girl understood exactly what I needed as it was the first time I’ve had to do this. It only took about 10 minutes from the time I called until the email came through verifying the changes. I was still on the phone with her when they came through. Great service:

Got the answer I needed

I was unable to receive a repeat order online. I was told my cardholder had blocked the payment as they had originated the debit. I was told that this had not happened.

I was happy with the policy until we…

I was happy with the policy until we moved home and had to change our address. They increased the policy by £172, whereas all my other family members only had very small increases, no more that £20 and one even had a partial refund. I feel they were taking advantage as we had to update the details. It was only 3 miles away to an equally safe area.

Nice to be able to talk with someone on…

Nice to be able to talk with someone on the phone, so much easier to sort problems out please continue with this service

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The family home where Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps to raise nearly £40m for the NHS during the first COVID lockdown is up for sale for £2.25m.

The Grade II-listed Old Rectory is described as a "magnificent seven-bedroom property" by estate agents Fine & Country.

In a video tour of the house, a sculpture of Captain Tom with his walking frame can be seen in the hallway, while a photo of the fundraising hero being knighted by the Queen is on a wall in the separate coach house building.

Introducing the property, an estate agent says in the tour video: "I'm sure you'll recognise this iconic and very famous driveway behind me as it was home to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore who walked 100 laps of his garden, raising over £37m for NHS charities."

It comes less than three months after the demolition of an unauthorised spa pool block in the grounds of the property in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

Speaking at an appeal hearing over that spa, Scott Stemp, representing Captain Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, said the foundation named after the fundraising hero "is to be closed down" following a Charity Commission probe launched amid concerns about its management.

For the full story, click here ...

"Status symbol" pets are being given up by owners who get scared as they grow up, an animal charity has said, with the cost of living possibly paying a part in a rise in separations.

The Exotic Pet Refuge, which homes parrots, monkeys, snakes and alligators among others, says it receives referrals across the country, including from zoos and the RSPCA.

"They're a status symbol. People will say, 'OK, I'll have an alligator or a 10ft boa constrictor'," co-owner Pam Mansfield told the BBC.

"But when the animal gets big, they will get too frightened to handle them, and then the pet has to go."

She added people who want to get rid of the pets sometimes call zoos for help, which then call on her charity.

In some cases, owners don't have licences to own dangerous animals, she says, blaming a "lack of understanding" for what she says is a rise in the number of exotic animals needing to be rehomed.

She says people "just don't have the space" for some snakes, for example, with some growing to as much as 12ft and needing their own room.

The cost of living crisis has also forced owners to give their pets away, she says.

Her charity has also been affected by those increased costs, with the electricity bill rising to £10,000 a month at their highest, to fund things like heated pools for alligators.

Private car parks are accused of "confusing drivers" after introducing a new code of conduct - despite "doing all they can" to prevent an official government version.

The code of practice launched by two industry bodies - British Parking Association and the International Parking Community - includes a ten-minute grace period for motorists to leave a car park after the parking period they paid for ends.

It also features requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an "appeals charter".

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

That comes after a government-backed code of conduct was withdrawn in June 2022, after a legal challenges by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "We're flabbergasted that the BPA and the IPC have suddenly announced plans to introduce their own private parking code after doing all they can over the last five years to prevent the official government code created by an act of Parliament coming into force.

"While there are clearly some positive elements to what the private parking industry is proposing, it conveniently avoids some of the biggest issues around caps on penalty charges and debt recovery fees which badly need to be addressed to prevent drivers being taken advantage of."

BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said: "This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists."

IPC chief executive Will Hurley said: "The single code will benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules."

Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

This rises to £1.90 in 2027.

The UK could face a shortage of cava due to a drought in the sparkling wine's Spanish heartlands.

The Penedes area of Catalonia is dealing with its worst drought on record, with vineyards across the region so parched the roots of 30-year-old vines have died.

It's left shrivelled red and green grapes languishing under intense sun, fuelled by fossil-fuel driven climate change.

Cava is an increasingly popular drink in the UK, with 17.8 million bottles sold in 2023 - an increase of 5% from the previous year, when Britons stocked up on 16.8 million bottles, according to the Cava Regulatory Board.

That makes the UK the fourth-biggest buyer, behind only the US, Belgium and Germany.

Workforce slashed

The problems have been compounded after Catalonia-based cava producer Freixenet announced it will temporarily lay off 615 workers, almost 80% of its workforce.

Under Spanish law, companies facing exceptional circumstances can lay off staff or reduce working hours.

This measure is expected to take effect from May and it is not known how long it will last.

Price rises

One industry source told retail publication The Grocer  that cava shortages would push up prices "certainly for next year" if there isn't enough supply.

This could last for years if the drought persists, they added.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney told MailOnline the staff cuts at Freixenet can only mean one thing - price rises.

However, she added, supermarkets say they are not experiencing any issues right now.

Parents are being hammered by rising childcare costs, according to a new study that suggests they may spend more than £160,000 raising their child to the age of 18.

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown has found that parents with children pay £6,969 a year more than couples without.

Over 18 years and assuming an annual inflation rate of 3%, that amounts to a whopping £163,175, the investment platform said.

Its study also found that parents were less likely to have money left at the end of the month.

Single parents carry the biggest burden, with the research suggesting they have just £85 left on average compared to £365 for couples with children.

Hargreaves Lansdown also found just 23% of single parents reported having enough emergency savings to cover at least three months' worth of essential expenses, compared to 63% of couples with children.

Parents are also at a slight disadvantage when it comes to pensions, the research found, with only 43% of couples with children on track for a moderate retirement income, compared to 47% without. Only 17% of single parents have a decent projected pension fund.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at the firm, said "having children is one of the most expensive decisions a person can make".

She adds that as a result of having a child, "financial resilience suffers across the board", and added: "For single parents, life is even tougher, and they face far lower resilience on almost every measure.

"It means we need all the help we can get."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

One of the top stories shaking up the markets this morning is that UK-based mining company Anglo American has rejected a major $38.8bn (£31bn) takeover bid.

Details of the attempted buyout by Australian rival BHP emerged yesterday  - sending Anglo American shares soaring.

The deal would have created the world's biggest copper mining company - with the news coming as the price of the metal hit record highs this week.

However, Anglo American has now dismissed the proposal as "opportunistic" and said BHP had undervalued the company.

Anglo's shares are slightly down by 0.8% this morning - suggesting investors may not have given up hopes that a deal could eventually be agreed.

However, overall the FTSE 100 is up around 0.4% this morning, buoyed by strong reported earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet.

It's helped the index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, hit yet another intraday (during the day) record of 8,136 points this morning.

The winning streak comes after a week of all-time highs on the index - including a record close of 8,078 points yesterday. The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

Among the companies doing well this morning is NatWest - despite the bank reporting a fall in pre-tax profits of nearly 28% for the first quarter of the year.

Shares in the lender are up more than 3% after its results were better than expected by analysts.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16, almost on a par with yesterday.

Meanwhile, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has crept up slightly to $89 (£71).

Self-checkouts - they're like marmite, people seem to either love them or hate them.

But the boss of Sainsbury's has claimed that his customers do  enjoy using self-checkouts, despite criticism that that machines don't always provide the convenience promised.

Simon Roberts told The Telegraph that there are more of them in Sainsbury's stores "than a number of years ago" as shoppers like the "speedy checkout".

But despite this, he said there won't be a time when they'll replace cashiers completely.

"Over the last year, where we've put more self-checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there," he said.

His comments come after northern supermarket Booths ditched self-checkouts at all but two of its sites after customer feedback. 

Walmart and Costco in the US have also scaled back on the systems.

Let us know in the comments - do you love or hate self-checkouts?

We've all heard consumer advice that's repeated so often it almost becomes cliché. So, every Friday the Money team will get to the bottom of a different "fact" and decide whether it's a myth or must.

This week it is...

'Smart meters save you money'

For this one, we've enlisted the help of Dr Steve Buckley, also known as the Energy Doctor and head of data science at Loop...

So do smart meters help you save? 

"The short answer is both yes and no," Steve says.

"Installing a smart meter by itself won't magically reduce your energy consumption. But, by giving you easy access to your energy usage data, smart meters pave the way for savings that you couldn't achieve otherwise."

Before smart meters, most households only found out how much energy they had used when the bill arrived. 

By that stage it's too late to address wasteful usage, leading to what's known as "bill shock". 

"With a smart meter, you can see your usage and costs in real-time through an in-home display or an app provided by your supplier," Steve says. 

"This immediate feedback encourages you to use less energy. If you measure it, you can control it."

In 2022, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero found that homes with smart meters used about 3.4% less electricity and 3% less gas. 

"This might not seem like a lot, but it adds up to a saving of over £50 per household annually," Steve says.  

If all homes in the UK made similar cuts, that would amount to savings of around £1.5bn and a potential reduction in CO2 emissions by about 2.7m tonnes each year. 

"Good for individual households but also great for the planet," Steve says. 

Smart meters are often installed at no extra cost to the consumer - it's effectively free data for households. 

Limitations

Smart meters are more or less what you make of them - a simple, free tool that allows you to see headline figures. 

However, "without detailed analysis, it's tough to identify and eliminate" where you could be wasting money, Steve says. 

Apps like Utrack, Loop and Hugo Energy can help you work out where you might be losing money by offering a more detailed breakdown if connected to your smart meter. 

Those tools are often free, but you may need to register your card details as proof of address. 

The tools give a number of useful insights, including looking at consumption in other households of similar size or monitoring where chunks of your money are going, such as to a faulty boiler or the "phantom load" (energy wasted by devices left on unnecessarily).

Myth or must?

Although smart meters alone don't reduce energy bills, they are a vital tool to help energy efficiency and cost savings. 

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