Consumer New Zealand yesterday said it is worried that consumers, who will be able to choose peak and off peak tariffs because of the meters, might cut back on heating when prices are high, and affect their wellbeing. Read more.

Consumer New Zealand research manager Belinda Allan said the packaging was misleading because the drink was being marketed as a water. That could confuse people, with bottled water and flavoured water drinks becoming an increasingly popular alternative to carbonated soft drinks. "If you take the drink at face value you wouldn't expect sugar to be in there because it says it's a water, and water is something with no kilojoules and no sugar," said Allan. Read more.

Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin said The Warehouse had shown "flagrant disregard" for its customers, especially considering its 2004 undertakings. "There's no reason to believe they'll be any better after this one," she said. Read more.

A consumer watchdog says food and transport prices in New Zealand aren't dropping like our fuel prices and we're being ripped off. The Consumers' Institute Chief Executive Sue Chetwin joined Breakfast. Read more.

What goes up must come down. That old saying may be true in some instances, but it is not normally associated with the price of goods and services, writes The Marlborough Express in an editorial. The petrol price seems to have bucked that trend in a big way though. Since July the price of fuel has dropped 16 times, from a record high of $2.19 in July to the current price of $1.43. The lower price at the pump is due to the international petrol price falling faster than the New Zealand dollar. Consumer cited.

Sue Chetwin, chief executive of Consumer New Zealand, believes consumers are being ripped off because prices are not coming down as quickly as they should be. She says trucking firms, couriers, taxis and airlines are among those who should now be adjusting their prices. Read more.

We're getting fat. Fast foods and even faster lives are taking a heavy toll on New Zealanders. Nigel Benson reports. We're all fairly familiar with the fat facts by now. The fact is we are, as a nation, too fat. More than 17% of New Zealand adults and 10% of children are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Consumer cited.

Cash-strapped consumers continue to pay premium prices for goods and services, despite tumbling fuel prices. Fares for public transport, taxis and airlines have risen in the past year because of the cost of fuel, but an immediate cut has been ruled out now that prices are dipping. The freight industry also says it cannot pass the fuel savings on because it has had to contend with other rising costs that have cancelled out the fuel decrease. Consumer cited

RadioLIVE's Marcus Lush talking to Hamish Wilson, Testing manager for Consumer NZ on the breakfast show. Listen here.

Consumer New Zealand CEO Sue Chetwin described the fee rise as a massive increase. "There's been no explanation as to why that's happened. "We always have a question mark over bank charges - are they really a reflection of how much it costs the bank to provide the service?". Read more.