Buy-to-let sales halve, plus is your smart meter spying on you?

Could smart meters become the new spies in our homes, raising fresh fears about a surveillance society as they track our daily activities?

Hello and welcome to this week’s Money Talks – a roundup of the week’s biggest stories and some things you may have missed.

Money news

Skilled labour shortage fuelled by uncertainty for EU workers

UK in credit splurge as pay is squeezed, Bank of England figures show

‘EU pension’ planned for people who move between countries

Triple lock on pensions will go eventually, says pensions secretary

Buy-to-let UK property sales fall by almost 50% in a year

Feature

BA debacle sees couple spend wedding night on an airport bench

In pictures

Homes in converted mansions

Snap up the penthouse flat in a 18th century Grade I-listed Palladium mansion in Thorndon Park, Essex. Photograph: Beresfords

In the spotlight

The French are getting heated up about their meters collecting data on their daily lives. Perhaps the British should be concerned too. Patrick Collinson asks: Is your smart meter spying on you?

It’s not clear if smart meters will result in more transparent or cheaper tariffs, with some warning it is turning into an £11bn white elephant. Photograph: Altrendo Images/Getty

Consumer champions

Fault in ADT burglar alarm left our rental property unprotected

Let down by Thomas Cook when kids’ club failed to operate

I sent money to a friend using Barclays’ Pingit app, but it never arrived

Money deals

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