Page 19Close friends: Kaitlynn Carter, left, and Miley Cyrus, right, on holiday in Lake ComoBy Eleanor Sharples
TV and Radio ReporterPublic antics: Miss Cyrus with Hemsworth in May. Right: Jenner and Miss CarterMRihtJ dMiCtDaily Mail, Monday, August 12, 2019
It looks like Miley Cyrus has wasted no
time in putting her romantic troubles
behind her.
Just as she was announcing her split from
husband Liam Hemsworth, the singer was
spotted kissing a friend who’s also recently
gone through a separation – US reality tV
star Brody Jenner’s ex Kaitlynn Carter.
Miss Cyrus, 26, who has never hidden the
fact she is attracted to men and women, is
in Italy with blogger and reality star Miss
Carter, where both have been posting social
media pictures on Lake Como.
Rumours have been swirling about Miss
Cyrus’s marriage to actor Hemsworth, 29,
after an Instagram post showed her with-
out her wedding ring. the couple only mar-
ried in December, having had an on-off rela-
tionship for ten years.
a representative for the singer confirmed
the rumours in a statement on Saturday,
saying: ‘Liam and Miley have agreed to sep-
arate at this time. Ever-evolving, changing
as partners and individuals, they havedecided this is what’s best while they both
focus on themselves and careers.
‘they still remain dedicated parents to all
of their animals they share while lovingly
taking this time apart. Please respect their
process and privacy.’
Miss Cyrus appeared to break her silence
on her split in a cryptic Instagram post yes-
terday. alongside a picture of her in front of
the Italian Dolomites, she wrote: ‘Don’t
fight evolution, because you will never win.
‘Like the mountain I am standing on top
of, which was once under water, connected
with africa, change is inevitable.’
the split comes amid claims australian
Hemsworth had become embarrassed by
Miss Cyrus’s public antics – in particular
when she licked his face on the red carpet
at the Met Gala in New york in May – the
last time they were seen in public together.Last month Miss Cyrus admitted she was
‘still sexually attracted to women’ despite
her ‘hetero’ marriage. She told Elle maga-
zine: ‘I think it’s very confusing to people
that I’m married. But my relationship isunique. I definitely don’t fit into a stereo-
typical wife role.’
Miss Carter, 31, starred alongside Jenner
in MtV reality series the Hills: New Begin-
nings. the pair split just a week ago.Smart meter ‘blackmail’
TREVOR Brigden has no intention
of installing a smart meter but
was recently blocked from the
best value tariffs at energy giant
Eon as a result.
The 79-year-old switches sup-
pliers regularly and, with his
current Scottish Power deal set
to expire, phoned Eon to ask for
its energy prices to compare
with others in the Big Six.
The retired education welfareofficer, from Coventry, said: ‘I
was told they could not offer me
any prices for tariffs apart from
the standard expensive one.
‘I was furious. Those meters
allow companies to gather infor-
mation about you. And they can
change the pricing and control
your energy supply. It’s wrong
that companies are clearly push-
ing people to have meters when
they don’t want them.’Their tactics left me fuming
ENERGy giants have been
accused of ‘blackmailing’ custom-
ers into installing smart meters.
Many of the ‘Big Six’ are now insist-
ing that customers have a smart
meter to secure the cheapest deal,
according to research by Money Mail.
those who refuse are often told they can
only sign up to a deal that cost hundreds
of pounds more.
the cheapest tariff offered by Britain’s
biggest supplier, British Gas, costs an
average of £954 a year. But the small printGetting over your
break-up, Miley? Star
splits with husband
- then kisses girl pal
reads: ‘By signing up to this tariff
you agree you’ll book a smart
meter installation appointment
within three months.’
those who don’t will be switched
to another tariff, but British Gas’s
cheapest deal without a smart
meter costs an extra £266. a
spokesman said: ‘Sometimes a
deal may require smart meters.’
Energy companies must offer
every household in the UK a smart
meter by 2020. Customers can
refuse but firms face fines if they
cannot prove they have done
enough to promote them. Smartmeters automatically send meter
readings and show customers how
much they are spending.
the aim is to end estimated bills
and help households reduce costs
by cutting consumption.
However, the roll-out has been
hit by delays, which has led sup-
pliers to find new ways of tempt-
ing customers.
Money Mail has been contacted
by Eon customers who say that
without a smart meter they must
take the company’s standard vari-
able tariff. this is currently £211-a-year more expensive than the
firm’s cheapest deal.
a spokesman said: ‘If someone
doesn’t wish to have [a smart
meter] they will be able explore
our other options.’
Npower’s cheapest deal also
requires customers to get a smart
meter installed. Scottish Power
and SSE customers must register
an interest in a smart meter when
they sign up for the cheapest tar-
iff. But both companies said they
are not obliged to install one. EDF
Energy is the only firm to make itclear in the small print that cus-
tomers can opt out of having a
smart meter. Meanwhile, other
suppliers are luring customers
with promises of credits or cash-
back when they sign up.
But Steve Playle, of the Char-
tered trading Standards Insti-
tute, said: ‘Blackmailing energy
customers with financial incen-
tives has sadly been adopted by
much of the industry and it’s only
going to get worse.’
George Chalmers of switching
website Migrate said: ‘While smartmeters are not mandatory, many
suppliers have been doing their
best to make them seem manda-
tory to consumers.
‘By making their cheaper tariffs
only available to people willing to
accept a smart meter, suppliers
have been effectively allowed to
force consumers into getting one’.
Robert Cheesewright of Smart
Energy GB said: ‘Smart meters
deliver savings to energy suppliers
and it’s pleasing to see them being
passed on to consumers’.
[email protected]By Victoria Bischoff
Money Mail Editor Customerstold they
need one
to get best
deal on bills Switch:Mr Brigden
P bli ti Mi C ith H th i MMDaily Mail, Monday, August 12, 2 019