Down to Business English

Inflation affects almost every part of the economy — from food prices and wages to pensions, mortgages, and central bank policy. But how is inflation actually calculated?


In this episode, Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan look at the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, and explain how governments measure changes in the cost of goods and services over time.

They start by explaining CPI, one of the main figures used to measure inflation. Dez explains how the Office for National Statistics in the UK tracks the price of a representative basket of goods and services. This basket includes many things people commonly buy, such as groceries, clothes, transport, household items, and services.

Skip and Dez then discuss how this basket changes over time. The items are updated every year to reflect changes in consumer habits and lifestyles. This year, items such as hummus, alcohol-free beer, pet grooming services, and motorhomes were added to the UK basket, while premium lager bought in a pub was removed.

Next, they look at why accurate inflation data is so important. CPI can influence pension increases, wage negotiations, and central bank decisions. If inflation is above a target level, a central bank may raise interest rates, which can affect mortgages, credit cards, and economic growth.

Finally, Skip and Dez discuss some of the more complicated methods used in inflation calculations. These include substitution, Chained CPI, Owner’s Equivalent Rent, and hedonic adjustments. These methods can be controversial because they raise an important question: should inflation measure only what people spend, or should it also consider changes in product quality?

This episode helps listeners understand how inflation is calculated while building practical Business English skills. In this episode, you will learn:

How CPI is used to measure inflation.
What a representative basket of goods and services means.

Why the CPI basket changes as consumer habits change.

How CPI can affect pensions, wages, interest rates, and central bank policy.

What substitution, Chained CPI, Owner’s Equivalent Rent, and hedonic adjustments mean.

Why some people are skeptical of how inflation is measured.

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Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at

downtobusinessenglish@gmail.com

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AI tools were expected to help companies work faster, spend less money, and become more productive. But what happens when employees use so much AI that costs become too high?


In this episode, Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan look at tokenmaxxing — a new business problem where AI costs grow much more than expected and why some companies are reducing their AI use. They start by explaining what tokens are and why they are important. Many AI companies charge businesses based on the number of tokens their employees use. When employees use too many tokens, AI costs can increase very quickly.

Skip then explains how agentic AI is different from normal AI prompts. Instead of doing one task, agentic AI can work more independently. It can search for information, make decisions, check results, and repeat tasks many times. This can be very useful, but it can also use a lot of computing power and become expensive.

Next, they discuss several large companies. Uber reportedly spent its yearly AI budget in only four months, which led to strict monthly token limits for developers. Amazon stopped an internal AI leaderboard, and Microsoft canceled many internal Claude Code licenses after AI costs increased too quickly.

Finally, Skip and Dez talk about the bigger business impact. Companies are no longer focusing only on how much AI employees use. Instead, they want to measure how much useful work AI produces. This idea is called Inference Yield. This change could have a big effect on AI companies, especially companies like Anthropic and OpenAI as they prepare for possible future IPOs.

This episode helps listeners understand the business costs of using AI while building practical Business English skills. In this episode, you will learn:

How token-based AI pricing can lead to unexpected costs for companies.
Why agentic AI can use many more tokens than normal AI prompts.

How companies like Uber, Amazon, and Microsoft are dealing with high AI usage.

Why businesses are focusing more on useful AI results than on AI activity.

How limits on AI spending could affect the future value of major AI companies.

Do you like what you hear?

Become a D2B Member today for to access to our -- NEW!!!-- interactive audio scripts, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes.

Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.

Follow Down to Business English on Apple podcasts, rate the show, and leave a comment.

Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at

downtobusinessenglish@gmail.com

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Skip Montreux on Linkedin

Skip Montreux on Instagram

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Skip Montreux on Facebook

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Guyana has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies after major offshore oil discoveries transformed its economic outlook. In this episode, we look at how this small South American country is managing a sudden oil boom — and the opportunities and risks that come with it.


In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega get Down to Business with Guyana’s offshore oil boom. They begin by discussing how rising oil prices and global supply concerns show how sensitive the world economy is to energy markets and Middle East tensions.

Then they turn to Guyana, a country traditionally known for mining, agriculture, tourism, biodiversity, and untouched rainforest. Skip explains how ExxonMobil’s 2015 Liza-1 discovery opened the door to more than 30 additional oil discoveries.

The discussion then moves to the economic impact. Guyana’s GDP growth has surged but the boom also brings challenges, including labor shortages, pressure on traditional industries, and the need for highly skilled offshore drilling workers.

Finally, Skip and Samantha explore a major paradox — Guyana produces large amounts of crude oil but lacks domestic refining capacity, leaving the country exposed to fuel shortages and high import costs.

This episode gives listeners a clear look at how a natural resource boom can transform a national economy In this episode, you will learn:

How oil production is changing Guyana’s economy, workforce, and public finances.
Why the Natural Resource Fund is important for managing oil revenues.

How Guyana is trying to balance oil production with its green development strategy.

Why a country that produces crude oil can still suffer from fuel shortages.

Do you like what you hear?

Become a D2B Member today for to access to our -- NEW!!!-- interactive audio scripts, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes.

Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.

Follow Down to Business English on Apple podcasts, rate the show, and leave a comment.

Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at

downtobusinessenglish@gmail.com

Follow Skip & Dez

Skip Montreux on Linkedin

Skip Montreux on Instagram

Skip Montreux on Twitter

Skip Montreux on Facebook

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New Zealand is seeing a record number of its citizens leave the country, with many moving to Australia for better pay, stronger career prospects, and a different lifestyle. What is driving this exodus and what it could mean for New Zealand’s future?


In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega get Down to Business with New Zealand’s growing labor exodus. They look at the scale of the departure, including the number of New Zealand citizens who left in 2025 and explore the main reasons behind the trend, including the high cost of living, better employment opportunities, and lifestyle.

This episode gives listeners an insight on a major workforce and economic challenge facing New Zealand — while helping you build your Business English. In this episode, you will learn:

Why so many New Zealand citizens are leaving the country, and why Australia is the main destination.
How cost of living, salary differences, and career opportunities are driving the exodus.

What impact this labor migration is having on education, healthcare, and the wider economy.

Why this trend is raising concerns about New Zealand’s future workforce, tax base, and public infrastructure.

Do you like what you hear?

Become a D2B Member today for to access to our -- NEW!!!-- interactive audio scripts, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes.

Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.

Follow Down to Business English on Apple podcasts, rate the show, and leave a comment.

Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at

downtobusinessenglish@gmail.com

Follow Skip & Dez

Skip Montreux on Linkedin

Skip Montreux on Instagram

Skip Montreux on Twitter

Skip Montreux on Facebook

Dez Morgan on Twitter

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Oil prices are rising, flights are being canceled, and businesses around the world are feeling the pressure. But another major conflict is also affecting business: a legal fight between AI company Anthropic and the US government. In this episode, we look at how this case raises important questions about business ethics, government power, and the future of AI.


In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega get Down to Business with a major legal dispute between Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI, and the US government.

Skip and Samantha's report gives listeners a clear and practical look at an important business and technology story, while helping you build your Business English. In this episode, you will learn:

What ‘a red line’ means in a business ethics context.
Why Anthropic refused two military uses of its AI.

What it means to be called a ‘supply chain risk to national security’.

How government decisions can affect private companies and contractors.

Why this case matters for the future of AI and business.

Do you like what you hear?

Become a D2B Member today for to access to our -- NEW!!!-- interactive audio scripts, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes.

Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.

Follow Down to Business English on Apple podcasts, rate the show, and leave a comment.

Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at

downtobusinessenglish@gmail.com

Follow Skip & Dez

Skip Montreux on Linkedin

Skip Montreux on Instagram

Skip Montreux on Twitter

Skip Montreux on Facebook

Dez Morgan on Twitter

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