Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Vax 75% code, 3% ISA, 50% Bdy Shp code, euros sale, free Tastecard, £75 Kindle, cheap parcel deliv, £100 wine £40, 2specs £23, b'band hotties

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Martin Lewis

MoneySavingExpert.com weekly email

Cutting your costs, fighting your corner Martin's Money Tips Wed 4 Dec 2013
Cards Reclaim Shopping Deals Utilities Banking Travel Insurance Mortgages Income

This week

3% cash ISA - 5% savings rate
Free 3mth Tastecard, £74 Kindle Fire, Kiddicare 20% off toys & more
20 perfume cost-cutters
Send Xmas parcels up to 70% less
CODES: Body Shop 50%, Uggs 15%, Asos 15%, Monsoon 25% & more
40% off Puma Hotels, £20 Ibis rms
Vax up to 75% off sale code
NatWest/RBS - don't whinge, DITCH
£100 Virgin Wine £40 via code
Fibre b'band+£140 Sains/Next vchs
2 x specs £23 | Bench specs £24
Hot TV, line rent, b'band bundle
Designer sunnies 20% extra code
West End tickets up to 55% off
£80 Amzn on £21/mth unltd Sim
Ends today: Cheapest ever loan
£30M&S on Direct Line home ins
Sainsbury's Tu 25% off everything
Vouchers Index: Restaurants / Shopping
Best Buys: 0% cards | Car insurance
Best Buys: Gas & Elec | Bank Accs

MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter

Pocket PERFECT exchange rates worldwide
FLASH euro, dollar sales | Prepare your travel wallet | Send money abroad

It's the gift you'll never to need to exchange - hmm, actually, it's all about exchanging. OK, I'll forget a naff attempted seasonal intro. Put plainly, there are 2 flash currency sales this week, so I'm going to explain how a few clicks can give perfect rates in every country if you're going abroad this Xmas or in 2014.

1. Permanently holster unbeatable exchange rates. Spending abroad on plastic is usually costly, as banks get perfect rates but then add a hidden 3% load onto what they charge (so £100 worth of dollars costs us £103).

Yet a few specialist (no annual fee) credit cards are load-free worldwide, smashing bureaux de change, giving permanently unbeatable rates. Just ensure you always repay IN FULL, preferably by direct debit.

Top pick: Halifax Clarity* has the lowest ATM fees (even so, spending on the card beats cash withdrawals). Fail to fully repay and it's 12.9% rep APR.

Also good:
Saga* (over-50s), Post Office* & Select* (Nationwide custs ONLY). If you fail to fully repay, these are 11.9%, 17.8% and 15.9% rep APR.

Full best buys, incl debit cards & help in Cheap Travel Cards (APR Examples).
2. Will you get these cards? It's credit score-dependent. To find out, use our free Overseas Cards Eligibility Checker, which shows your odds of acceptance (not Select), minimising applications (leaving fewer marks on your credit file). Please only use it if you're serious, as we pay for each search.

Poorer credit scorers still have an option, though. The easier-to-get Capital One Classic Extra* is load-free overseas, and also pays 0.5% cashback on all spending - a useful double purpose.

Do watch out for its 34.9% rep APR - you'll be charged this (and a fee) on cash withdrawals even if you fully repay, so err towards spending, not ATM withdrawals. This card can have a low £200 - £1,500 limit.
3. travel moneyTop prepaid cards. Here, you load one up before you travel, then use it like a debit card. If you lose it, your cash is protected. However, unlike the top credit cards, you get the rate on the day you load, not when you spend, so currency fluctuations can hit you.

The top pick cards based on low fees & best rates are FairFX Euro* and FairFX Dollar* - usually they're £10 but via these MoneySupermarket links they're free, provided you load at least €60 or $75.

These charge an ATM fee, so if you need to withdraw cash regularly, consider the ATM fee-free Caxton FX* card. You can choose a euro, dollar or 'world currency' card. For full options, see Cheap Prepaid Travel Cards.
4. Urgent. FLASH Euro, dollar & more sales. There are two currency flash sales this week - where big bureaux boost their rates temporarily.

Travelex: all currencies, Fri 6th 11am-1pm.
Allows airport pick-up at these rates, provided you order ahead.

Asda: 12 currencies, incl € and $, until 8am on Fri 6th.


In the past these deals have been strong, but use the TravelMoneyMax.com Travel Money Rate Comparison, which compares 40 online bureaux and is updated during sale hours, to see how they stack up.
5. NEVER get cash at the airport. Airport and ferryport bureaux know you're a captive customer, so they often give terrible rates. If you've left it too late, at least order online for airport pick-up, as you usually get a better rate.

Our travel money tool now estimates these hideous rates, then shows the gain from ordering to collect from airport bureaux - it can be huge. When we checked, £300 got €311 in an airport, €354 ordered and €360 at the top online bureau. See Airport Bureaux Travel Money Comparison.
6. Beware buying foreign cash with credit cards. Buy currency from a bureau de change on a credit card and it counts as an overseas cash withdrawal.

That means you usually pay £3 per £100 fee + interest, even if you clear the card in full. Plus some bureaux make it a triple whammy, adding 2-3% fees too. Thankfully debit card charges for this were stopped last year.
7. Warning - do you have an overseas DEBIT CARD FROM HELL? Bizarrely, ordinary bank debit cards are oft the worst way to spend abroad. Not only do they load exchange rates and add ATM fees - the debit cards from hell below effectively fine you £1-£1.50 each time you spend abroad...

THE DEBIT CARDS FROM HELL
Santander | NatWest/RBS (avoid for smaller purchases) | Halifax | Lloyds | TSB


Thus buy something costing £5-worth of euros with one of these cards, and with load & spending fine, it costs you £6.65. See full Debit Cards From Hell info, or use the Overseas Card Fees Checker to check yours.
8. Foreign shops/banks asking "want to pay in euros or pounds?" If you're using a card abroad, sometimes you'll be asked if you want the transaction to be in pounds or the local currency. In a nutshell, pay in the local currency (eg euros) not pounds. For why, see Martin's 'pay in euros?' blog.
9. Send cash gifts abroad the cheapest way. If you want to send money abroad without going yourself (poss Xmas gifts), here are the key tips.

Small amounts: Transfer for 0.5% fee (min £1) with peer-to-peer currency service Transferwise* (around 20 currencies including euro and dollar). Alternatively, for something more familiar, there's PayPal.

Larger amounts: Currency broker Currencies Direct* is fee-free from £500, FairFX (£600) and Travelex (£2.5k).

Important. Let's be plain: there's no compensation scheme if the company goes bust with your money, though some firms have more protection than others, see Money Transfer Regulations. Unfortunately, that means there always has to be a minor leap of faith.
10. Sending cash overseas regularly? Currencies Direct* is fee-free (from £500) & gives top rates. Plus if you use this link & transfer £10,000+ over the next year, you'll get a £75 Amazon vch (see safety warning in point 9, though).

For someone trusted, eg, a son/daughter abroad on a gap year, you could make them a 2nd cardholder on a specialist overseas credit card (point 1).

For a full how-to, and other options including bank-to-bank transfers, please read the Sending Money Abroad guide.

Blagged for MoneySavers

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MSE News

Top story RBS banking glitch: It answers your questions
Npower to pay £1m after customer complaints soar
London bus and Tube users face 3.1% fares hike
Stolen mobile cap to protect users from 'shock bills'
Good Energy joins Ecotricity in freezing gas and electricity prices
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Use the Money Mantras If you're skint If you're not skint
The Ones Not To Miss Wed 4 Dec 2013
3% cash ISAs, 5% savings
Want to smash the best buy tables? Go unconventional. Credit unions, current accounts and more

The Govt's Funding for Lending scheme was scrapped for mortgages this week (it's still on for small biz). This pumped in so much cash, banks had little need to attract it from us - a key cause of the Great Savings Rate Slump. This change is a glimmer of hope. For now, though, you need to get clever... ALL below have the full £85,000 UK savings safety protection.

  • savings rates3% AER easy access cash ISA. Cash ISAs let you save £5,760/yr, with interest tax-free.

    Standard route:
    Top for new money & transfers is Post Office* at 1.8% - max 2 penalty-free withdrawals/yr. Interest incl an 18mth bonus. Diarise to ditch & transfer after.

    How to beat it: Some credit unions (local savings/loans co-ops) smash this rate, eg, London Mutual's cash ISA's 3%. To find your local one, see the Credit Unions guide.
  • Earn 3% AER easy access. Standard route: Nottingham BS (min £5k) pays 1.71% AER incl a year-long bonus, so diarise to ditch and switch after. Coventry BS pays 1.6% (min £1), but only allows 4 annual withdrawals. Full info: Top Savings

    How to beat them: Bizarrely, some bank accounts beat top savings (though you need to properly switch). Get 3% in Santander's 123* if you've £3,000-£20,000 in. Its £2/mth fee is usually dwarfed by up to 3% bills cashback. Or Nationwide* pays 5% AER in year one, but only on up to £2,500. Full eligibility criteria in Top Bank Accounts.
  • Top fixed rates. If you're prepared to lock cash away, the first UK-wide credit union, My Community Bank, tops the fixed rate table. To join you need to either live in Brent, or be 'concerned' with the culture/welfare of the UK's South Asian community. Its 1yr fix is 2.15% AER (next best Shawbrook's 1.95% AER), its 2yr 2.25% AER is beaten by Aldermore's 2.33% AER, its 3yr is 2.75% AER (next best Shawbrook's 2.65% AER). See Top Savings.

Also consider: 6% 'savings' with peer-to-peer lending | Don't save, repay your mortgage | Repay debts with savings

BIG CODES: Uggs 15% off £85, Body Shop 50%, Asos 15%, Monsoon 25% & more
Shoes: Uggs 15% off £85 at Rubbersole | Hi-Tec waterproof boots 60% | Brantano 25% (incl Clarks, Reebok, etc) code
Fashion: Asos 15% code | M&S Outlet 25% extra | Accessorise/Monsoon 25% via mag | All Saints 20% | Evans 20%
Beauty / lingerie: Body Shop 50% off 4 items | Figleaves 25% off + free del | Full list: Discount Vouchers

UK hotel sales: 40% off Puma | £20 Ibis Budget (incl New Year). 21 Puma hotels incl brekkie, 3-course meal and wine (Dec-Mar, excludes Xmas & NY). 15 uber-basic Ibis from £20 (Dec-May, incl Xmas & NY). Full info: Hotel Sales

Vax up to 75% off sale code. MSE Blagged. Ends Fri, incl Air3 vacuum £63 from £250. Always popular. Vax Deals

NatWest/RBS - don't whinge, ditch it. Another tech outage & its accounts are nowt special. Why stay? Switch in 7 days. Free £100 & top cust service: First Direct. 3% AER interest & cashback: Santander 123. Related: RBS Fail Compensation

FREE 3-month Tastecard, Kiddicare 20% off toys, £75 Kindle Fire
On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five hot deals & a Tastecard frrreee-bie. MSE Advent Week 2

No chocs in our advent calendar, just MSE Blagged deals. It's week 2 - and we've another bundle of freebies & discounts.

  • The MSE Blagged Deals Advent Calendar. We've blagged 12 deals in total for you, now there are seven left. Each are best-in-class from that retailer. Here's a sneak preview of this week's. See our full Deals Advent Calendar.

MSE's advent calendar Most deals start at 10am and end 24 hours later.
See full calendar
1

Day 6 - Wed 4 Dec
Free 3-month Tastecard: Even if you've had a past freebie. Plus £30 for 12-mth card (RRP £80) giftwrapped.

2

Day 7 - Thu 5 Dec
Kiddicare 20% off toys code: Works with sale. Incl branded toys such as Lego, Fisher-Price & Leap Frog.

3

Day 8 - Fri 6 Dec
Amazon Kindle Fire refurb £74: Usually £99. Code gets refurb 2012 model for £74 (incl full 1yr warranty).

4

Day 9 - Mon 9 Dec
Buyagift £20 off £80 code: Get £20 off a skydiving day, spa breaks, cooking classes and even flying lessons.

5

Day 10 - Tue 10 Dec
Evans Cycles 20% off kids' bikes and BMXs code: Discounts on full-price and sale bikes online.

Reminders via Twitter. Preview of next week's here in this weekly email.

  • The Christmas Deals Predictor - score so far? A couple of weeks ago, we launched our Christmas Deals Predictor. So far, we've near-perfect accuracy (and have only been an average three days out on timing) - with Asos 15% off, Kurt Geiger 25% off, £10 champers, Selfridges 20% off and more. See our December predictions, and be prepared to pounce.
  • Ban Unnecessary Presents. We aim to find you the cheapest prices. Yet please don't buy if you can't afford it. So do a budget, read Martin's Ban Unnecessary Presents blog and why not sign up to a pre-NUPP?

12btl £106 case of Virgin Wine £40 code. MSE Blagged. Corking newbies' deal. See Wine Deals. Be Drinkaware.

£100 Sainsbury's vch + £40 Next vch on superfast BT fibre b'band. MSE Blagged. Ends Mon: Get a BT Infinity* package (avail to 66% of UK) via this link and you'll get a £40 Next vch on top of the usual £100 Sainsbury's gift card. Sadly you need to claim both, they're not auto-sent. See how it compares and full help in the Cheap Broadband guide.

£24 Bench specs | 2 x prescription specs £23 all in MSE Blagged. Two codes slash specs prices. Cheap Glasses

Ends Thu. TV, phone & b'band equiv £20/mth, get £50 Argos vch. If you pay £126 year's line rent upfront. TalkTalk newbies only (not if you need a new line). Here's how: 1) TV, calls & b'band. Via this TalkTalk* link, it's £7.50/mth on 18-mth contract. B'band avail to 85% of UK. 2) Line rent. Normally £15.40/mth, you can opt to pay £126 for a year upfront (will then either pay a year again - price can change - or go monthly for remaining 6mths of contract). 3) Free £50 Love2Shop voucher. Valid at Argos, Boots & elsewhere on high street. (after c.28 days). FULL details: TalkTalk

Designer sunnies/ski goggles EXTRA 20% off sales code. MSE Blagged. Incl Oakley ski goggles. Specs appeal

20 perfume & aftershave cost-cutters
Don't pay through the nose. We've sniffed out the most fragrant deals - from smell-a-likes to discount codes

It's said more perfume is bought on Christmas Eve than in the whole of August. So be honest, if you'll end up buying smellies, do it now, and you'll usually get 'em for far less. See our full 20 Cheap Perfume Tricks guide. Five to start...

  • perfumeCompare perfume prices. Compare sellers via MegaShopBot, then add in MySupermarket* for any supermarket discounts.
  • Use hot codes & shop sales. There's a 20% off The Fragrance Shop code & up to 50% Superdrug perfume sale*, plus use our specially-gemmied 60%+ off Amazon fragrances* link (not perfect, but good for scanning). See All Perfume Sales & Codes.
  • Buy legit 'smell-a-likes' for a fraction of the cost. Retailers incl Lidl, M&S and Next sell perfumes which, while not copies, do, UH-HUMM, tend to look, smell, and are named similar to high-end perfumes. In our (non-scientific) trial, most people either couldn't tell the difference, preferred the cheaper one, or thought the difference small, eg, Lidl's Suddenly Madam Glamour (£4, 50ml) smells like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (£66, 50ml). See Smell-A-Like List.
  • Got Tesco points? Use 'em on perfumes. Until 20 December Tesco's Xmas Boost scheme lets you double vouchers' value, so a £5 voucher gets £10 of goodies, including fragrances, in-store and online.
  • Is this 'fantastic deal' really a bargain? A few free tools let you chart supermarket & online perfume prices over the last year (& set price-drop alerts). Eg, Hot: Paco Rabane Lady Million (50ml) £31 at Boots - 32% below its avg price. Not: Calvin Klein Euphoria 50ml £43 at Superdrug, 25% more than avg. See 'Is It Really A Bargain?' Tracker.

Heads up: Wicked, Les Mis & 46 Ldn shows up to 55% off. Jan/Feb tix, from Tue 10 Dec. Sells quick. West End

Get £80 Amazon vch on unlimited texts, mins & 1GB data £21/mth Sim. MSE Blagged. Use code MSEORANGE on Orange Sim* 12-mth contract by Mon 9 Dec & get vch in 3mths. Cheaper plans are avail, but without vouch. FULL info: Cheap Mobiles.

Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Balance Transfers Car Insurance Cheap Loans Top Cash ISAs
Longest 0%: Barclaycard*
29mths 0%, 2.79% fee

(18.9% rep APR)

Low fee 0%: Lloyds*
24mths 0%, 1.5% fee

(17.9% rep APR)
Get quotes in this order...

Gocompare*
Google*
Direct Line*
Aviva*
Admiral MultiCar*

Sainsbury's* (£5k - £7.5k)
6.3% rep APR



Ends Wed. Santander* (£7.5k - £15k)
4.6% rep APR

Post Office* 1.8% AER
Min £100, incl bonus
Post/branch. Transfers allowed

Virgin Money 1.75% AER
Min £1, no bonus
Online. Transfers allowed

See Card APR Examples & Loan APR Examples

Ends TODAY (Wed). Cheapest EVER loan 4.6% APR. Until 11.59pm, if you're borrowing £7.5K-£15K, Santander* is 4.6% rep APR. If you need to borrow, ensure you've budgeted and can afford repayments. FULL help: Cheap Loans

£30 M&S voucher on Direct Line home insurance. Use this Direct Line* link and get a £30 M&S e-gift card (after 3mths) when you take buildings or contents insurance (£45 for premium cover). Important: We're NOT saying it's cheapest, check first and see if it is. Always compare, use Confused* & Compare TM* then add Aviva*. FULL help in Home Insurance.

Send Xmas parcels up to 70% cheaper - eg, 10kg UK £7
Special sites let you save a packet (sorry) as you buy spare capacity on DHL and UPS delivery in UK & overseas
Discount web firms buy big couriers' excess delivery slots, then flog it at cheap prices. So you get the same delivery, the same service, but pay less for it. Full help and best buys in Cheap Parcel Delivery - here are some quick Christmas pointers.
  • Christmas parcel deliverySlash costs within UK. While Royal Mail's generally cheapest for letters and small parcels under 1kg, its price jumps for heavier parcels. Yet by buying via a 'delivery reseller', you can send a 10kg parcel for £7 rather than the standard £20, or 30kg for £13 rather than £37. For full info, see Cheapest UK Parcel Delivery.
  • 'I paid £38 to send to US instead of £148.' To be frank (sorry again) overseas savings can be huge. Forumite Ferd Burfle says: "Had 11kg parcel to send to US. Sent for £38 via UPS. Checked price direct on UPS site - would have been £148. Many thanks." This works across Europe too, eg, Germany 10kg £17, rather than £70. Or New York for £30, rather than £90. See Cheapest Overseas Parcel Delivery.
  • Tips to pack smart: Safety tips, plus a Royal Mail last Xmas post dates tracker, in Cheap Parcel Delivery, incl:

    - Nab free cardboard boxes from supermarkets and pad with screwed-up newspaper.
    - Always weigh and measure accurately. Don't be tempted to shave a bit off - you could be hit by excess charges.
    - Include a return address on your parcel, so it can get back if it can't be delivered.

Forum Hottie. Sainsbury's Tu 25% off everything. In-store clothing sale, incl school uniform. Sainsbury's Tu Deals

Does Govt's £50 energy bill cut mean fixing was wrong? No. Most on fixes will get some reduction too. Prices are still up an avg 8-10%. See Martin's Oct Should I fix in case PM cuts bills? blog & Will fixes get the discount? news.

Sat. Amex cardholders: £5 credit if spending £10 at 1,000s of local shops. Full how-to: Amex Shop Small

Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Gas & Electricity Bank Accounts Home Insurance Landlines
Compare, switch & get cashback

Cheap Energy Club
£30 dual fuel

Energyhelpline*
£15 per switch

MoneySupermarket*
£30 dual fuel

uSwitch*
£40 wine voucher

First Direct*
£100 bonus and top cust service


Santander 123*
Up to 3% cashback on bills

(£2 per month fee)
Get quotes in this order...

Confused.com*
Compare The Market*
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Post Office*
with weekend calls
£10/mth (pay a yr upfront)



BT Line Rental Saver*
£11.75/mth (pay a yr upfront)
Do a Money Makeover Budget Planner MSE car sticker £14 Travel Insurance

Restaurant vouchers

Discount vouchers & sales

Top deals

The Moneysaving community
The MoneySaving Community

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Students - was your fee worth it?

The Office of Fair Trading's looking at the service English universities and higher ed providers have offered to students since the 2012 fee changes. Did you expect more? Did you get it? Was the info you got good enough? Would you know how to complain? Feed back to the OFT or discuss Does your Uni pass? in our forum.

BOOK GIVEAWAY
Rats, Bats and Strange Toilets.
25 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should I act as guarantor for bankrupt friend's son?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... A very good friend lost his job a year ago, but has since got a job and has an IVA in place (it's like a cut-down form of bankruptcy - MSE). His son now wants to start a business. He's been turned down for a business loan of £5k and can't get a personal loan without a guarantor. My friend can't stand as guarantor as his assets are in the IVA, so he's asked if I will. He's suggested drawing up a contract to ensure he'll pay us if his son defaults. I'm not convinced his son has the business acumen to make a go of it, but this is one of my oldest friends asking for help. Should I do it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I act as guarantor for oldest friend's son? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs

THE GREAT HUNT
Your tips for cheap Christmas recipes
Whether it's traditional turkey with all the trimmings, or a festive feast dreamed up by a celebrity chef, cooking a Christmas lunch can quickly become very pricey. So we'd like to hear MoneySavers' cheap and cheerful recipes to bring the cost down. Share yours/read others': Cheap Christmas recipes Past topics: View all

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Aer Lingus Price: From £26.99 Ends: 8 December
This week's pick is Aer Lingus's from £26.99 sale. It's for flights to Ireland from 15 UK airports between 1 Jan and 30 Apr 2014, incl some taxes & charges. We found Newcastle-Dublin flights for £29.99. To find flights quickly, use FlightChecker on a £30 one-way max search. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

Quick forum tips

Freebies

Martin's blogs

Martin's appearances

5 December
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Deals of the Week.
5 December
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows.
9 December
This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm.
Subject tbc.

PS. Missed The Martin Lewis Money Show Christmas Special? Catch up on ITV Player.

MSE team corner

Discussion of the week

Secret Santa

Secret Santa divides opinion. Choosing an a gift for a colleague you've never spoken to is rarely easy, as Ms Chocaholic is finding in the Secret Santa discussion. Join in and share your hints and tips.

Cheap travel money

UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
Best Worst
Euro Flag 120.15 109.36
US Flag $ 162.85 148.33
Turkish Flag TL 324.50 291.03
Rates correct at 4.30pm Tue
Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash

This week's poll: Should Scotland be an independent country?

The Scottish Government has launched its white paper ahead of the independence referendum due in 10 months' time. The question that'll be asked is: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"


Poll results

Are you sick of being asked about cookies?
A huge majority of voters think being warned about cookies by websites takes the biscuit.

- 73% said the warnings should be scrapped.
- 17% said they could live with them.
- 10% said they should stay.

9,989 voted. See the full results.

Question of the week

Q: I live in a house share, but I'm moving in with my girlfriend. Everyone's talking about switching and fixing energy but I don't know what we'll be using and we've not moved in yet. What should I do? Lance, by email

MSE Marcel's A: Always do a comparison, as your cheapest tariff depends on your usage and postcode.

Ask the current occupants for usage figures from their bill, if possible. When you move in, type in these figures during a comparison, along with your new postcode. This'll help produce a more accurate estimate of your new bill.

If you can't get usage figures, even your best guesstimate is better than nothing when you're comparing. Some comparison sites can also help. Energyhelpline lets you click a 'don't know my usage' button which'll help you estimate what you'll use and tell you the likely cheapest provider.

Until you switch, the energy supplied to your new house will come from the previous owners' supplier. This'll most likely be a standard variable deal, which means the price can rise. But you can lock in the rate you pay with a cheap fixed tariff. Right now, the cheapest fixes beat the cheapest variable deals. More help on switching in Cheap Gas and Electricity.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

 Debs' free game of the week: Amazing Mind Reader

The Toilets of the World quiz

10 toilets, 10 worldwide locations. Can you guess 'em all? Test your bog-spotting skills in the The Crapper Mapper quiz.

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

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As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:

Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email

halifax.co.uk, saga.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, fairfx.com, caxtonfx.com, ojrq.ne, currenciesdirect.com, santander-products.co.uk, talktalk.co.uk, broadband.bt.com, fragrancescompared.co.uk, myvouchercodes.co.uk, superdrug.com, amazon.co.uk, tesco.com, barclaycard.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, gocompare.com, google.co.uk, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk, virginmoney.com, admiral.com, voucherwindow.com, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, energyhelpline.com, moneysupermarket.com, uswitch.com, firstdirect.com.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note

Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances constitute an FCA regulated activity. For this reason, pages with links which take you to the sites of insurers or insurance intermediaries are hosted by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited on behalf of MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC. MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is MoneySupermarket House, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ.

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