| | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter "Switching energy isn't worth it."
60% of people think this and haven't switched for years. If that's you, spare 3 mins and read this - perhaps your best-paid minutes of the year... With news out this week that British Gas charges gas customers who've never switched £90 a year more, I wanted to tackle the "it's not worth it" argument head on, and debunk some of the myths that put people off.
To help, we commissioned a YouGov survey of over 2,300 people. It shows 60% of Britons haven’t switched for two years, and why... | 1. | "Switching's too much of a hassle." 24% giving a reason think this. Actually little changes, you keep the same gas, electricity & pipes. Only service and, crucially, cost changes. Admittedly, switching does take too long, up to 2mths, but you're not doing anything during that time. All you need to do is take 5mins to do a comparison, find your cheapest deal and fill in your details. There can be hitches but switching should be simple for most. | | | | 2. | "Suppliers are all the same, it's pointless". 30% think this. You're right - in many ways they are the same, even though some new smaller suppliers have launched. Yet switching isn't actually about suppliers. Just like one mobile phone firm has many different tariffs, so do energy suppliers.
One supplier can have both the UK's cheapest and most expensive tariff. So the aim's to find your cheapest tariff, regardless of the firm. To show you the impact, and potential waste, for someone with typical usage....
| | The UK's cheapest tariff is £1,013/yr
An average 'big six' standard tariff is £1,190/yr
The UK's most expensive tariff is £1,680/yr | | | | 3. | "There's little benefit, as they just put prices up anyway". 32% think this. Not if you grab a cheap fixed tariff. These lock you in on a set rate for up to four years and bizarrely, fixes are the cheapest deals out there right now (as opposed to variable tariffs where rates can rise).
Yet don't just call your provider to fix - that risks locking in at high cost. Here's an illustration (based on typical use):
-ALWAYS compare: Your winner & saving depends on usage & location. Our Cheap Energy Club's FULL Top Fixed Tariffs comparison shows YOUR prices for the top pick deals. We pull out top tariffs as many comparisons just list price order, so you risk missing longer, good value deals.
- Only got electricity? All these tariffs are available for you too, see our Electricity-Only Fixes Comparison or our special Economy 7 Guide.
- No exit penalties give certainty & flexibility. We favour no-exit penalty fixes as you can leave if it's no longer a good deal. But if one with exit fees is much cheaper, and the saving easily covers the penalty (as above), it can be worth it.
- Fix long or short? If you're willing to be an energy tart, and shift each time your cheap fix ends, it's likely (no promises) the shorter deals will win, even if prices rise 30% over the next 4 years as some predict. Yet if you just want to switch then forget about it, a longer deal means no-hassle long-term price certainty. | | | | 4. | "It's too complicated". 13% think this. It shouldn't be that complex done right, but of course there are choices to make, just like when you buy a new TV. Yet if you've never or rarely switched, even if you don't bag the perfect tariff, it's easy to at least get a better one.
We've worked hard on our MSE Cheap Energy Club to make comparing as easy as possible. Over 1 million have joined in just over a year. It helps you find the cheapest, can sometimes give you £30 dual fuel switch cashback and then monitors your rate to let you know when to switch again.
Melissa emailed: “Got to say thanks. I’ll be saving a whopping £800 per year on my dual fuel bill after using your Cheap Energy Club. Was hoping for £300 so this is amazing (a tad annoyed with myself that I didn't do it sooner.)" | | | | 5. | "I switched before and it said I'd save, but I didn't." I've heard this a lot. One reason this happens is because comparison sites just say "savings" but mean "savings compared to what you'd pay if you didn't switch". In our MSE Energy Club language, we try to be more precise.
In other words, if prices rise 10% (as they have most years) and you 'save' 10%, your bill's roughly the same. Yet if you hadn't acted, you would've had to pay more. So switching saved you, even though your bill didn't drop. | | | | 6. | "I switched, but my direct debit jumped through the roof." This one is annoying. The problem is the cost of your energy doesn't always match the amount you pay. That's because the cheapest way to pay - monthly direct debit - involves an estimate of your annual usage shared over 12mths.
If you switch to a cheaper tariff, but the new firm over-estimates, or the old one under-estimated, you'll overpay. The best solution is to do regular meter readings to make it more accurate, and if it's still wrong you've Fair Energy Direct Debit Rights. | | | | 7. |  "I'm in credit, it owes me money so I can't switch". This money is yours, so when you switch, you're entitled to it. Sadly, though, it's thought energy firms have pocketed £200 million that 3.5 million customers overpaid, in a 'don't ask, don't get' stance. Full help in Reclaim £100s of Energy Credit.
For those who owe their current energy firm cash, you can often still switch, but you'll need to pay the money back. On prepay, you can switch if the debt's £500 per fuel or less. If you're on a credit meter, it varies by supplier and payment type. See I'm In Energy Debt, Can I Switch? info. | | | | 8. | "I'm on a prepaid (key or card) meter - I'm stuck." Actually prepayment customers can switch too, and save. Do a comparison (you can sometimes get cashback or six bottles of wine too) via these specific links: uSwitch*, MoneySupermarket* or Energyhelpline*.
Plus it's worth considering a move to a normal bills meter, which can be £100s cheaper. Full help on all this in Cheap Prepayment Meter Energy.
| | | | 9. | "I’m renting, so I can't switch." You can. You're free to switch, providing you pay the energy supplier directly (rather than paying your landlord). You'll usually need the landlord's permission if you're changing meter type (ie, from prepay to normal bills). Tenants can print out our factsheet to give to landlords to explain both renters' rights and why switching's no problem. | | | | 10. | "I’m moving house this year, why bother?" Many suppliers let you take your tariff with you to your new home (incl the EDF & Npower fixes in our table). So switch to your cheapest 'portable deal'. | | |
IN A NUTSHELL, IF YOU'VE NEVER SWITCHED, JUST DO A QUICK COMPARISON TO SEE IF YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELF £100s. |
Blagged for MoneySavers |
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 Get constantly cheap energy Our club ensures you're always on the cheapest tariff.
Join free: Cheap Energy Club |
Reclaim PPI for FREE Claims handlers aren't more successful.
Free help & templates: Reclaim PPI |
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| Wed 26 Mar 2014 |
Urgent. Cheapest EVER loan - 4.4% rep APR
A price war means if you need a loan, some rates are at historic lows. Full rundown of how to borrow for less Just because borrowing's cheap doesn't mean you should do it. Yet if you've a planned expenditure such as a needed car or new kitchen, and you've budgeted that you can afford the repayments, costs are low. Just don't do it willy-nilly.  Ends Fri. 4.4% rep APR loan. Until Fri 3pm, Sainsbury's Bank's* offering the lowest loan rate we've ever seen, 4.4% for £7,500-£15k over 1-3yrs (4.5% for 4-5yrs*) provided you have/get a free Nectar card. For £5,000-£7.5k, Hitachi’s* 5.6% rep APR over 3-5yrs. Sadly, like most loans, these are representative APRs, so only 51% of those accepted need to be given these rates.
Want flexibility? Zopa* and Ratesetter* are peer-to-peer loans providers that let you overpay or clear loans early without penalty. Like normal loans the rate's credit score-dependent, though personalised. For some they’re cheapest for small amounts, as low as 7.5% for £3k. Full help in Cheap Loan Best Buys (APR Examples). - 29mths 0% 'loan' if you pay 4% fee. But the cheapest high street sub-£5,000 loans are costly (c.14.9% for £2,000). Far cheaper are credit card money transfers, where for a fee, a specialist card pays cash into your bank account, like a loan, so you owe it instead. Accepted new Virgin Money* custs get 29mths 0% (4% fee) - it's 20.9% rep APR after so ensure you repay by then - or the AA* is 6.9% (2% fee) until all the loan's repaid (always pay on time, or you lose the deal & pay 20.9% rep APR). This can be complex, so please read our Money Transfers guide. To find which card you're most likely to get, use the Money Transfers Eligibility Checker.
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| Get free loft/cavity wall insulation + free £50 at John Lewis/Argos etc. MSE Blagged. British Gas needs to hit Eco targets, so it's now giving insulation (can be worth £700, as BG install it too) to ANYONE with a suitable, uninsulated home. So we've blagged that if you qualify, it'll give a £50 Compliments Card, usable at J Lewis, Argos, Toys-R-Us, etc. Free Insulation Offer THREE £53 No7 skincare gift sets for £50. Deal-stacking corker. Boots Trick MOTHER'S DAY DEALS (THIS SUN)... incl free card & chocs
Treat mums well, but don't feel you must spend, eg, use free Mother's Day cheques, though if you will...
Flower bouquets: Debenhams £20 couriered Sat | M&S £25 del on Sun | Lidl £2 in-store
Cards & Gifts: Free card & choc (O2 cust) ltd | £60 Body Shop set £30 | Hot Diamonds 32% off | £43 Sanctuary set £22
Mother's Day food deals: Cafe Rouge 2 courses £10 | Harvester 3 courses £10 | M&S roast, pud & wine £20
Days out: 2for1 Eden Project | Mums go 'free' to Bristol Zoo | Mums 'free' to Longleat | See ALL MOTHER'S DAY DEALS £10 for 2 cinema tix, popcorn & drinks. One film, every Thu, eg, Dallas Buyers Club, Wolf of Wall Street. Cineworld |
New £15,000 cash ISA to come - but for now, get 2.8%
Savers should celebrate - tax-free ISAs just got NISA. For now, focus on this year's urgent 5 April ISA deadline Last week's Budget saw a huge ISA shakeup. From 1 July, the £11,880 tax-free ISA allowance becomes a £15,000 NISA (New ISA) and all of it can be used for cash savings (up from £5,760 now). Plus you'll be allowed to transfer stocks & shares ISAs into cash ISAs. Full FAQs in New NISAs and Martin's Will you really gain from NISAs? blog. For now...  5 April cash ISA deadline - use it or lose it. The ISA year closes on 5 April. If you've got savings and haven't used your £5,760 cash ISA allowance, do so. It's just a savings account the taxman can't take a bite of your interest from, so you keep more (see ISA guide). You get a new allowance of £5,940 on 6 April, but even if you wouldn't fill it, it's best to use this year's, just in case you get an unexpected windfall next year. - The top 2.8% cash ISA loophole. Don't think you need to lock cash away in an ISA. The top simple option is Santander's 1.6% AER Direct ISA (allows transfers, min £500). It lets you withdraw your cash whenever you want.
Yet most people can do better. Coventry BS's 3-year 2.75% fixed-rate ISA (new money only - min £5,760) is designed for locking cash away. The clever bit is you can withdraw the cash early by closing the account, and the penalty for doing so is unusually low - so you just lose 120 days' interest. A number crunch shows if you withdraw after a year, you'd effectively have got 1.85%, and 2.3% after 2yrs, beating the best 2yr fix (except for Santander 123 customers).
For those wanting to consolidate old ISAs into a higher rate, the Leeds BS (min £1) 5-year fix pays 2.8% and allows you to withdraw 25% of your savings penalty-free. There's a 180-day penalty after, which still beats shorter accounts if you withdraw early. See our Top Cash ISAs for full info on how these all stack up. Pension rules rewritten. From 2015, you'll be able to just draw down cash (after tax). See Pension Changes. Need urgent help? Call the free Pensions Advisory Service on 0845 601 2923. Also see Martin's Pension changes are wonderful & horrid blog. How much will you take home from 6 April? Our Income Tax Calc is now updated for the new 2014/15 tax year. back to top ↑ |
| Expedia 10% off hotels code. MSE Blagged. Works at 1,000s of hotels (some chains excluded). Expedia 10% Code Ends Mon. Best ever 0% balance transfer. Last week, we warned the Nationwide* card could be pulled any time. Well, it's lasted a week, but it's told us it plans to withdraw it next Monday at the latest. Accepted new cardholders can shift debts to it for 26mths 0% for just a 0.75% fee. Ensure you clear before the 0% ends, or shift again, or it jumps to 17.9% rep APR. Full best buys and the balance transfer golden rules in 0% Balance Transfers (APR Examples). Urban Outfitters SPECIAL ACCESS 50% off code. Sale starts Thu, get 50% off sale items today. Urban Outfitters |
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20p/litre off petrol & diesel...
Five ways to save £100s on your annual fuel costs, including Tesco's brand new Fuel Save scheme Things are looking a tad better for drivers. There was no budget tax rise, and a supermarket price war sees costs now an avg £1.29/L, 13p less than the peak. Yet many still pay £1,000s a year. Here's a taster of our updated Cheap Petrol guide...  New. Up to 20p off fuel for Tesco shoppers. Until Sept, simply present a Clubcard when you pay. For each £50 spent in-store or on groceries online in total per calendar month, you get 2p/litre off (so £220 in a month is 4 x 2p/L off discounts). Up to 10 can be combined in one go to get 20p/L off at Tesco forecourts. The key here is that you needn't spend them all at once, so 10 x £25 transactions still gets you 5 x 2p/L off. Full help: Tesco Fuel Save
- Find the cheapest forecourt. Free website PetrolPrices.com lists the day’s cheapest petrol stations in your area for unleaded, diesel, LPG and other fuels.
- 3% back on petrol/diesel spending. The Santander 123* credit card (check eligibility) pays 3% cashback on fuel & train fare spending (max £9/mth back), 2% in department stores, 1% supermarkets. It has a £24 annual fee, so is best for big drivers or customers of the best buy Santander 123 bank account, who get the 1st year's fee refunded. Yet only do if you'll repay IN FULL each month to avoid the 18.9% interest (22.8% rep APR incl fee). Then it can add up, as Pizza Lover tweeted: "I've earned £110 on my Santander 123 card in its 1st year." Full help: Petrol Credit Cards
- Cut fuel use up to 30% by driving more efficiently. The 3 keys are: a) Change gear up earlier to keep revs down. b) Treat the accelerator like a money pump - the harder you press, the more fuel flows. c) Slow naturally rather than ramming the brakes to use up the car’s momentum. See full How To Drive More Efficiently help.
- Make your car more efficient. Reduce the weight and drag, and a car needs less fuel to travel. So dejunk your trunk - many carry unnecessary weight in the boot; correct your tyre pressure & more. See Car Efficiency Tips.
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| iPad Mini £199 (was £249). The iPad Mini is reduced to £199 at Asda & Sainsbury's (cheapest elsewhere: £219) and the latest Retina Display iPad Mini is £299 (£20 cheaper than elsewhere). John Lewis price-matching. Cheap iPads Ovivo shuts down - what are your rights? The '£20 Sim then free use' provider's gone. See our full Ovivo Q&A. Pizza Hut & Papa John's 2for1 codes. Both valid for delivery and collection. Incl med or large. Can't Be Topped Show Best Buys
DIY / homes deals: Wickes 10% off £75 code | Laura Ashley up to 50% off sale. See ALL Discount Vouchers SPRING SALES: Asos up to 50% off, Miss Selfridge 50%, HoF 25% etc...
Miss Selfridge up to 50% | Laura Ashley up to 50% | Office up to 50% | House of Fraser up to 25% off brands
Burton up to 70% + code for extra 20% | Asos up to 50% | See ALL High Street Sales 15 hanging basket flower plugs £5 (RRP £23). MSE Blagged. Incl fuchsias & petunias. 5,000 available. T&M |
Beat the April cost explosion
ACT NOW to steal a March (sorry) on April's water, stamp prices, council tax, dental and other hikes As well as tax changes, in April, most official bodies do their annual price hoicks. Yet act now and you can beat them....  - 31 Mar: Stamp prices UP. A letter-size 1st class stamp rises 2p to 62p; 2nd class 3p to 53p, Stock up NOW - provided it says 1st or 2nd, not a price, they stay valid. See Stamp Hikes.
- 1 Apr: Water bills UP 2% (in some cases 5%). If you're in Eng or Wales, our rule of thumb is if you've more or the same number of bedrooms in your home than people, check out switching to a meter. Savings can be huge - as ChrisBland31 tweeted me: "We got a meter fitted and our bill went from £62 to £16 per month." - £550/yr saved. Full Help: Water Saving
- 1 Apr: English prescriptions UP 20p to £8.05 (they're free in rest of UK). Yet prescription season ticket costs are frozen and will save you large if you use more than one a month.
- Early April: Council tax UP avg 1-5%. Though all Scottish & some English councils have frozen it. Yet remember up to 400,000 homes in Eng & Scot may be in the wrong band - if you are, you get your payout backdated. Use our Council Tax Banding Check & Challenge. Savings can be huge, as Lorraine's said: "We appealed against our banding. After 20 years in band F, it's now reduced to Band E - got refund of £3,680." The guide also explains who's council tax exempt, eg, students.
- 1 Apr: Dental costs UP. Basic NHS dental treatment in Eng rises 50p to £18.50 (up £5 on some complex work), Wales 30p to £13 (£4 on some work), Scot 1.7% & NI up 1%. Not easy to beat this, except try booking ASAP to get work done.
- 7 Apr: State pension UP (yay) £2.95. The full, basic state single pension rises to £113.10. Yet, a reminder, over 1 MILLION eligible people fail to claim extra cash for pensioners on lower incomes in the form of the pension credit.
PS. On 30 March, TIME goes UP too - the clocks go forward by one hour this Sunday at 1am.
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| Ideal Home Show 2for1 code. The show's on in Ldn now. £18 for a pair of tix if you missed our freebies. Ideal Home £13 Trunki kids' suitcases (usually £30+). In-store only. Very limited stock - can you find 'em? Sainsbury's Deals £20 Lastminute.com spa sale (norm £25 - £70). 40+ venues offering days or treatments. Ends Mon. Lastminute |
Urgent. Currency price war - boosted holiday cash
If you're planning a trip away, a host of bureaux are fighting for your money, all launching short-term rate boosts
A decent smile for UK holidaymakers. Your money's likely to stretch far further abroad than it did. Over the last year, the pound has risen from €1.16 to €1.20 and $1.50 to $1.65. And this week, there's a bureau price war to boost rates.  FLASH currency sales. Here, bureaux promise to boost their day's rate to give you a relatively better deal. To check out how good they really are, use our Travel Money Comparison, which will update during the sales so you can see how they compare.
- Travelex 2-hr flash sale (incl airport pick-up): The big boon here is you can order in advance to pick up at (most) airports - great, as airport rates are usually hideous. Sale time for all currencies except €: Thu 27th, 11am-1pm. Euro sale only: Fri 28th, 11am-1pm.
- ICE 4-day boost + £25 hotel voucher: All currencies 9am Thu to 9am Mon 31st. It'll also throw in a £25 hotelexclusives.com voucher for anyone ordering via the link in TravelMoneyMax.
- Asda online (allows store pick-up): On till 8am Thu, for €uro, US dollar, Aussie $, Turkish lira and Egyptian pounds.- ENDS 5PM WED: Fair FX prepaid card boost. Here, you load up cash in advance to spend when away. Our top pick Fair FX (which beats most bureaux) is boosting rates until 5pm tonight on its euro* & dollar* prepaid cards (via these MoneySup links the £10 fee's waived too, provided you load £50+ of currency). Full info: Prepaid Cards.
- Not going away just yet? Bag constantly UNBEATABLE rates worldwide. The CHEAPEST WAY to spend abroad is on a specialist top overseas card. Most debit & credit cards add a 3% load to overseas spending, so £100 of euros costs £103. But cards such as top pick Halifax Clarity* credit card are load-free in EVERY COUNTRY, so you'll always get the top rates. Just ensure you repay it IN FULL each month to minimise the interest cost (12.9% rep APR).
As you need to pass a credit check to get one, we've built the Overseas Card Eligibility Checker, which shows the cards you'll most likely get. It includes the 'poor credit' Capital One Classic Extra* card, which is also load-free everywhere (but has high ATM charges and 34.9% rep APR - APR Examples), so doubly ensure you repay IN FULL. back to top ↑ |
| £40 huge Serrano ham leg (can be £70+). No porkies (well, a little), cured Spanish ham, lasts 7mths. Ham-azing 500 'free' Manchester Cake & Bake Show tix pairs - £2.50 del. Fri 4 Apr, RRP £30. 50% off once they go. C&B We're recruiting - want to work at MSE? We're hiring a mix of permanent & contract roles, including a features writer, deals researcher, campaigns officer and developers. Based in London. See MSE Job Opportunities.
Show Best Buys |
| Show Vouchers and Top Deals |
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 CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Live in Wales? How does financial ed need to be improved?
Welsh Assembly Member Bethan Jenkins is asking for views on her Financial Education and Inclusion Bill. She says Welsh schools should provide more financial education and local authorities should give more help to grown-ups. What money matters should young people learn at school? How can local government boost residents' financial skills? Read her proposals and reply to the survey on the Welsh Assembly website (see the MSE News story for more). MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should I change eBay feedback now the seller's replaced my item?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I bought an item via eBay, but found it was very poor quality when it arrived. Since leaving negative feedback, the seller's offered me a free, more expensive replacement if I change it to positive. I feel my comments were valid and serve as a warning to prospective buyers, but the seller is clearly trying to rectify the problem. Should I accept the offer? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I revise eBay feedback? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT
Your biggest financial fear
Money has always been top of many people's worry lists, and even more so in recent years. So whether it's credit card debt, not having enough savings for when you retire or just the day-to-day struggle to live, we want to know what you fear the most when it comes to your finances. Share yours/read others': Biggest financial fear Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Aer Lingus Price: Ireland from £19.99 one-way Ends: Sun 30 Mar
Our pick this week is Aer Lingus's offer for flights until Sat 31 May to five Irish destinations from 15 UK airports. It ends Sun 30 Mar and includes taxes and charges. There's no code to enter, the discount appears automatically. 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 back to top ↑ |
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Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 26, 27 March
Ideal Home Show, Super Theatre, Earl's Court, London, 2pm on 26 March and 5pm & 7pm on 27 March.
Martin will give a MoneySaving talk. | 27 March
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Deals of the Week. | 27 March
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel – school special.
Subscribe to podcast.
| 31 March
This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm.
Subject tbc.
Watch this week's show on beating April's price hikes. | |
MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week
| Discussion of the week So happy - but need your help Thanks to a gift from her parents, forumite lovenstuff can take her family of four on their first holiday abroad for years. Now she needs tips for holidaying on a budget of £1,000. Can you help? Join the So happy - need your help discussion. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Is it right some must sell their homes to pay care home costs? If someone needs to go into a care home, the value of their assets, including their home, is usually used to calculate what they pay. This doesn't apply to couples when one is still living at home.
In England there are plans that only homes worth over £123,000 will be taken into account (currently, it's £23,250). The most anyone needs to pay for care is £75,000 over their lifetime, plus £12,500 per year to cover bed and board. After that, state help kicks in.
Which of these options is CLOSEST to your view? | Poll resultsShould men still pay on a first date?
Most voters think men should still pay the bill on their first date.
- 50% of women think a man should pay.
- 55% of men agree.
13,890 voted. See the full results. |
| Q: If the organisation holding my ISA cash goes bust, is it covered under the £85,000 limit? And will the money remain tax-free? Tim, by email. MSE Eesha's A: ISAs are the same as any other savings accounts when it comes to savings safety protection. All UK-regulated savings are covered by the Government-backed Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for up to £85,000 per person, per institution. If an ISA provider does go bust, your savings retain theirs ISA status.
Very few niche savings products aren’t FSCS-covered and we don't know of any ISAs, but for a full list of which institutions are covered, see our Are Your Savings Safe? guide (where you’ll also find a lot more info). Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Debs' free game of the week: Bottle Capper |
The best selfies of all time That's it for this week, but if you're one of the millions who liked that Oscars selfie, we reckon you'll like this too: Best selfies of all time. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
| Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.
What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. More about MoneySaving Expert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE Who is Martin Lewis? Martin set up and runs MSE, and still writes this email each week (unless it says so). He's an ultra-focused money-saving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own ITV prime-time The Martin Lewis Money Show, weekly slots on Radio 5 Live, This Morning and Daybreak, amongst others. He’s a columnist for publications including the Telegraph and Woman magazine. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography What do the links with a * mean? Any links with a * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See how this site is financed. 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 first-utility.com, edfenergy.com, npower.com, uswitch.com, moneysupermarket.com, energyhelpline.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, zopa.com, ratesetter.com, virginmoney.com, theaa.com, nationwide.co.uk, santander-products.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, gocompare.com, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, fairfx.com, confused.com, capitalone.co.uk, halifax.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, bt.com.
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