| MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter '£670 cheque from my energy firm for one call' 10 ways to make your gas & elec provider PAY YOU - now's the time I know it's nearly summer, so energy bills are the last thing on many minds. But now's the time to take on your energy firm. As the saying goes: fix the roof while the sun shines - energy call centres are less busy, so it's easier to sort things, and with prices stable, comparisons are fairer. So to arms... 1. | Last chance: Up to £700 free insulation AND £50 Argos/J Lewis vch. To avoid fines (for missing its eco targets) British Gas is giving & installing free loft and/or cavity wall insulation to ANYONE - not just its own customers - with a suitable, uninsulated home (not in Northern Ireland). The Energy Saving Trust estimates the cost of getting both fitted is up to £700, and the efficiency savings up to £290/year. So it's a no-brainer. Plus via our links here (not direct), it'll give you a free £50 Compliments gift card (spendable in John Lewis, Argos, Topshop, D'hams, Mothercare and 90+ more) 60 days after installation. Be quick though, this ENDS SAT (though there's a chance it'll run it again later this year). To apply/ see if you're eligible, use this callback form, or from 8am-8pm weekdays, 8am-4pm Sat, dial freephone 0800 294 9126 (mobile-friendly on 0330 100 3640). Use these specific details, or you won't get the gift card. | | | 2. | Are you one of 3.5m people owed £200 million by your old supplier? If you've switched energy firm in the last six years, your old supplier may've pocketed any credit you were due. You should've got it back, but outrageously many big firms operate a don't ask, don't get policy - so ask. Two months ago, we launched our Reclaim Energy Bill Refunds guide to show how to check if you're owed and get money back. Successes include... "I switched from EDF. It hadn't refunded my £200 credit. After calling it refunded me & paid another £25 for not refunding quick enough." - PST "Phoned Npower, which I switched from in Aug 2012. There was an outstanding credit of £134 which it's sending me a cheque for." - Drakeekard Please do try it, then let us know how you get on.
| | | 3. | Did your energy salesman lie? £100s back. Energy mis-selling was rife for years. E.on's the latest of the big six caught at it and must now give £20 million back. SSE, BG, Npower, EDF and Scottish Power have all been done too, so EVERYONE who got it via a salesperson should check if they've been mis-sold to. We've a full mis-selling checklist and refund help, incl... - Did it under-estimate your usage or exaggerate savings? - Were you switched without giving specific permission? - Did it sell itself by promising a 'cheaper direct debit', not rate? - Did it not tell you how much you'd pay? As one MoneySaver says: "Just gave E.on a call. After going through the details, it's sending me £672 & a letter of apology. Thanks MSE." | | | 4. | Energy price war: cheapest fix this year. Some can save £190+/yr. This is a cracking time to compare, far better than winter, for three reasons... (i) There's a fixes price war - the small firms keep undercutting each other. (ii) No big six price hikes are due, so there's a level playing field to compare. (iii) Unusually, cheap fixes undercut the cheapest normal tariffs, so you get price certainty without paying a premium.
What is a fix? It's where you lock in on a set rate for gas and electricity (as opposed to variable tariffs where rates can rise). Savings can be huge.
TOP PICK FIXES INCLUDE - varies by region (typical use) Full top fix comparison to find YOUR actual price | | Fixed till | Early exit fee | Cost/yr | Costly standard tariff (1) | - | - | £1,300 | Avg standard tariff (2) | - | - | £1,180 | New: First Utility* - cheapest short fix | 31 Aug 2015 | £60 | £990 | Flow - cheapest no-exit fee fix (new provider, limited feedback) | 31 Aug 2015 | None | £1,010 | EDF* - no-exit fee fix | 31 Aug 2015 | None | £1,050 | EDF Blue +* - cheapest long fix | 31 Jul 2017 | None | £1,210 | Source: MoneySupermarket. All monthly direct debit, dual fuel, unless stated. (1) Npower, non-direct debit. (2) Across the big six. | - ALWAYS compare: Your exact winner depends on usage & location. Our free Cheap Energy Club's Top Fixes Comparison shows YOUR prices. - 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 so you can leave if other prices drop. But if a short fix with exit fees is so cheap savings easily cover the penalty (as above), it's not an issue. - Moving house? You can usually take a fix with you. Most fixes (incl those above) are portable, so if you move house you can take them with you. For full info on switching, incl cashback options, see Cheap Gas & Elec. | | | 5. | Can't afford to pay the bill? If you're seriously behind, help's available to haul yourself out of debt. Act now, so you're in shape for higher winter bills.
- Cash to help pay utility arrears. BG, EDF and Npower have trusts that offer £100s to cover arrears & repairs of energy-guzzling items. With BG, you DON’T need to be a customer to apply, with EDF and Npower you do. Full help and how to apply: Energy Grants.
- Free help and advice. Homeheat, a not-for-profit helpline (0800 33 66 99) gives advice on grants, benefits, reduced tariffs & special payment options. - £140/yr rebate for those on certain benefits. The Warm Home Discount is given automatically to those in the core eligibility group (those getting pension credit). But others can apply for it too. See Energy Grants for how. | | | 6. | Get your boiler fixed now (possibly free) while it's warm-ish. If your boiler won't last the winter, get it repaired/replaced now while you can cope with no heat or hot water for a day or so. Plus as demand's low, you may find appointments easier to get & even be able to haggle on the price.
Some can also get a new boiler worth £2,300 for FREE. If you get tax credits, your income's less than £15,860, or you're on certain income-based benefits, you've a good chance of qualifying. Full help in Free Boilers. | | | 7. | Cut your boiler cover cost too. While talking boilers, worth checking if you're overpaying for boiler cover. You needn't opt for your energy provider's policy. Many can make big savings, down to possibly £5/mth. Our Cheap Boiler Cover guide has full help, but as a quick taster... a) If you rent, your landlord should be responsible for the boiler. Check. b) Decide if you want boiler-only, or central heating cover too. Compare via uSwitch* and add Energyhelpline* & MoneySupermarket* if time. c) Add in Swinton, Home Energy Services and Direct Line* that they miss. | | | 8. | Urgent: Green Deal cashback ending, eg, £650 back on double-glazing. The Green Deal's a Govt loan system letting you pay for energy-efficiency measures (eg, boiler upgrades and insulation) from energy bill 'savings'. While it's a good concept, it's been poorly executed. To help turn that around, the Govt offered £125m cashback to early adopters. That's ending though, to get it you'll need to have agreed a plan with a Green Deal provider by 30 June, so you'll need to sort it very quickly.
A new 'home improvement fund' scheme replaces cashback. Fewer efficiency measures will be eligible for it, but it can pay more if they are. Yet apply now and you can access BOTH schemes and choose then, depending which gives more. Full help: Green Deal Mythbuster | | | 9. | Building up a little credit's good. Too much and you want cash back. Monthly direct debit is the cheapest way to pay, saving many £70-£90/year. Yet it just estimates your annual usage and divides by 12. So after high-use winter months, you'll likely be in a little debt, after summer a little credit. Ensure you do regular meter readings to keep it accurate. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn't be more than one month's bills in credit. If you are, talk to the energy firm about refunding it, and lowering the direct debit. Full info in our Ensure You've A Fair Energy Direct Debit guide.
| | | 10. | Don't stand for unfair treatment - go to the Ombudsman. If your energy firm's treating you unfairly and doing nowt about it, you're not powerless. Once you've complained to the firm, go to the Energy Ombudsman. And now's a great time, as demand for it is likely to be lower. It will independently and impartially adjudicate complaints about billing, transfers, service and sales issues and can make providers compensate you. | | Stop Press: Npower's slapping ex-customers with huge bills. Read our Npower warning. |
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Wed 28 May 2014 |
New. Free printed MSE buy-to-let mortgage help booklet Impartial help to find if property investing's right for you, and if it is, finding the right place and best mortgage Buying a home to live in is one thing. Yet buying a property as an investment adds far more variables. Worse, buy-to-let mortgages are unregulated, so you need to understand exactly what you're doing before taking the plunge. To help we're launching the free impartial MSE Buy-To-Let Mortgage Booklet with pros, cons and tips to find the best deal... back to top ↑ |
50% off Sky TV newbies code + price cut. MSE Blagged. 7,000 newbies' codes (anyone who's not had Sky in 12mths). Grab now. Use Fri - Tue. Plus Sky's cutting newbies' TV & b'band bundle prices from Fri, so it's a double whammy. Sky 50% Codes Rare 10% off national railcards code - couples', families', seniors' & 16-25s' cards. We've never seen ALL big £30 national cards discounted together before. Get at least 1/3 off journeys for £27/year. Full info in Railcard Deals. New LOWEST-fee 0% balance transfers. Shift debts to new cards to cut interest. New lowest fee: Sainsbury's 12mths 0% (0.5% fee)* New low fee, but longer: The Post Office's 18mths 0% (0.7% fee)* card Need longer? Lloyds is 24mths 0% (1.5% fee)* or the longest's Barclaycard 32mths 0% (2.99% fee)*. Clear them or shift again before the 0% ends or they jump to 18.9%, 17.8%, 17.9% & 18.9% rep APR. Free Eligibility Check. See Best Balance Transfers (APR Examples). Virgin Wines 12 btls £58 (full price £122). MSE Blagged. Virgin Wines virgins only. Virgin Wines. Pls be Drinkaware. |
Insider MOT tricks: 50% off code OR secret 'no repairs' centres Faultless car? Slash the cost of your MOT. Not sure? Use secret test centres so repair costs don't cripple you MOT test costs aren't the big worry, it's the £100s or £1,000s cost of repairs. Over 40% of cars fail. Of course, repairs for safety are needed, but you could be fleeced if they aren't. Our full Cheap MOTs guide explains all. To rev you up... - 1 in 5 fail due to lights not working - walk round your car first. A scary number have obvious fails, such as broken windscreen wipers or tyre checks. So use our DIY Pre-MOT Checklist to walk around your car beforehand and fix things easily first.
- Got a mint motor that's unlikely to fail? 50% off test code. If it's unlikely to fail, go for the cheapest test. Check your local test centre cost against these discount deals:
- 25% off ATS Euromaster test centres (so £26.25): Use our blagged code 2625MOT by 3 Jun for a test by 30 Jun at ATS Euromaster* and get an MOT for £26.25 (normally £35) at one of its 140 test centres (three are excluded). Full info, see ATS Euromaster Deal. - 50% off Halfords (so £27.42): Book online via this Halfords link* by 10 Jun for an MOT at any of its 298 test centres and pay £27.42 (normally £54.85). For full info and to find your nearest, see Halfords Deals. - Use hidden 'no repairs' council MOT centres to minimise fails. If your car's on the cusp of needing repairs, and you're unhappy with your current test centre (and think it's maybe over-zealous in fault-spotting to boost its repair business), council-run MOT centres are set up for buses/ambulances but are also open to the public.
The key is they generally don't do repairs, so there's no vested interest to fail you, if they do it's for safety. We've had loads of positive feedback, eg, "During a pre-MOT, my local garage said my car would fail, costing me £400. I booked it into my nearest council MOT centre and it tested my car and passed it." See our list of 90+ UK Council MOT Centres. Of course if you know your car will fail large, use a centre that does cheap & reliable repairs. back to top ↑ |
Buy Zara clothes at a fraction of the price, get a flight thrown in. More info in Martin's Zara blog. Hi-Tec trainers 60% off code. MSE Blagged. Limited styles, decent stock. Men's/women's/kids' £12-£16. Hi-Tec Burt's Bees grab bags £25/each (with £55 of stuff). 2 combos avail - 1,000 of each. Plus £3.95 p&p. Burt's Bees |
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Wed only. Dr Martens 20% off code. MSE Blagged. Via web shoe retailer Spartoo, which stocks 150 styles. Spartoo Pizza Hut Delivery 2for1 pizza code (must buy a side) Ends Sun. PLUS Domino's £5 off £20 till Sat. Pizza Deals |
Beat credit rejection and shift debts to 18mths 0% A credit card price war means even those with a lower credit score can now get up to 18mths 0% to cut debt costs Perversely, those most needing cheap credit are least likely to get it. Yet a price war means more cards accepting a bad credit history, rescuing many stuck with costly debts - as the lower interest means more of your actual debt is cleared... - Up to 18mths 0% balance transfers for poor credit scorers. A balance transfer is where you get a new card that repays debts on other cards, so you owe it instead but at a cheaper rate. Which card works for you depends on why your credit is poor.
- On high rate as you've a limited history? If you've little past credit info, high APRs are likely as lenders can't predict behaviour. Barclaycard's* 'second stepper' is for those stuck on high-rate cards because of this. It lets accepted new cardholders shift debts to it for 18mths 0% for a one-off fee of 2.9% of the amount transferred, then it's 24.9% rep APR after. - Had past CCJs or defaults? As long as they're 1+ yrs old, the Capital One Balance* card may accept you. It lets you shift debts to it at 0% till Dec for a one-off fee of 3%. After that, it's a HUGE 34.9% rep APR so try to clear it by then, or if not and your existing cards have a lower APR, shift the debt back to them. - Important. Check if you can get better deals first. Much longer (up to 32mths) 0% balance transfers are available. The only way to know if you're eligible is to apply, but frustratingly too many applications hit your credit score. So we've built a Free Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker which shows your acceptance odds for each card (incl the two above) before applying - so you can hone and minimise applications.
- The balance transfer golden rules. a) Repay at least the set monthly minimum, or you may lose the 0%. b) Aim to clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends, or rates rocket. c) Don't spend on these, it isn't usually at the cheap rate. d) FULL info & FAQs in Best Balance Transfers or see APR Examples.
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Show Best Buys 3 audiobooks £6, incl Game of Thrones & The Fault in Our Stars. MSE Blagged. This is a 3-mth Audible newbies' trial at £2/mth. It's £8/mth after that, but you can cancel after the 3 months and keep the books. Audible Deals Laura Ashley 30% off almost everything. Online & in-store incl fashion, homeware, furniture. Laura Ashley Ends 10am Thurs: M&S Outlet EXTRA 25% off code. MSE Blagged. Use on items already up to 50% off. M&S |
Kids off school this summer? Act NOW to cut childcare costs Whether they're a cute 2 or hairy 15, act now. From summer clubs to stay-away camp, help may be available Don't assume childcare help's only for babies in swaddling cloth. If your kids will be off school and you need to shell out to get them looked after, funds may be available. Yet apply quickly, places for these things are often limited. Quick tips... - Step 1: Check out free/subsidised summer clubs. Some schools, community centres and youth groups offer clubs, eg, motor quads or archery. See Summer School info.
- Step 2: Are you entitled to childcare tax credits? If you pay for childcare, whether year-round or just for summer (eg, summer clubs, nursery or childminders), if it's Ofsted-registered you may be entitled to up to 70% back in the form of tax credits - which are just payments to your bank account. Some people get £1,000s annually.
Who should check? Anyone who works 16+hrs/week (if a couple, both of you must) and has a household income under £41,000. We're not saying you'll definitely get it, just you should definitely check - see Childcare Tax Credits. - Step 3: Can you get childcare vouchers? If tax credits aren't for you, see if your employer offers this Govt scheme. It lets you pay for childcare from PRE-tax earnings, eg, you swap £1,000 of salary (worth only £700 in your pocket) for £1,000 of vouchers. First check your child carer accepts them. Full help in Childcare Vouchers.
- Three weeks away for 15-17yr-olds for £50. The National Citizen Service in England and Northern Ireland has 3-wk courses (with 2 weeks away) for 15-17 year-olds with costs capped at £50 (some go free).
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Sainsbury's 10p/L off fuel with £60 spend. Starts Thu. Joins mega-popular Tesco up to 20p/L off. Cheap Petrol CODES: Urban Outfitters 25% off, The Body Shop 40% off 4 items, The Works 30%... Body Shop 40% off 4 items | The Works 30% | Urban Outfitters 25% | Am Apparel 25% in mag | Discount Vouchers Show Best Buys |
Show Vouchers and Top Deals |
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CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Teachers: Are you taking part in My Money Week? Finance education charity Pfeg's My Money Week runs from 9-15 June. It's created new videos, lesson plans and activities to help primary and secondary schools and teachers get their students involved throughout the week. Find them on the My Money Week website, plus see MSE's Financial Education info. MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Cashier used her loyalty card on my shop. Should I report her? I was out shopping and noticed when I got home that a loyalty card had been swiped. I had forgotten to bring out, so it must have been the cashier who served me. Is it right for her to profit from my shopping? Should I report her? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Cashier used my loyalty card | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT What are your MoneySaving hairdressing tips? Our poll found a third of women pay between £26 and £50 a time to care for their locks. Most men get away with paying less than £10, but how can both genders save money on looking after their hair? From cutting at home to using trainee hairdressers, we'd love MoneySavers' tips. Share yours/read others': Hairdressing MoneySaving Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT Airline: Monarch Offer: Up to £10 off code. Flights from Manc or East Midlands Ends: Thu 29 May Our pick this week is Monarch's* up to £10 off code per person for flights from Manchester or East Midlands. The sale's on till Thu 29 May, it includes taxes & most charges but excludes credit card fees. It's for flights until 31 Oct 2014 to selected European destinations. Get the discount for your flight and your unique code here*, then enter the code at the checkout. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see Budget Airline Fee Fighting. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED Your MoneySaving tips for getting married Tips to save cash on your big day include getting a bargain ring, ditching a DJ for your own playlist and having a barbecue instead of a big meal. If these aren't enough for you, check our guide for 50 Cheap Wedding Tips. back to top ↑ |
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Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 29 May Good Morning Britain, ITV, 7.30am-7.45am. Deals of the week. | 29 May Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm. Consumer Panel. Subscribe to podcast. | 2 June This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm. Subject tbc. Watch this week's slot on How to slash train fares. | |
MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week.
| Discussion of the week Struggling to manage my time Juggling two jobs and a busy home life is proving a challenge for one forumite. Join the Struggling to manage my time discussion and offer your hints on balancing domestic jobs, work and family. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Euro elections 34% turnout - why didn't you vote? Voting is one of the most important choices we make as consumers. Yet even though last week's Euro elections were the most hotly-contested for years, only just over 1 in 3 people eligible to vote did so. So we want to know if you did vote - and if not, why not?
Please select the answer which is CLOSEST to your situation. | Poll results Would you vote for a £14.66 minimum wage? Just 12% of voters back a Swiss idea to pay a minimum wage of £14.66/hour. But in general, most think the current UK minimum wage of £6.31/hour isn't enough. - 85% want to see it over £6.31/hour. - 35% want to see it at £7.65/hour (UK living wage). - 22% back £8.80/hour (London living wage). - 7% want the minimum wage scrapped altogether. 19,080 voted. See the full results.
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Q: I'm having a clearout as I've got bank statements, utility bills, insurance renewal notices and tax correspondence going back for up to 20 years. How soon is it safe to shred them? Sonya, by email. MSE Liane's A: The rule for businesses is six years. For individuals there's no specific rule. However, either way, if you were under inquiry, HMRC could ask you to go back further, so it's a tough call. HMRC does say tax documents showing employment or savings income from 2013/14 should be kept until 31 Jan 2016 in case of under/overpayments, but you're way past that. However, we have our own tip. Banks are only required to keep your info for six years. So if you were mis-sold before that, proving it is tough. But if you've your own records, then it's much easier. We've had some who've got PPI reclaims back from the early '90s because they kept records - see Martin's blog: Don't throw bank statements away after six years. So the choice is yours. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
Charlotte's free game of the week: 60 Seconds to Save The Queen |
Are you a morning lark or an evening owl? That's it for this week, but before you go, would you say you're more of a morning or evening person? Take this quick quiz to find out how your internal body clock impacts your daily life. 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 9 million people getting this email and nearly 13m 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, uswitch.com, energyhelpline.com, moneysupermarket.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, barclaycard.co.uk, atseuromaster.co.uk, halfordsautocentres.com, barclaycard.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, paybyfinance.co.uk, cbonline.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, firstdirect.com, santander-products.co.uk, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, aviva.co.uk, talktalk.co.uk, monarch.co.uk. 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. To change your E-mail or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips |