Important Energy News, Adidas trainers £14, cut mobile bill with a text, 3x FREE cash ending?, Pixel 8 £20/mth

Plus... 5.8% kids' savings, £125 beauty box £45, 'free' childcare reminder, top overseas card

                                                           

26 March 2024 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin: Energy bills FALL 12% on Mon - here are my 9 need-to-knows, incl: - Calculate what you'll pay from April - FIX at 18% under current Price Cap - Price Cap predictions for 2024 New. FIVE banks now paying switchers £100s - but go quick Top children's savings 5.8% Martin: A simple text that could slash your mobile bill by £100s Google Pixel 8 £20/mth + £100 voucher Extra 15% off 'secret' Office shoe outlet, eg, £14 Adidas trainers 'I saved £1,100 on young drivers' car insurance thanks to your tool' How to get FREE food & drink Ends Wed. £20 cashback with top overseas spending card Martin: 5 things EVERYONE should know about 2024/25 student finance Kärcher 20% off EVERYTHING code Martin's pod: Car finance next steps, uniform tax, inflation & more Listen to Martin on the High Performance Podcast £125 Boots beauty box £45 Ikea £10 off £100 Stock up on stamps before prices rise Hot Diamonds 40% off EVERYTHING Urgent. Apply for 'free' childcare by Sun Passport price hikes coming 11 April Urgent. Electric vehicle owner? Check if you can get FREE tax for another year FREE Ideal Home Show Scotland tix This week's best buys, including 5.23% savings, 5.9% loan, 3GB Sim '£3.20'/mth How should my wife deal with sharing meal costs at her new job? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club, with Pick Me A Tariff Best Sim-only deals

Martin: It's Meter Reading Week On Monday, energy bills FALL an avg 12% (prepay even more). Plus the CHEAPEST FIX may end soon My 9 Energy Price Cap change need-knows On Easter Monday, 1 April, the new April to June Energy Price Cap kicks in, falling on average by 12% - an improvement, though energy is still hideously costly. This Price Cap dictates the rates most people pay for energy, as it sets the max firms in Eng, Scot & Wales can charge for their standard tariffs (and almost all charge the max, natch) - which c. 90% of homes are on (pretty much everyone not on a fix or EV tariff). In simple terms, it means on average for every £100 you currently pay, you'll pay £88 from Monday. Yet the fact prices are dropping doesn't mean you should sit on your heels, there are Cheaper switches & fixes worth looking at too. So let me take you through everything you need know to protect your pocket. 1. Pay by monthly Direct Debit? It's Meter Reading Week. If you've a WORKING smart meter, you don't need to do anything. If not, try to give an up-to-date meter reading within a few days either side of the rate change to reduce the risk your supplier estimates you've used more at the current higher rate than you have. For extra peace of mind, email yourself a time-stamped pic of the meter. See our firm-by-firm when to do a reading. It's also a key moment to use our 'Is your Direct Debit right?' calc. If it's out of kilter, ask 'em why and read how to challenge unfair Direct Debits. 2. The 12% fall is an average, it can vary wildly depending on location and usage. See your change with our quick calc. Regulator Ofgem's Price Cap sets regional limits for the standing charge and unit rates firms can levy depending on payment method (eg, Direct Debit, pay in receipt of bills and prepay). UK average 1 April Direct Debit Price Cap (see region-by-region rates) Standing charge Unit rate Electricity UP to 60.1p/day  (now 53.4p) DOWN to 24.5p/kWh  (now 28.6p) Gas UP to 31.4p/day  (now 29.6p) DOWN to 6.0p/kWh  (now 7.4p) I can hear thousands of you gnashing teeth at the standing charge increase to 91.5p/day just for the facility of gas & electricity (see why standing charges are rising). I've long campaigned against the moral hazard of this energy 'poll tax', as lower users see relatively less gain from cutting use. Though as unit rates are the majority of each bill in all normal circumstances, barring mostly empty homes, you'll STILL PAY LESS OVERALL from April. Yet the standing charge rise means higher users, especially with gas, save a higher percentage than lower users. After much lobbying, I'm glad Ofgem is finally reviewing the standing charge. 3. Prepay will now be the cheapest way to pay. Prepay standing charges will be lowered on 1 April to equalise them with Direct Debit, and as prepay unit rates are cheaper, that means overall for a typical user from April, prepay will undercut Direct Debit by about 3% - a staggering turnaround for what was the rip-off cost many vulnerable people were forced to pay. So if you stick on the Cap, moving to prepayment will see a saving. Yet a word of caution... if and when proper competition returns, there are rarely prepay deals. The best offers are dominated by Direct Debit deals, so I suspect Direct Debit will stay overall cheapest for switchers. PS: Got a non-smart elec prepay meter? If so, the price change tends to happen at top-up. So aim to run what you have now down to near-empty before 1 Apr, then top up as soon as you can from Monday, even with just £1, as that triggers you being charged the lower rate. Full info in prepay top-up trick. 4. Time to stick, switch or FIX: Today's TOP DEALS. Our regularly-updated Should I fix energy? guide takes you through the decent available tariffs for Eng, Scot & Wales (not N. Ireland, it's on a different system). Current highlights include... Cheapest FIX: Lock in for a year at 18% under current Price Cap (6% under April's) - may end soon. Last week, the new EDF Essentials 1yr April 25 fix launched for switchers & existing EDF Direct Debit customers (who have/will get smart meters). It's by far the market's cheapest standalone fix, averaging 18% less than the current Cap, and has relatively low £50/fuel early-exit fees. This hits our 'it's worth fixing' level, as it matches how much it's predicted you'd pay (see below) if you stick on the Price Cap over the next year, yet the big benefit is PRICE CERTAINTY. STOP PRESS: We hope to reopen our Cheap Energy Club comparison by 4.30pm tomorrow (Wed), so you can compare this & other tariffs & get £20 switchers' cashback. Having learnt the EDF fix seems to be being withdrawn from comparison sites if you're not a member of 'em (poss indication it won't be around long), I asked the team to reopen CEC, at speed.  Then, to their 'delight', I designed huge changes so you can uniquely compare tariffs against Price Cap predictions. Hopefully we'll be done by the planned 'go live' time. If so, as we always did, we'll give you a cut of any switch revenue as £20 cashback. Note: Due to the rush, for now the comparison's optimised ONLY for dual-fuel price-capped tariffs, others, eg, those on fixes, can switch, but some explanations won't be right. If not and you want to just get the tariff, or do it earlier, go direct to EDF. The next cheapest standalone fixes are Ovo at 15% less than current Price Cap; then British Gas, E.on and Outfox the Market at 14% less. See our full top fixes guide for info, and they'll be in CEC once it is live. Sticking on the Price Cap - get it 3% cheaper. The E.on Next Pledge is open to switchers & existing E.on customers who pay by Direct Debit. It promises to remain roughly 3% below the Price Cap for a year (so £50/yr cheaper at typical use), so as the Cap drops 12% in April, so will this tariff. Therefore, if you're going to stick on the Price Cap, it's a no-brainer to move to this cheaper version (as long as you're happy with E.on, and have or are willing to get smart meters). It has £25/fuel early-exit penalties. Octopus smart tariffs: Octopus has two innovative tariffs that have been far cheaper than the Price Cap in recent months. They're only for existing customers, but you could always try switching to its standard tariff then switching to one of them... - Tracker (dual-fuel and elec-only): Where the rates change daily based on wholesale costs. - Agile (elec-only): Where the rates change half-hourly, based on wholesale prices. It's been 35% cheaper in the last 3mths. It's especially good for those who can swiftly and fluidly shift their energy usage to the cheap period. These can be real winners, BUT you need to understand that if wholesale prices spike, so will what you pay. Electric vehicle owners: There are a few special tariffs for charging EVs at home. See which EV tariffs are worth it. 5. What's predicted to happen to the Price Cap? As the graph below shows, after the price falls on Monday (see Energy Price Cap FAQs for full info on how it works), analysts at Cornwall Insight currently predict it'll fall again in July, then rise slightly in October, though if right that'll still be very substantially cheaper than today's cost. To show the cumulative impact, I've used a 'typical use' scale, though don't overly focus on them, it's the percentages that count. Overall, over the next year if the predictions are right (the further out you go though, the more crystal-ball gazing it is, and the more the predictions could change radically), you will pay on average, factoring in seasonal usage patterns, 18% less than you do now (we don't have predictions for Jan 2025, so assume them the same as Oct 2024). 6. Energy firms have over £3.7 BILLION of our Direct Debit (DD) cash - check & get excess credit back. At this point in the Direct Debit cycle, you should be close to having run down your excess credit, so my rule of thumb is over a month's worth of DDs in credit is too much. If that's you, first ensure you've done an up-to-date meter reading, then use our Direct Debit Calc to check yours isn't set too low. If it's fine, politely ask for any excess credit back. Plus, if your DD is set over 10% too high (factoring in the price rise & wriggle room), ask them to lower it too. See full how to get energy credit back for info. For a few it can be big money, as Debbie emailed us to say: "After giving EDF meter readings, it was confirmed this morning that I am £3,831.91 IN CREDIT! Which is being repaid to me." 7. Are you due FREE insulation? If you're in council tax bands A to D (& E in Scot & Wales) and your home's energy performance certificate rating is D or below, you may now be eligible for free insulation under the Govt's expanded scheme - our Free insulation guide has full details. In Northern Ireland? See NI energy grants. Victoria contacted us on Twitter with her success: "Thanks to @MartinSLewis and the MoneySavingExpert newsletter, I've just had the loft in my Victorian terrace insulated 100% free under the Great British Insulation Scheme. They also fitted 3 new extractor fans too! Here's to a slightly warmer winter!" 8. Can you cut your bills by cutting your energy usage? Obviously, cutting use cuts bills - and hopefully there are cuts you can make to improve efficiency that don't impact lifestyle too much. - Start with Energy saving tips. - Add in the Energy mythbusting guide for less clear-cut issues. - Really struggling? See our Heat the human not the home guide (though thankfully the summer warmth helps right now). 9. What to do if you're struggling to pay. If you're struggling, it's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable. There can be hardship & debt grants from energy suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide.

 

 

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

 

 

 

This is the moment to GET PAID to switch bank, before it all changes. - Ending. Three free cash switch deals incl TOP PAYER - New. Top service bank First Direct will restart paying £175 FREE CASH (& a 0% overdraft, 7% savings) What a difference a week makes. We told you last week that four banks now offered free cash switching deals, a big turnaround from none a few weeks earlier. Yet no apologies for doing it again, as it's all change, and this is likely the week you've the maximum choice of where to go. Switching's usually quick and easy. You need to go via the bank's 7-working-day switch service, which closes your old account and auto-moves your balance, standing orders & Direct Debits. Once done, any payments to your old account are auto-forwarded. You'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. Full info in Best bank accounts, but in brief... 7 days left. NatWest / RBS FREE £200 cash: Plus up to £36/yr cashback & 6.17% regular savings. Switch to either of sister banks NatWest* or RBS* Reward accounts by Tue 2 Apr to get the free cash. With these, you pay a £2/mth fee and get £5/mth cashback provided you use the app each month and have two £2+ Direct Debits going out. You can also put £150/mth into a linked one-year 6.17% variable regular saver - max that out for £61 interest.  - How to get it: Switch and pay in £1,250+, keep it there for at least 24hrs and use the app within 60 days. You need to switch to it from a non-NatWest Group bank, and have not had switchers' cash from it since Jan 2020.   New. First Direct FREE £175 cash: TOP service, 0% overdraft & 7% regular saver. First Direct's been near top in every service poll we've ever done (currently 91% 'great' rating). Switch to its 1st Account* and you'll now get £175 in free cash. Most also get a £250 overdraft at 0%, so say you're overdrawn by £425, the free switch cash pays some off, the rest's interest-free. You can also put £300/mth into a linked 1yr 7% regular saver - max that out and that's £136 interest. - How to get it: Switch, including 2+ DDs/standing orders, then within 30 days: pay in a total of £1,000+ (you can withdraw it the next day) and log in to its digital banking service. You need to be new to First Direct, can't have opened an HSBC account after 1 Jan 2018, nor be switching from HSBC Group banks. May end any time. Santander FREE £185 cash: Plus 1% bills cashback & 7% easy-access savings. It launched last week, but we don't think it's a stayer, so sooner's safer. Santander Edge* was a top-pick 'bills account' (good for joint bills too) even before it paid switchers £185. You pay £3/mth, but get two sets of cashback up to a max £10/mth each: a) 1% on bills, eg, council tax, energy, water, telecoms, b) 1% on supermarket, fuel, and train and bus travel spending. This pays £80-£100/yr on typical bills even after the fee.  You also get access to a year's 7% variable savings up to £4,000 - maxed out, that's £280 interest. Bigger bills? Check out Santander Edge Up. - How to get it: You need to pay in a total of £1,500+ in the first 60 days (you can withdraw it immediately), always have £500+/mth going in (equivalent to a salary of £6,000/yr) & set up 2+ Direct Debits. You need to switch to it from a non-Santander Group bank and have never had a Santander switch payment. Ends Thu. Lloyds FREE £175 cash: Plus perks such as Disney+ & 6.25% regular savings. Club Lloyds switchers get £175 & ONE of 12mths' Disney+ with ads, 6 cinema tix, Gourmet Society & Coffee Club membership OR a mag subscription. You can also put £400/mth into a linked 1yr fixed 6.25% regular saver - max it out for £161 interest. - How to get it: Pay in £2,000/mth (equivalent to a salary of about £29,000/yr) or there's a £3/mth fee. The account you switch must have 2+ Direct Debits. You can't have had switch cash from it since Apr 2020. One more... HSBC. There's also the HSBC Advance account that pays switchers £100 and gives £10/mth cashback for a year, but you have to jump through quite a few hoops to get it. Yes, you can repeatedly switch to make £1,000s. It takes work, but follow our make £1,000s by repeatedly switching banks guidance, joining a growing tribe of bank-profiteers like Ophelia, who emailed: "In March 2023, I used my first switch offer. I've since switched each time a bank launched a new offer. In total, I'll have made £1,485." Can switching bank impact your ability to access credit? Switching bank can impact your short-term ability to get credit, both as it's a credit application and, more importantly, as lenders like evidence of stability. It usually isn't a big deal, but if you've an imminent, important credit application due (eg, a mortgage within the next six months), it's probably best holding off until after. More in how switching banks impacts your credit. PS: Don't have a Chase debit card? You can get it without switching for 1% cashback (max £15/mth) on almost all spending.

 

Martin: A simple text that could slash your mobile bill. Martin's new 2-min watch to cut mobile bills by £100s video. Google Pixel 8 £20/mth and get £100 voucher. Newbies to iD Mobile (uses Three's signal) can get the latest Pixel 8 AI (128GB) with whopping 500GB/mth data if you pay £49 upfront then £19.99/mth over 2yrs (so £529 total), and you get an automatic £100 Currys voucher. Google sells just the handset for £25/mth (£600) over same period. Want different handset or Sim-only? See Cheap Mobile Finder. Extra 15% off 'secret' Office shoe outlet, eg, £14 Adidas trainers (were £85). MSE Blagged. The high-street chain flogs slightly scuffed, hugely discounted shoes at its online outlet & we've an extra 15% off (stock's limited). 'Secret' outlet 'I saved £1,100 on young drivers' car insurance thanks to your guide & tool.' Our success of the week comes from Tracey, who said: "A massive 'thank you' for your Car Insurance Compare+ tool. Quotes for my 17-year-old son were ~£3,500 for a standard Fiesta. One company quoted over £12,000! I went on to your website, came across your young drivers guide, followed your tips & tricks, and found a quote for £2,400. I'm so relieved - it's still scary, but it's 'manageable scary'." If we've helped you save (on this, or owt else), send us your successes. Get a day's worth of FREE food & drink, incl Warburtons crumpets, Greggs hot drinks & more. See how MSE Georgia-May did it in her how to eat & drink for free blog. Ends Wed 11.59pm. Get £20 cashback when you spend just 1p on a top overseas spending card. Halifax Clarity is a top-pick credit card, as spend abroad and you get the same near-perfect exchange rates the bank does, smashing bureaux de change. Apply now and it gives £20 cashback when you first spend even 1p on it (must be within 90 days of acceptance). Do pay it off IN FULL every month to minimise interest (you'll pay interest on cash withdrawals even if you do, so better to use it to spend than withdraw cash). Full info/alternatives in Top travel cards. Martin: Five things EVERYONE should know about student finance in 2024/25. As the window to apply for student loans opens, read Martin's English student finance blog 2024/25. Kärcher 20% off EVERYTHING code, incl sale items, eg, Window Vac £44. MSE Blagged. See Kärcher code. Martin's pod: Car finance reclaims - what next? Firm-by-firm | Tax back if you wear uniform | Starting savings rate | What 3.4% inflation really means & more. All in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you like to get your Martin fix.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Extra 15% off Office outlet Ends Sun - 20% off all Kärcher home and garden products Ends Thu - 40% off everything at Hot Diamonds Ends 2 Apr	DID YOU MISS? - Mis-sold car finance? 1.2m complaints now sent via our tool - Updated 2024/25 what'll your take-home pay be calculator - Are you due a share of £141m in overpaid council tax? - Spring 'up to' sales: Boots 70%, New Look 70%, Next 50% - Tesco 50% off toys, incl Barbie, Paw Patrol, Hot Wheels & more

 

 

Top children's savings 5.8%: Big rates for ickle people And urgent - 16/17-year-olds consider putting £1 in a cash ISA NOW... to get it open as the rules change in just 10 DAYS Children's accounts are not immune to the tricks financial institutions play, and many children are earning pants rates of interest. So if your children have savings, check now what they pay (better still, if they're old enough to understand, do it with them, it's a great lesson, and use the free financial ed textbook to teach them more). And it's never been as important to check as right now, as there's an urgent deadline... Top children's savings: 5.8% if you save regularly. Saffron BS saver (ages 0-17) pays 5.8% AER variable and lets you put up to £100/mth in it (unlimited withdrawals), but you can only apply by post or in branch. For online opening, Halifax (ages 0-15) pays 5.5% AER variable for a year on up to £100/mth (no withdrawals). Top easy-access children's savings for lump sums: 5%. Here you can put in & withdraw when you want... - Nationwide's FlexOne Saver (ages 11-17) pays 5% AER variable on up to £5,000. - HSBC's MySavings (ages 7-17) also pays 5% AER variable on up to £3,000. - Yorkshire Building Society (ages 0-21) pays 4.55% AER variable on up to £1m. It's a myth that children needn't pay tax (but it's different if parents give 'em cash) Children are mostly taxed just like adults, so just like adults they can earn £12,570/yr tax-free (or £18,570/yr tax-free if it's all savings interest). Yet of course more don't earn enough to pay tax. Where it differs for under-18s is on money given to them from parents/step-parents (not grandparents or others). If they earn £100+/yr interest from a parent's money, all of it is taxable just as if it was the parent's (to stop parents stashing cash in their child's name). Many parents won't pay tax on their savings anyway due to their personal savings allowance, but for those that do, that's where tax-free savings (ISAs/junior ISAs) come into their own, as all the child's interest there is always tax-free, even if given by a parent. 10-day warning. 16/17-year-olds consider putting £1+ in a cash ISA NOW... From 6 April, the min age to get a cash ISA rises from 16 to 18 - though in reality many ISAs are already only open to over 18s. An exception is Virgin Money (5.01% AER variable). So it's worth adding £1 now, as once open you'll still be able to contribute £20,000/yr to it over the next two years. And while pointless for many, just in case you come into big money, so your savings'd be taxed, it keeps the option open, and costs you nothing. See Top cash ISAs for the best buys and the pros and cons of cash ISAs. The top savings for junior ISAs (JISAs) & Child Trust Funds: 4.95%. Check yours - if it pays less, transfer it. JISAs let you save up to £9,000/yr tax-free, so if you need it, use your allowance by 5 April or you lose it. The top payer is Coventry BS's 4.95% AER variable, but can only be opened by post, branch or phone. Or for online, Tesco Bank and NS&I are the top payers here at 4% AER variable. All let you transfer in existing JISAs or Child Trust Funds (JISAs predecessor), so just apply, then ask for the transfer in the application. More help in Top JISAs. Child born 1 Sept 2002 to 2 Jan 2011? They may have £1,000ish saved you don't know about. UK-born children aged 13 to 21ish had a Child Trust Fund (CTF) opened in their name with £250 (£500 for those from low-income families) automatically added to it by the state - locked away until they're 18 (which many now are). Yet 100,000s have lost track and aren't aware of the CTF. If that's you (or your child), see how to reclaim your CTF. If you're now over 18, see our what to do when your CTF matures help.

 

Martin Lewis on the High Performance Podcast - a tough but worthwhile listen. Listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever podcasts go, or watch on YouTube. From Wed. £125 of No7, Elizabeth Arden, Sol de Janeiro & more beauty £45. 13-item set, including mascara, primer & body butter. Boots beauty box From Thu. Ikea £10 off £100. In store with a (free) Family card, plus Amex cardholders could get an extra £10 off £110. Ikea Stock up on stamps before prices rise. You've less than a week left to beat the hikes. Hot Diamonds 40% off EVERYTHING code, eg, £60 ring £18. MSE Blagged. Hot Diamonds Urgent. Got a 2-year-old child? Last chance to apply for 'free' childcare for next term. From 1 April you're eligible for 15hrs/wk of funded childcare (ie, state funds up to a certain amount - you may need to supplement it), but you have to apply by Sun to get it for the summer term - otherwise you'll have to wait till Sept. 'Free' childcare hours Passport price hikes coming 11 April. Full news and help in Can you beat the passport price hike? Urgent. Electric vehicle owner? Check NOW if you can get FREE tax for another year. If you've a zero-emission car, van or motorcycle first registered on or after 1 April 2017, and your 'tax' is due to start on 1 April (or 1 May in some cases), you can delay paying electric vehicle tax till 2026. FREE Ideal Home Show Scotland tix (norm £15ish). 24 to 27 May in Glasgow. Ideal Home Show

 

 

Tell your friends about us They can get this email free every week

 

 

AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 28mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility / apply*) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR interest) Best bank accounts £200 to switch + £3/mth cashback: NatWest Reward £185 to switch + 1% cashback: Santander Edge Top savings accounts Top easy-access: Cynergy Bank 5.1%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Allica Bank 5.23%, min £10,000 Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.3% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility - TSB has asked us to link only to our eligibility calculator), 5.9% rep APR Broadband top picks Fibre (30Mb+): Vodafone '£23.30/mth' Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£21.23/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.45/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£4.50/mth' for 30GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.92/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you save for your children? If so, how do you do it? There are lots of special savings accounts designed just for children, often mirroring what adults can get - including regular savers, easy-access accounts and junior ISAs. So this week, we want to know if you're tucking money away for your little 'uns and, if so, how you go about it. Vote in this week's poll. More than 70% of MoneySavers have had the same current account for 20+ years. Last week, we asked you how long you've been with your bank, and if you've ever switched. Over 15,000 people responded, and almost three-quarters (72%) said they'd been with their bank for 20+ years. Only a third (34%) have switched, with service issues and free cash incentives being the biggest driver. And hats off to the 8% of super-switchers who've made £1,000+ switching banks. See the full poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Energy minister responds to Martin's call to fix 'extraordinary gap' in consumer protections - Ted Baker falls into administration - your shopping and refund rights - Bank of England holds base rate at 5.25% for the fifth time in a row - Help 80,000 vulnerable teens unlock Child Trust Fund cash, MPs urge Government

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA How should my wife deal with sharing meal costs at her new job? My wife started a new job that involves frequent overnight trips. On the first trip, she went out for a meal with her co-workers, most of whom had three courses and shared several bottles of wine. My wife's not a big eater or drinker, and had a starter, main and one beer, which cost £30. When the bill came, the others wanted to split it equally, £43 each. My wife paid it as she didn't want to come across as 'tight', yet meals like this are likely to be frequent, and at this rate she'll be significantly out of pocket. What would you do - say something, or accept paying more to keep in with new colleagues? Enter the Money Moral Maze: How should my wife deal with sharing meal costs at her new job? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

A few Easter competitions... - Win an Easter hamper - Win an Easter baking bundle - Design next year's Aldi Easter egg ... from the MSE Forum comping board - Win an Easter mocha bundle - Win an Easter egg-themed bunting craft kit - Win an enormous chocolate bunny

 

 

MARTIN'S BLOG - Five things everyone should know about English student finance in 2024/25	MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Valencia, vegetables & very big wins

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 26 MAR ONWARDS) Wed 27 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm

 

£15 BUDGIES AND 34p Y PEELERS - WHAT HAVE YOU SPENT THE LEAST ON THAT YOU COULDN'T DO WITHOUT? That's all for this week, but before we go... we recently asked our social followers about things they've spent next to nothing on but couldn't live without, expecting to see some useful low-cost hacks. But we weren't prepared for such a wholesome response - one follower said their budgie only cost £15 and £20/yr to feed but had given them a decade of joy. Another celebrated the fortnightly babysitting help they get from their mum, which "costs nowt but means the world". Many called out their partners, with one saying: "we don't spend a lot on each other, but she makes life so I can't imagine it without her." Awww. At a more practical level, some picked up slow cookers on the cheap, enabling a future of MoneySaving meals, while a 34p Y peeler has lasted years for another MoneySaver. And we couldn't help but blush at those who mentioned MSE - we're touched. Share your cheap can't-do-withouts in our Facebook and Twitter conversations. We hope you save some money, 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 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 MoneySavingExpert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com? Founded in February 2003, it is now the UK's biggest consumer help website, with more than 12 million users each month and about 8.5 million receiving this email. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple - saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full-time staff, more than a third 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 Lewis CBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography. What do the links with an * mean? Any links with an * 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 products at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to them. 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 firstdirect.com, santander.co.uk, natwest.com, barclaycard.co.uk, rbs.co.uk Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). MoneySavingExpert.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 8021764. Registered office: One Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.