Energy bills to FALL 7%; 0% debt shift till 2029; Premium Bonds rate cut; Sky, Netflix, Disney, HBO & Discovery £20/mth; free £400

Plus... Free Ideal Home tix; marriage tax break; £205 beauty £60; smart meter compensation

                                                           

24 February 2026 | View in browser

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

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Longest 0% balance transfer since 2018! - Top debt shift cards, eg 38mths 0% - Top cards for poorer credit scorers - Martin: How to balance transfer - In debt crisis? Get free help NOW Energy bills to FALL 7%, fix to save more Married? You could lose £260 tax break FREE Ideal Home Show tix + see Martin New. Sky, Netflix, Disney, HBO, Discovery+ £20/mth 25% off railcards code Premium Bonds cut vs top 4.5% savings The Martin Lewis Charity Fund 2026 New. FREE £400 bank switch is back Ends Fri. FREE £225 £60 for £205 of Fenty & more beauty 'I'm saving £170/yr on home insurance, with £20k extra cover' TWO branded prescription specs £25 Smart meter £40 compensation Sky to hike b'band, TV & phone costs It's our birthday! 40+ birthday FREEBIES On a low income with a severe health condition/disability? Warning. We're NOT cold callers! £30 cashback when you spend £5+ Help us get to 200k WhatsApp followers This week's best buys: 50GB Sim £4/mth, 5.6% loan, 152Mb fibre £19/mth Money Moral Dilemma: I put mum's cash into Premium Bonds - who gets prizes? 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 Best Sim-only deals

Credit card price war... The longest 0% balance transfer since 2018! Shift existing debt to interest-free for up to 38mths (ie April 2029) or 20mths for poorer credit scorers If you can't afford to clear your card debt, you can't afford not to check this out! The Bank of England cut its base rate in December, and with another one predicted next month, this is filtering through to the credit card balance transfer market. In the last week alone, we've seen the new top balance transfer cards both cut their balance transfer fees and shift from 'up to' deals to 'definite' ones - so all accepted customers get the full rate. There are also a range of top balance transfers for poorer credit scorers. So it's a perfect time to check what you can get... What is a 0% balance transfer? It's where you get a special new credit card that pays off debt on your existing cards, so you owe it instead, but interest-free. This means more of your repayments reduce the actual debt, rather than just cover the interest charge - getting you debt-free quicker (just don't borrow more). Three key tips... Apply via the eligibility calc to find which cards will accept you. It shows which cards you're most likely to get, minimising applications to protect your credit score. Get the lowest fee within a 0% period long enough to clear the debt. Longer balance transfers usually have a bigger one-off fee, so if you can go shorter it's cheaper. Unsure? Play safe & go long. Usually rejected when you apply? MSE's free Credit Club (available via the MSE App on Apple | Android) can analyse the problem. Plus you can also access our eligibility calc there. Top 0% new customer balance transfer deals Links via our eligibility calc to see if you'll be accepted (except TSB) LONGEST 0% cards with a DEFINITE 0% period. In other words, with these if you're accepted you always get the full 0%. Improved. Barclaycard 36mths 0% (3.15% fee). 24.9% rep APR after 0% ends (The fee has been cut from 3.45%). Improved. Tesco 36mths 0% (3.45% fee) 24.9% rep APR after. (This was an 'up to' 0%, now it's a definite). Virgin 35mths 0% (2.95% fee) 24.9% rep APR after. HSBC 35mths 0% (3.19% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. LONGER 0% card, but these are 'up to' deals. Here some accepted customers get a shorter 'backup' 0% deal. With MBNA & Lloyds, our eligibility calc (links go via it) will show if you'll get the full 0% or not before applying. TSB 'up to' 38mths 0% (3.49% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. Backup rates: 35mths and 32mths 0% (both 3.49% fee), with higher rep APRs after too at 28.9% and 30.9%. It's not available via our eligibility calc so link is direct. MBNA 'up to' 36mths 0% (3.29% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. The eligibility calc will show you your 0% length before you apply. Backup rates: 35mths 0% or 20mths 0% (3.49% fee), 18mths 0% (3.79% fee), or 16mths 0% (3.99% fee). Improved. Lloyds 'up to' 35mths 0% (2.49% fee). 24.9% rep APR after (This was 'up to' 34mths 0% with a 2.99% fee). The eligibility calc will tell you the 0% length before you apply Backup rates: 34mths 0% (3.0% fee), 20mths 0% (3.49% fee), 18mths 0% (3.79% fee), or 16mths 0% (3.99% fee). Top LOW or NO FEE 0% balance transfers. Winners for those who can repay far more quickly (ie within the shorter 0% length). Virgin definite 18mths 0% (0.95% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. Tesco definite 15mths 0% (0.75% fee). 24.9% rep APR after Barclaycard 'up to' 14mths 0% NO FEE. 24.9% rep APR after 0%. The eligibility calc will tell you the 0% length before you apply. Backup rate: 7mths 0% (no fee). Virgin definite 12mths 0% NO FEE. 24.9% rep APR after. The top POOR CREDIT HISTORY balance transfers If you can't usually get the top cards, ensure you use our eligibility calculator as it will show you a list of the cards you've the best chances of acceptance for. Some even accept those with past defaults or county court judgments (CCJs). These currently include... - Capital One's definite 20mths 0% (2.9% fee) 27.9% rep APR after. Note: You'll see the card in results if you've a chance of getting it. If you have a 0% chance you won't see it (but will see other cards). - Vanquis' 'up to' 19mths 0% (3.48% fee) 29.9% rep APR after.  - Fluid's 'up to' 15mths 0% (3% fee) but be extra careful due to the extreme 49.9% rep APR after, ensure it is cleared by then if you get it. None of these exclude those with County Court Judgments, defaults, or cleared bankruptcies, and Fluid allows income as low as £5,000/yr. Yet with all, acceptance depends on a host of factors. The thing to watch with poor credit scorer cards... the APR (interest rate) after the 0% ends is often higher and with some cards it can be 49.9%, as you'll see above. So... Compare that rate to the card(s) you're shifting debt from. Current card(s) APR is lower? ONLY shift debt you're certain you can clear within the 0% period, so you're not stuck at a higher rate after. Current card(s) APR the same or higher? Shift as much as is allowed. Martin on how to properly use 0% balance transfers When you get the card, the best thing to do is apply at that point to shift the balance from your existing credit and store card(s). The new card firm will then pay the old card firm the money, so you now owe the same amount (plus any fee) to it instead. Getting the right card's just the start. Here are Martin's four golden rules... Clear debt before the 0% ends. Pay it off or balance-transfer again before the 0% ends or you'll pay the far-higher rep APR. Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose the 0% rate. Best to set up a Direct Debit for at least the minimum, then make additional manual payments on top to clear the debt. Don't spend/withdraw cash on the card. It usually isn't at 0%, so will be expensive and it's best not to build up more debt. Try to avoid further borrowing. Unless you're a deliberate and calculated stoozer, if you're doing a balance transfer it means you've a decent chunk of debt. So it's a signal to think carefully before borrowing any more (especially if it's a poor credit transfer). Consider doing a money makeover and a budget. It doesn't stop there though - he gets many questions about this, so here's his Q&A with the most common....  Should I apply if my best eligibility score's only 20%? While 20% odds are low, it means two in 10 who apply will likely succeed - and it could be you. If you're rejected, barring a minor credit file application mark, you're no worse off. After all, cutting debt costs is what you try to protect your credit score for (usually only trumped by a mortgage application), so go for it. As Adam emailed a while back: "Hi Martin, I just felt inspired to thank you. I took your advice on balance transfer credit cards. I applied to the one of the top results on your eligibility checker, which estimated I had only a 20% chance of acceptance and, guess what? I was accepted with an interest-free period of 2yrs. This debt was costing 20% APR! I can now focus on other debts potentially having an extra £1,328 (ish, I reckon) over the interest-free period to reduce the amount owed." Should I pay an equal amount on every card (spoiler... NO). List all your debts in APR order from highest to lowest. Include your overdraft if you have one (as these days overdrafts are often the most expensive form of mainstream borrowing).   Then, if possible, focus every penny of spare cash at trying to clear the debt with the highest interest rate (APR), as it's growing quickest, and just pay the minimums on all the others. Once the highest one is clear, shift focus to the next highest. If your overdraft is the highest APR, just pay the minimums on the credit card, and let the cash sit in your bank account to reduce it, until the overdraft is gone (see Cut overdraft costs for more options). What if the credit limit they give me isn't enough? In most cases, annoyingly you won't know your credit limit until after applying, though some cards in the eligibility calc will show some people a guaranteed credit limit before applying. If you find the limit given after applying is too low, while it's frustrating, don't just sack the card off. The application is on your credit file, so shift as much of your highest APR debt as you can to the new card (usually you can move up to 90% of the credit limit). Then, once done, go back to the eligibility calc to see your chances of acceptance for other providers' cards to move the rest. Though each subsequent application can get harder, especially if done quickly, as too many can indicate you're desperate for credit. What if the eligibility calculator says I've "no chance" for all cards? That can happen, especially for those on lower incomes or with a poor credit history (see how to improve it in MSE Credit Club). So check if your credit limits on all existing (if old, now unused) cards aren't full in case you can shift debt from one card to another if it's cheaper. For example, if one credit card charges 18% and has half the credit limit left, and the other card is at 30%, ask the cheaper card's firm if you can shift debt from the more expensive one to it, saving you cash. Even better, some cards also have 'existing-customer balance transfer offers', eg 12mths at 0%. See the credit card shuffle for how it works. If none of this is a goer, the priorities are repaying in the right order (as above) and reading the section below... In debt crisis? Get free debt help NOW The tips above are for those who can afford to meet their credit card payments and want to make them cheaper. If you can't, you'll likely need a different tack. Here's Martin's longstanding three simple questions as a snap test... 1. Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments or pay all bills? 2. Is your total debt (not mortgage/student loan) over a year's salary? 3. Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt? If you answered yes to any of these, forget balance transfers, you need a stronger intervention, so get free, one-to-one debt-counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange, or National Debtline. They have powers to give you breathing space on your debt or can put you in a repayment plan or similar. While this may impact your ability to access credit, it's usually worth it to get you out of the debt hole. And if you need emotional support, try CAP. They're there to help, not judge. The most common thing people tell me after going is: "I finally slept last night." And don't feel alone, there's no stigma, you can sort this. Read inspiring stories in our Debt-free wannabe forum, and see our Mental Health & Debt and Debt crisis help guides.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

New. Top British Gas 1yr fix or EDF '£150' off Standing Charges tariff  In the morning, Ofgem'll announce the 1 April Energy Price Cap... predicted to drop 7%ish. It's still pants though - ditch it if you can. Fixes undercut it by 14%, and if you fix now, unprecedentedly your fix's rate will drop in April too! Martin: Tomorrow's news (I hope) explained tonight... Tomorrow (Wed) morning, the new April Price Cap is announced and it will include the biggest change to energy bills for a few years. This is on the back of a policy announcement in the last Budget - and thankfully it means everyone's bills, both Price Capped or fixed will - all else remaining equal - be reduced. So I wanted to tool you up and tell you about the new top deals in advance... (TLDR) Three things to know, if you know nowt else... 1. 'Martin v Ofgem': He's questioning its boss on this, standing charges & more tonight (Tue) ITV 7:15pm 2. Speedily compare & fix now: Via our Energy Club comparison to see if you can slash bills 3. Find the full new rates: From 7am Wed via our Energy Price Cap news Underlying policy costs on ALL energy bills will be permanently cut from 1 April. For all households' energy bills (doesn't apply to N. Ireland), 75% of the cost of the 'Renewables Obligation' will be shifted off bills and instead paid by the State for the next three years. The government is also closing the 'Energy Company Obligation' scheme. Overall the govt says these savings are worth '£150 off a typical energy bill'. Yet that's a blunt phrase, in practice the cost of each unit of energy used reduces (so bigger users save more, lower users less) by... - ELECTRICITY: A reduction of 3.5p for each kWh used (very roughly a 13% cut) - GAS: A reduction of 0.33p for each kWh used (very roughly a 6% cut) Overall, once Standing Charges are factored in, this equates to a rough 8-9% reduction (use dependent) for all fixed tariffs. Of course, this doesn't mean prices will always be lower, as they move for many reasons, just that if everything else was unchanged they'd be reduced due to this. Related: Some standing charge costs are reducing too as about £40 worth is shifted to the unit rate. Analysts predict Ofgem's Price Cap will fall around 7% due to this. The Energy Price Cap (again not in N. Ireland), is set quarterly and dictates the max Standing Charge and unit rates firms are allowed to charge specifically on their standard tariffs - which, currently, nearly 2/3rd of homes are on. This is everyone on a bog-standard, not switched, or fix ended & did nowt, tariff.  Including the policy cost reduction, the range of predictions for April to June's Cap is a drop of between 6.7% and 7.1% (based on four analysts' views). Without this, we'd likely see a rise of up to 1% due to a slight increase in underlying wholesale rates and network costs during the assessment period. So while the govt says its policy move 'reduces typical bills by an estimated £150' a year, the reduction for those with typical bills will likely be just shy of that. Yet even after the Price Cap falls, it'll still be a Pants Cap and if you can ditch it, you should.  New. TOP FIXES: Save 14% fixing now and, unprecedentedly, your rate will still fall by typically 9% on 1 April. Today's cheapest 1yr fixes include a new exclusive we have with British Gas (for new & existing customers) which has relatively low Standing Charges and the open market top Outfox. Both are roughly 14% less than the current Cap (£240/yr on typical usage), including any MSE cashback. British Gas is dual or single fuel, pay by monthly Direct Debit or on receipt of a bill. Outfox is dual-fuel, monthly Direct Debit only. Neither require a smart meter. As your winner depends on location and usage, the comparison result will show your cheapest.  And crucially even if you fix now with both these, due to the policy cost cut, the rate you pay will drop by roughly 9% on 1 April (it depends on your usage as the cut comes off unit rates), so the 14%ish gap over the Cap rate should actually increase. And if the analysts' predictions in the graph above come true, it should remain similar for the rest of the year. This unprecedented reduction in existing fixes is something we pushed hard for, and I'm pleased to see it's now confirmed with 'almost' all firms. 'Almost', as some smaller firms weren't part of the ECO scheme that's been closed, so their bills won't reduce the full amount. See our firm-by-firm breakdown. New. Low standing charge 'tracker' tariff. The EDF Simply Tracker tariff matches the Price Cap unit rates (so when they move, it moves) but with lower Standing Charges for a year. From today, it's £100 lower (it was £50), plus via our link you get £50 dual-fuel EDF cashback + £20 MSE cashback (half both for elec only). So that's £170 under the Cap all in. Smart meters aren't required (unless you're on prepay), it's dual fuel or elec-only. Whether it works for you over the cheapest fixes depends on usage... On Direct Debit? Use roughly under £100/mth of energy in total and it beats top fixes in the first year when factoring in the cashback. On Smart Prepay? As there are no decent fixes, it's worth it for all but the highest users. Specialist tariffs can be winners too... There are plenty of specialist tariffs that can work out cheaper, including those for very low users, EV drivers, and solar panel owners, while sophisticated energy users can look at rapid-change time-of-use tariffs. I've been told the April policy change savings will be incorporated into these tariffs too, though I don't have official confirmation yet (I'll ask Ofgem on my show tonight), nor how it'll be incorporated into more complex tariff structures. I can't afford to pay my energy bills - what do I do? It's always worth first talking to your energy firm. There can be hardship & debt grants from suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide.

 

FREE Ideal Home Show tickets (norm £15) including a chance to see Martin live. 20,000 avail. From 10-19 April at London Olympia. Full info in Free Ideal Home Show tickets. Related: Free tickets for cruise, outdoor & equine shows. New. Sky Stream Ultimate (incl Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+ & HBO Max) just '£20/mth'. Sky Stream allows you to stream TV using your broadband (so no dish required). If you've not had Sky TV for at least 12mths (or ever), it's now £22/mth plus via this Sky Stream Ultimate* link you get a £40 prepaid Mastercard emailed within 4mths (do check your junk folder). Factor that in and it's equivalent to £20.34/mth over the 2yr contract (though prices may rise mid-contract). The package has all the basic Sky channels, and Sky Max, Comedy & Documentaries. Plus you get Netflix, Discovery+ and, from next month, Disney+ and HBO Max (all ad versions) which paid for separately would cost £26.95/mth alone. 25% off railcards code. TrainPal newbies can bag Friends & Family, Two Together, Senior or 16-30 cards for £9 off the usual £35 (making it £26) via this railcard code. Premium Bond prize rate to drop to 3.3% but top savings still pay 4.5%. There's just been Premium Bond prize fund rate news that it'll drop from 3.6% to 3.3% in April. In contrast, top savings rates are mostly holding up, even after Dec's base rate cut - though for how much longer, who knows. Top easy-access (variable): Chase's 4.5%* (min £1) new customer deal is the top rate, and within cash ISAs, it's Trading 212 4.4%* (min £1), also for newbies. 1 year fixes: Union Bank of India 4.23%* (min £5k) is top, and among cash ISAs it's Close Brothers 4.08% (min £10k). So in both, normal savings pay most, but if you may pay tax on savings interest and haven't used this year's £20,000/yr ISA allowance, that's worth doing before you lose it on 5 Apr. Far more info & options in Top savings and Top cash ISAs. The Martin Lewis Charity Fund 2026: £25m explained... Read Martin's new charity fund blog. New. £400 FREE bank switching cash is back (if you earn £75,000+). The highest fee-free bank switch bonus we've ever seen has returned, and while the Barclays Premier FREE £400 & free Apple TV* is only for higher earners, we were surprised how popular it was last time round. Ineligible? See all top free-cash bank switches or... Ends 3pm Fri. FREE £225 to switch to top bill-payers' current account (if you earn £6,000+). The Santander Edge* account gives newbies switching to it £200 cash, plus, till Fri via this link, a £25 Amazon voucher. You pay a £3/mth fee but get 1% cashback (max £10/mth) on bills paid by Direct Debit, which easily outweighs the fee for most. It also has a linked saver paying 6% on up to £4,000. Full review & eligibility info in top free-cash bank accounts. £60 for £205 of Sol de Janeiro, Fenty, Medik8 beauty. 7-item set, incl mascara, serum & lipgloss. Lookfantastic 'I'm saving £170/yr on home insurance, with £20,000 extra cover.' Success of the Week. Kath emailed: "My mortgage provider recommended an insurer that quoted £263/yr for £50,000 of home contents insurance cover. Following your brilliantly clear explanations and step-by-step help - and using your Home Insurance Compare+ Tool - I found a different mainstream insurer for only £93/yr for £70,000 of cover. You run an amazing website, thank you." If we've helped you save (on this or anything else), please tell us about it. TWO branded prescription specs from £25. MSE Blagged. Aspire, Scout & more. Glasses Direct Tonight (Tue) at 7.15pm ITV1, or after on ITVX. The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE:  Martin vs Ofgem: Energy bills special... (& will Standing Charges be cut?) Martin: 'A must-watch if you pay for energy bills. The biggest shake-up for a few years is coming when the new Price Cap's announced on Wed morning. In advance, regulator Ofgem's boss joins me to take your questions, and I will definitely be pushing on what happened to the promised low or no Standing Charges tariffs. Plus I'll break down exactly what it means for you - how much you'll pay, whether to fix, and the smart moves to cut your bills. And, of course, all my News You Can Use. Do give it a watch.'

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - 2 x branded prescription specs from £25 Ends Thu 5 Mar - Extra £30 cashback on £5+ online spend Ends Fri 6 Mar	DID YOU MISS? - NHS, care or emergency worker? 10% off Morrisons & more - 30 cinema savings, incl 2 FREE Vue tickets with Sky Cinema - Ends Wed (tomorrow): 'Free' bakery items via Lidl Plus app - Check NOW if you need to act to get Warm Home Discount - Revealed: The tricks medicine firms use to make you pay more

 

 

Are you married (or in a Civil Partnership)? Check NOW if you're among 100,000s missing out on a £1,260 tax break (£1,000 of which may be paid into your bank account!) The clock's ticking to claim the lucrative Marriage Tax Allowance as unless you do it soon, you miss the maximum back-dating and could lose out on £260 of it. This allowance is a piece of deliberate social engineering to encourage marriage (or Civil Partnership) through the tax system - it's not available to those who cohabit, even if you've lived together 20 years and have 40 children. So let's go through the fundamentals... PS: If you are married or in a Civil Partnership, watch Martin's The financial benefits of marriage ITV show from two weeks ago, covering inheritance tax, savings, investments, wills, marriage allowance & more, or read his old 9 benefits of marriage blog. Are you eligible for the Marriage Tax Allowance (it can be backdated)? The FOUR key checks: You must be married or in a Civil Partnership. Just living together doesn't count. Both of you must've been born AFTER 5 April 1935. If not, there's the Married Couple's Allowance instead. One spouse needs to be a non-taxpayer in that tax year. For most, that currently means total income under £12,570/yr. What you do is irrelevant, so it doesn't matter if you volunteer, don't work, are retired, work part time, work full time or work seasonally. The only thing that counts is: do you earn enough in the year to pay income tax? Of course, the fiscal drag from freezing tax thresholds means fewer people are non-taxpayers, but this can be backdated if that's no longer you (more on that below). The other spouse must be a basic-rate (20%) taxpayer in that tax year. Eg, usually earning from £12,570 up to £50,270/yr (up to £43,662/yr in Scot). Higher 40% rate taxpayers can't do this, though if you're only a smidge above that threshold, increasing pension contributions or similar to reduce your salary could make you eligible. How the Marriage Tax Allowance works. The standard Personal Allowance is £12,570/yr, which means most people can earn up to that and pay no Income Tax. With the Marriage Tax Allowance, the non-taxpayer can apply to move 10% of this (it must be all 10%) to their taxpaying spouse. So then the taxpayer has an extra £1,260/yr they can earn tax-free, which they would've paid 20% tax on (saving £252/yr in tax). Watch Martin's marriage tax video briefing to help understand it (it was recorded at a time when backdating applications were closed, but the main explainer is still correct). You can backdate claims up to 4 tax years - so currently back to 2021/22 - but go quick! As long as you were eligible you can backdate claims (even if your spouse has now passed away). Currently you can go back to the 2021/22 tax year. Yet as a new tax year starts on 6 April, you'll then lose the ability to go back to that year (worth £252), so speed is of the essence, especially as the application process can be slow. The current year's gain is paid by altering your tax code, past years are paid straight into your bank account via BACS or cheque.  As Lynne emailed us: "A big thank you to Martin for covering this topic. I stopped working 3 years ago and my little pensions (I'm not yet 67) were about half of my tax-free allowance. I requested the spare allowance be transferred to my hubby and we just received a cheque for £1,026. Thank you so much."  How you claim Marriage Tax Allowance. It's crucial to remember it is the non-taxpayer who shifts their allowance to the taxpayer, so it is the non-taxpayer who must claim. How you claim depends on whether you're just doing a current year claim or backdating. So see our step-by-step Marriage Tax Allowance claiming made easy. Once you've claimed, it's then automatic year after year, so you needn't do it again. Martin: 'Is the Marriage Tax Allowance always a winner (Spoiler: mostly...)?' Before I explain it, a very simple rule: As long as the basic rate taxpayer earns over £13,830/yr from work, this is always a winner in combination, even if the non-taxpayer has to pay a little tax. Now to explain the ifs and buts...  As the non-taxpayer must pass over the FULL 10% of their allowance, on standard tax rates that means if they earn over £11,310/yr (10% less than the normal allowance), they will then pay some tax on the amount above that. Yet as long as their spouse earns over £13,830/yr they will save 20% tax on the full amount they've been given, so the amount they gain outweighs what the non-taxpayer now pays in tax. But in the edge case that the 20% taxpayer earns less than that, the question then is: Is the non-taxpayer paying tax on a bigger amount due to marriage tax than the taxpayer is saving due to their increased allowance? Check using our Marriage Tax Allowance calculator. PS: Some people also find that when they apply, HMRC looks at other tax issues too, so it crystallises those. That's not a reason not to apply, as that would've happened at some point anyway.

 

Smart meter problem? You can now get £40 compensation. New rules mean payouts if you experience installation delays or you're left waiting for a plan to fix issues. BUT these don't yet cover your meter going 'dumb' – something we've long called for. Here's what's covered by the new smart meter rules. Sky to hike broadband, TV & home phone costs – check if you've 30 days to LEAVE penalty-free. If you get its 'we're hiking prices' notification, most get 30 days after the message to leave penalty-free. Check now if you can switch and save, or stay and use this as a way to haggle down the price. Full help in Beat Sky price hikes. It's our birthday week! So for you... here's 40+ birthday FREEBIES, including sweet treats from Greggs, Krispy Kreme, Costa & more. MSE turned 23 on Sunday, so to celebrate we've updated our birthday freebies round-up, which works whenever you're celebrating. Happy birthday to us! On a low income with a severe health condition/disability that affects your ability to work? Urgently check if you're due Universal Credit (UC)? From 6 April, the amount you can claim if you've limited capacity for work and work-related activity is being cut, but start a claim now and, if you're eligible, you'll keep the higher rate. See UC changes. Warning. We (MoneySavingExpert) are NOT cold calling you or knocking on your door! We've seen reports on this resurface, but it's not us, we are anti cold calling. It's likely being done by a firm called 'Money Expert' - no connection to us or Martin. See 'MoneySavingExpert' cold callers - they're not us.  Extra £30 cashback when you spend £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Topcashback newbies can net a no-brainer £30 bonus by signing up using our link and spending £5+ at one of 1,000s of retailers. Topcashback top-up Help us get to 200,000 followers on WhatsApp :) We're growing rapidly and would love to pass that landmark, plus it means you get the latest MoneySaving news and deals straight to your phone. What'sAppening?

 

 

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

 

 

AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest definite 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 36mths 0%, 3.15% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Free £200 + £25 Amazon voucher + cashback: Santander Edge Free £200 + perks: Club Lloyds Free £175 + top service: First Direct Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility), 5.6% rep APR Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Chase 4.5%, min £1 Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.4%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Union Bank of India UK 4.23%, min £5,000 Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): TalkTalk '£18.59/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Virgin Media '£21.83/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.10/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.33/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.43/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.71/mth' for 50GB

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Easter food delivery slots: What's happening at Tesco, Asda and more - Nationwide Fairer Share: How to maximise your chances of getting a free £100 in 2026

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA I've put my mum's money into Premium Bonds - who should get the prize if it wins? My mother has given me a sum of money to pass on to a friend of hers after she passes. I've put it in Premium Bonds to keep it safe until the time comes. If there's a win, big or small, should it go back to my mum, kept to give to her friend, or should I keep it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Who should get the Premium Bonds prize if my mum's money wins? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

LAST CHANCE MSE BLAGGED DEALS - Lensology: Reglaze your glasses from £10 delivered via code, ends Sat 28 Feb - SpeckyFourEyes: £39 AllSaints prescription specs or sunnies (normally £145), ends Sat 28 Feb - Grüum: Hair, skin or lip care item for £1 delivered, ends Sun 1 Mar - Vision Express: 25% off contact lenses, glasses & prescription sunnies code, ends Sun 1 Mar - Readly: 100 days' free access to 8,000+ digital magazines & newspapers, ends Tue 3 Mar

 

 

MARTIN'S BLOG - The Martin Lewis Charity Fund 2026: £25m explained...	MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: blankets, backpacking & broadband

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 25 FEB ONWARDS) Thu 26 Feb - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, midday Tue 3 Mar - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am Tue 3 Mar - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7:15pm

 

 

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 sky.com, chase.co.uk, trading212.com, unionbankofindiauk.co.uk, barclays.co.uk, santander.co.uk Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MONY Group Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA 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 MONY Group Financial Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.