Fight unfair parking tickets, top 4.75% savings, free £175 ends, cheapest iPhone 16, £50 off Vax vac, Fix mortgage now?

Plus... Are solar panels worth it?, 50GB Sim £4/mth, 25% off wine, slash water bills/usage

                                                           

19 August 2025 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Ending. 4 banks paying switchers up to £310, but not for long... - Top FREE cash bank switch deals - Get 1% spending cashback on top - Free cash + £250 0% overdraft - How your bank rates for service 50GB mobile Sim just '£4/mth' Slash water bills & usage to save £100s Fight UNFAIR private parking tickets Cheapest ever iPhone 16 '£31/mth' Vote for Martin at the National TV Awards 50% off preloved clothing eg Zara Top 4.75% savings post-base rate cut What's next for mortgages? And should you fix? 'We saved £465 on car insurance' Vax cordless vacuum £120 via code Are solar panels worth it? Ends Thu. 264Mb broadband '£22/mth' Child aged 16+ & in education? Act NOW to keep Child Benefit Updated. Top student bank accounts 25% off supermarket wine & fizz Help us improve the MSE App FREE London cycle & e-bike hire in Aug This week's best buys: 34mth 0% debt shift, 5.9% loan & more Money Moral Dilemma: 'Should I have to pay for £100 outfit for friend's wedding?' 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

Grab a FREE £175+ Ending. Four banks still paying up to £310 for your business, but not for much longer... Less than a month ago, six banks were fighting to pay you a free £175+ just to switch your current account to them. But now, with two deals having gone and a third ending in days, it looks like a golden summer for switching may be starting to wind down. So if you're looking for some easy extra cash in your pocket, it's time to take your pick. The short version: If you know what you're doing, here are the quick links to grab the cash... (If not, see full info below, including the CRUCIAL eligibility criteria to get the cash.) - Top for cash: TSB's FREE '£310'* gives £100 upfront, plus £15/mth for 6mths, plus a reward in March, eg, a £120 hotel voucher. - Top account: First Direct's FREE £175* also gives TOP service, a 7% regular saver, and a £250 0% overdraft for many. - Ending: Barclays' FREE £175* ends next Thu. Though you need to join its £5/mth Blue Rewards till you get the switch bonus. - Ongoing cashback: NatWest's FREE £125 + £50 when you open its regular saver too. Also gives £5/mth cashback (for a £2/mth fee). Switching is easy & hassle-free. To get the free cash, you need to use the bank's seven (working) day switch service. This closes your old account and moves all your money, Direct Debits & standing orders for you. Any payments to the old account are auto-forwarded. The only thing it doesn't do is move 'recurring payments' for you - these are subscriptions made by giving the long number on your card, eg, for Netflix and Amazon Prime. You'll need to do those yourself. You also usually have to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. The top FREE cash switch bonuses Get up to '£310' to switch and cashback too Banks believe if they have your current account custom it's easier to sell you other things, which is why some are willing to pay you to switch to them. We say grab the cash, but don't feel the need to be loyal. You needn't stick with the bank for other products, so bag yourself the best credit card, loan, savings, mortgage and more from across the market. However, don't let that stop you from getting paid for your custom. The top FREE CASH switch bonuses Full detail & eligibility info on all accounts via best bank accounts  Top for cash TSB Spend & Save* FREE '£310' (£100 upfront + £15/mth for 6mths + '£120' reward) Service: 37% 'great' Min pay-in: None Can't get it if you've... had a switch bonus from TSB since 1 Oct 2022. This is a clever deal from TSB*. Its free cash is structured to incentivise you to stick with it until at least March 2026... - £100 upfront free cash if you switch, make 5+ debit card payments and log into its app by 22 Sept. - Then six months' £15/mth cashback (so £90 total), provided you make 20+ debit card payments in the month (if it's a struggle, just split your shopping into smaller amounts). - Choice of a £120 hotel voucher or 12mths' UK activity tickets if you make 20+ debit card payments in February 2026. The hotel voucher is for £120 credit for bookings on the Expedia-powered Travel Credits website (no min spend), which mostly seems to have the same prices as the main Expedia site. The activity tickets are for the National Activities Network, which includes things such as theme parks, trampoline parks, escape rooms and museums. Yet it's only usable for one person, so not the best for families. - Linked 5% AER 1yr fixed regular saver you can put up to £250/mth in (maxed out: £71/yr interest). Top all-rounder First Direct* FREE £175, linked 7% saver, 0% overdraft, top overseas card Service: 92% 'great' Min pay-in: £1,000 once Can't get it if you've... had any FD account before, or opened one with HSBC since Jan 2018. First Direct's 1st account* is fee-free and has been top or near-top of every bank customer service poll we've ever run. Switchers get... - FREE £175 if you switch 2+ Direct Debits/standing orders, make 5+ payments on your debit card, log on to its app/website & pay in a total of £1,000+ (it's no problem if you then immediately withdraw it), all within 45 days. - Ongoing £250 0% overdraft for many. - Top overseas debit card, so you get near-perfect exchange rates. - Linked 7% AER 1yr fixed regular saver for up to £300/mth (maxed out: £137/yr interest). Rarely offered  Barclays* Ends. FREE £175 plus extras, eg, Apple TV+ Service: 42% 'great' Min pay-in: £1,500 once + £800+/mth for Blue Rewards Can't get it if you've... opened a Barclays current account on or before 15 July 2025, or ever received a switch reward from Barclays before. Switch offers from Barclays* are rare, so many won't fall foul of the 'new customer' rule. Don't delay though, it ends next Thu and there are three quick steps to do by then... - FREE £175 if you open a sole account (no joint accounts) via the app, start a switch (incl 2+ Direct Debits) and join Blue Rewards by Thu 28 Aug. You also need to pay in £1,500 within 30 days. Blue Rewards costs £5/mth (min pay-in £800/mth), but you can cancel once you've got the £175 (which'll be within 28 working days of meeting the criteria). Or keep Blue Rewards to get a...  ... Free Apple TV+ subscription (normally £9/mth). ... Free Major League Soccer Season Pass subscription (normally £15/mth). ... Linked 4.36% saver you can put up to £5,000 in (though the rate falls to 4.13% on 30 Oct). Ongoing cashback  NatWest FREE £125 + £50, plus possible £36/yr cashback Service: 55% 'great' Min pay-in: £1,250/mth Can't get it if you've... ever had a switch bonus from it, RBS or Ulster Bank. NatWest Reward is a slightly more complicated account, but still a decent, lucrative alternative, especially for those who have had all the switch bonuses above. - Free £125 cash if you pay in £1,250 and log into mobile banking within 60 days of opening the account. - Free £50 when you open its linked 5.5% regular savings account within 60 days. You only have to pay £1 in the first month to get the bonus. It's not a bad account, though - you can put up to £150/mth in till you've £5,000 saved (max interest in year 1 £53, more in year 2 etc). - You pay a £2/mth fee but can get up to £5/mth back. You get £4/mth when you pay out 2+ Direct Debits & an extra £1/mth by logging in to mobile banking each month: a net gain of £3/mth after the £2/mth fee. Service ratings come from our July poll. Will switching banks affect my credit score? One extra search on your credit file shouldn't make much difference (though many in a short time can). Some lenders do score you down short-term for switching bank accounts as they like evidence of longevity. For belt 'n' braces safety, if you're imminently (within a couple of months) about to apply for a mortgage or an important, needed debt, prioritise that and avoid switching until after. Otherwise, one bank switch isn't really an issue. More in how switching banks affects your credit. You may be able to make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank. Becoming a bank bribe bagger can pay well - we've had people tell us they've made a shedload. Could you do it too? See full pros & cons in make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank. As Sully emailed: "An MSE article prompted me to finally have a go at a bank switch. After doing one and realising how easy it was, I did 11 switches between me and my wife and made £1,910 in the last 6 months. We have booked an all-inclusive family holiday and went on a shopping spree recently. Thank you so much MSE." Get 1% spending cashback on top with any account The app-only Chase current account* is easy to get - there's no need to switch or pass a hard credit-check. Plus, it gives 1% cashback on UK groceries, transport and fuel for spending on its debit card, up to a max £15/mth (after year one, you must pay in £1,500/mth to get this). It also currently offers new customers a 4.75% easy-access savings account (max £3m). So you can use the other banks, then put money in Chase each month for this type of spending, to get the best of both worlds. The Chase debit card is also good for spending abroad. See our full Chase review. Warning: Use your overdraft? It's a DANGER debt Can you get free cash & a £250 INTEREST-FREE overdraft? Too many think 'credit cards bad, debit cards good.' For those overdrawn, it's more a case of 'credit cards bad, debit cards worse', as almost all overdrafts are now charged at a typical 40% interest - close to double even a bog-standard high-street credit card. Yet there are ways to cut this... You CAN switch banks if you're overdrawn. Though there's no guarantee the new one will offer you an overdraft or even match your existing one. But the banks below have overdraft eligibility checkers you can use before applying to see whether it's likely you'll qualify. Full info in top overdraft accounts, but in brief... A possible £250 0% overdraft and, if you switch, £175 free cash. First Direct* (full details above) gives accepted new switchers £175 free cash, which you could use to help reduce what you owe, and many get a £250 ongoing interest-free overdraft too (credit score-dependent, and it's the standard 40% above that). This is good for smaller overdrafts, or for those who just dip into one. You will have to 'switch' the overdraft over yourself. While all your Direct Debits and standing orders will be moved as normal, expect your old bank to ask you whether you can pay the overdraft off, or whether you want to keep the account open while you do (it varies by bank). If you do keep it open, payments into the old account are unlikely to be forwarded to the new one, so you may need to arrange to move them yourself. Lower interest rate overdrafts. App-only Starling has no 0% overdraft, but does offer overdrafts with rates typically lower than most other banks. Depending on your credit score, you could get a 15%, 25% or 35% overdraft, so check your eligibility on its site before you apply. Still, at these rates it's costly, so you'd be better to try a... 0% money transfer credit card. This is a specialist card that allows you to do a special transaction to pay money into your bank account, so you then owe it at 0% instead, and you can use that time to clear the debt. You can get up to 14mths at 0%, though be careful, it's easy to get it wrong. Our Money transfers guide takes you through it, including top deals. Five more tips to cut your overdraft. The rate isn't the only thing to focus on. Our Cut overdraft costs guide takes you through it, but here are the five most important tips: 1) Aim to repay a fixed monthly amount. For example, if you're £500 overdrawn, 'paying' £100 means aiming to be £400 overdrawn at month's end. A budget will help. 2) Consider moving Direct Debits to just before payday. The idea is you're overdrawn for less time, so interest costs are lower. 3) Got savings? Use 'em to clear it. See Repay debt with savings? 4) Can you reclaim past bank charges? See Bank charge reclaiming. 5) Struggling with all debt? Get free help from Citizens Advice, National Debtline or StepChange. It can make a huge difference. How does your bank rate for service? New. Latest results from our July 2025 service poll We've just completed our latest bank survey poll and, after 8,500 votes, the customer service crown once again goes to First Direct. It's won multiple times on these polls, and has never come below third. App-only Starling and Nationwide complete the top three. The biggest climber since we last ran this poll 6mths ago was Co-operative Bank, while Starling and Barclays have also climbed the rankings. Monzo, Santander, RBS, HSBC, Halifax, Virgin Money and TSB have all dropped places. Yet banks with poorer service scores can still have top accounts and/or strong deals - here are the full results, with links to banks that have an account in our top picks. Bank (no. of votes)  % 'great' % 'poor' 1. (1st last time) First Direct (1,514) 92% 3% 2. (4th) Starling (218) 91% 4% 3. (3rd) Nationwide (1,831) 90% 3% 4. (2nd) Monzo (222) 91% 5% 5. (5th) Chase (246) 78% 9% 6. (13th) Co-operative Bank (195) 55% 16% 7. (7th) NatWest (620) 55% 17% 8. (6th) Santander (898) 55% 18% 9. (9th) Lloyds (658) 49% 18% 10. (8th) RBS (163) 50% 22% 11. (11th) Bank of Scotland (102) 45% 21% 12. (16th) Barclays (559) 42% 27% 13. (12th) HSBC (391) 43% 19% 14. (10th) Halifax (414) 39% 26% 15. (14th) Virgin Money (168) 42% 30% 16. (15th) TSB (138) 37% 29% Only banks with 75+ votes included. See full bank poll results.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Three easy steps to slash mobile costs - don't overpay Get 50GB data, unlimited UK calls & texts, free EU roaming for '£4/mth' Sim-only prices have plummeted for newbies over the past few years, and right now there are new deals from just '£3.70/mth'. Yet existing customer costs have risen rapidly due to hefty mid-contract rises, so inaction is costly. As Sandra emailed us this July: "My husband and I bagged a deal from Lebara that is going to save us £8/mth each - a total annual saving of £192, plus savings on roaming in Europe. Hooray!" Our Cheap Mobile Tariff Finder tool can find your best deal, combined with these three easy steps to cut costs: Step 1: Can you switch & save? Type five digits to check whether you're out of contract. Text 'INFO' for free to 85075 (some providers will ask for your date of birth to help confirm your identity). The service should then tell you whether you're free to move. You're looking for a response along the lines of 'your early termination/cancellation charge will be £0'. - On a multiple phone contract? The service won't work for you, but if you've been with the same provider for more than two years, you're likely out of contract, though do contact your provider to check. Step 2: Switch Sim to save. Our Cheap Sim comparison tool has all the deals - here's a taster of what's there... Cheapest Sim-only deals Full info via our Cheap Sims comparison, and use our Data Calc if you're unsure how much you use Provider (and signal used) Average monthly cost over the first year Lebara (Vodafone)  4.1 / 5 ('Good') customer service MSE Blagged - New. 10GB at '£3.70/mth': £1.50/mth for 6mths, then £5.90/mth. - New. 35GB at '£4/mth': £1.20/mth for 7mths, then £7.90/mth. - 100GB at '£6.12/mth': £1.99/mth for 7mths, then £11.90/mth. - Rolling 1mth contract, so you can cancel at any time (eg, just before the price jump). - Unlimited UK minutes & texts | Free roaming in Europe (1). iD Mobile (Three)  2.9 / 5 ('OK') customer service - New. 50GB at '£4/mth': £2/mth for 3mths, then £8/mth & a £30 voucher. - Ends Thu. 100GB at '£5.84/mth': £5/mth for 3mths, then £10/mth & a £35 voucher. - Amazon/Currys vouchers will be emailed within 4mths, check your spam folder. - We factor the vouchers in to the 'equivalent cost' over the 12mth contract. - Unlimited UK minutes & texts | Free roaming in Europe (1). Spusu (EE)  4.3 / 5 ('Good') customer service - 20GB at £6.90/mth: It's a straight £6.90/mth on a rolling 1mth contract. - Unlimited UK minutes & texts | Free roaming in Europe (2). O2 (O2) 2.3 / 5 ('OK') customer service - 70GB at '£9.09/mth': £10/mth until Apr 2026, then £11.80/mth from April 2026 & a £20 voucher. - Amazon/shopping voucher will be emailed within 4mths, check your spam folder. - We factor the voucher in to the 'equivalent cost' over the 12mth contract. - Unlimited UK minutes & texts | Free roaming in Europe (3). Only includes providers with enough votes (75+) to get a customer score in our latest survey. (1) Up to 30GB/mth usage. (2) Up to 10GB/mth usage, but varies by deal. (3) Up to 25GB/mth usage. Thinking: 'But I like my signal, I'm worried about switching?' There are only four networks in the UK - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - all others piggyback on their signals. So you can use the filters in our Cheap Sims tool to find out which is the cheapest deal that stays on your existing signal - though if you rely on Wi-Fi or 4G calling, you need to check the new provider offers this, even if you stay with the same network. Step 3: To keep your number when switching, text 'PAC' for free to 65075. Then you get a code to send to your new provider, which will transfer it over, usually in one working day. (Do note, some providers will ask for your date of birth to confirm your identity, and doing this won't work if you're on a contract with more than one phone.) Or try the haggling hack.... If you're out of contract and want to stick where you are, haggling can work well (see top mobile firms to haggle with) - benchmark the best price elsewhere and ask your provider to match it. As a short cut, you could try texting for your PAC. Sometimes this makes your existing provider think you're about to leave, and it may offer you a deal to stay there and then. Many people have told us they've gained this way, such as Sarah, who emailed us last month: "I was paying £14 for Sim-only from EE, but was told it'd be going up to £20. I'd seen Martin on TV saying about texting 'PAC' to 65075, so I did this. Two hours later I had a call and, without me saying much at all, I was offered the same deal with extra data for £6! [Saving £168] Thank you."

 

Got an UNFAIR private parking ticket? Fight it. Challenge unfair tickets with our recently-revamped private parking guide. Bookmark it in case you need it. Related: Share your experiences of private parking firms as the Government consults on shaking up the industry. Cheapest ever iPhone 16 '£31/mth'. As the iPhone 17 goes on sale next month, prices are dropping for its predecessor. Newbies to Three can get an iPhone 16 (128GB) on a 24mth contract with unlimited data via Affordable Mobiles. It's £9 upfront, then £29/mth (£30.50/mth from Apr 2026 & £32/mth from Apr 2027), making it £738 in total, equivalent to £30.75/mth. Buying just the handset (no data/Sim) from Apple is £799, so this is a decent deal. Affordable Mobiles is responsible for the handset, Three for the contract. Want more options? Use our Cheap Mobile Finder. Please vote for Martin! He's off at the moment, but it's just been announced his TV show's in the finals of the National Television Awards. As there's stiff competition, if he's helped you save, please vote here for Martin's show (page 7) (factual entertainment) - then pls click through to the end or it won't count. 50% off code for preloved clothing eg Zara, White Stuff. Works on a £25+ spend at used clothing site Thrift+. Savings rates dropping after Bank of England cuts base rate from 4.25% to 4%. The dust seems to be settling on savings accounts, with many banks already dropping rates (we show below where it has, as these are less likely to drop again). If your bank's cut your rate, see if you can ditch and switch for a better one... Top easy-access (rates are variable) - full options in top savings: - Chase's* saver pays 4.75% (min £1, includes 2.25% 1yr bonus) - though it's only for current account newbies (already dropped). - Santander-owned Cahoot pays 4.55% (min £1), though after 12mths the account 'matures', likely to a lower-paying account. - Kent Reliance pays 4.33% (min £1) without a short-term bonus or a maturity date (already dropped). Top easy-access cash ISAs (rates are variable) - these are just savings accounts you never pay tax on - more in top cash ISAs: - Trading 212 is 4.42% AER* (min £1) for newbies via that link (already dropped). - Plum is 4.41% (min £100), though you get a lower rate if you make 4+ withdrawals/yr (already dropped). Top fixes - lock cash away for the term without access. Full options in top fixed-rate savings & top fixed-rate ISAs. - For 1yr: Top fix is JN Bank at 4.41% (min £100), top fixed cash ISA is Vida Savings* at 4.31% (min £100). - For 2yrs: Top fix is JN Bank at 4.45% (min £100), top fixed cash ISA is Shawbrook Bank at 4.21% (min £1,000). What's next for mortgage rates - and should you fix now? Here's the view from mortgage brokers. 'We saved £465 on car insurance thanks to your useful tips.' Success of the week. Ken's renewal was expensive, so our email last week on car insurance was timely: "I wanted to show our appreciation for your useful tips on car insurance renewals. This year's was £972. I used your Compare+ Car Insurance tool, and quickly had an array of suitable alternatives. We chose a policy costing £507, saving £465. Many thanks." If we've helped you save, please tell us about it. Vax cordless vacuum £120 - via extra £50 off code. MSE Blagged. It's £170 at Vax (already reduced from £280), but our extra £50 off code makes it the cheapest we've seen it. 5,000 available. Vax Are solar panels worth it? Solar panel installations are soaring and energy prices aren't expected to fall significantly anytime soon. We've crunched the latest numbers to see how the maths stack up. Plus we've a way to get up to £550 off if they're right for you. See our Solar panels guide.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Lebara Sim-only deals incl 10GB for '£3.70/mth' Ends 1 Sept - Vax cordless vac £120 via extra £50 off code 5,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Are you set to pay tax on savings? How you can (legally) avoid it - Check you're not missing out on £150 energy bill help this winter - On a tracker/variable mortgage? When your rate will drop - Getting GCSE results? Get 'free' food at Nando's & more - Faulty smart meter? You could be due up to £80 compensation

 

 

Slash your water use and/or bills Wat-er saving! You may not be able to switch provider but millions can still cut costs by £100s 'We're now saving £857/yr by paying for what little we use' After an incredibly dry spring, continued warm weather and minimal rainfall over summer is putting pressure on our water supplies with millions of households now under a hosepipe ban. At the same time, we're only a year into five years' worth of planned bill hikes, so here's a quick run-through of the key ways to both slash your bill and reduce your usage (the two go hand-in-hand for many). Full help in our Cut your water bills guide, but in brief... 1. Water bills are up, yet don't think there's nowt you can do - some can save £900+. The biggest savings usually come via one of these three checks: a) Can you save £100s with a FREE water meter so you're billed for what you actually use? If you don't have a meter, water bills are based on the old pre-1990 rates system, where the amount paid is roughly based on your home's rental value, NOT what you use. So bigger homes tend to pay more, even if they're using little. In England and Wales you can get a free water meter, which measures how much you use, so you're billed accordingly. Millions can save £100s using Martin's simple rule of thumb... ... then there's a good chance you can save, so use a water meter calculator.  For some, especially those in bigger houses with few people, the savings are large. David emailed us in March: "I read your advice about water meters. One child left home, one at uni, leaving three people & five bedrooms. I didn't think we used a lot of water, so checked if a meter would be worth considering - it was, and we're now saving £857/yr - thank you." If the calc shows savings are likely, you can ask your firm for a more formal assessment if you want. Can you switch back? If you voluntarily have a meter fitted, with most (not all) firms, you've up to two years to change your mind and go back without penalty (see firms' water meter switch-back policies). b) Told you can't get a meter? In some ways that's the best route... Some with shared pipes or in flats are told by water firms they can't 'practicably' have a meter fitted. If so, ask for an 'assessed-charge bill', which works out how much you'd likely pay if you had a meter. Then if that's cheaper than your normal water bill, switch to it. If not, don't. Shirley emailed us last month: "After receiving a water bill of almost £1,400/yr, your mantra 'fewer people than bedrooms' prompted us to apply for a water meter. We were put on an assessed amount of £40/mth until a meter could be fitted. Which couldn't be done so we remain on the assessed amount, a huge saving [of £920/yr]. Thanks." c) Are you on a low income and NEWLY ELIGIBLE for a water social tariff this year? Some save £800/yr! 1.6m eligible people were already missing out on water social tariffs, even before some suppliers increased how much you can earn and still qualify earlier this year. See our water social tariff firm-by-firm eligibility list. It could slash your water bill by 90%, as Jacqui found: "I read Martin's article about water social tariffs and now pay £6/mth, saving £836/yr. Thank you!" Separately, if you receive benefits AND either have 3+ children OR a medical condition such as Crohn's or eczema which means you need to use more water, you may be able to have bills capped under the WaterSure scheme. 2. Cut your water usage - it will help ease water shortages but will also likely save you money. For those on a water meter, reducing use directly saves you money. But even without a meter, cutting water reduces energy bills (and helps the environment) as much of the water we use is heated... 100,000s of water-saving freebies are available. Households across much of the UK can bag a range of FREE water-saving gadgets - eg, £20 shower heads, £5 tap inserts, £2 cistern bags etc. So check for water-saving freebies - it's hit-and-miss depending on which area you're in, but even if you miss out, you can still... Cut your water use - we've 30 ways to save. There are lots of ways to cut usage - here are just a few: - Get off your butt and collect rainwater. Use stored rainwater to water plants, wash the car and even flush your toilet. - Running your tap to temperature? Fill up empty bottles while you wait and use to water plants etc. - Don't wallow, shoot into the shower. A quick shower uses far less water than a long soak in the tub. - Don't wash up as you cook. Save it up and do it in one go to minimise hot water. - Get a dual-flush loo. Use the small flush for number ones, or the stronger flush for bigger jobs.

 

Ends Thu. 264Mb Virgin broadband '£22/mth'. This 264Mb Virgin broadband-only deal is available to 60% of homes. You initially pay £24.99/mth, then £28.49/mth from Apr '26, and £31.99 from Apr '27. Yet it also gives an automatic £150 bill credit, so it's almost like you get the first six months for free. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £21.95/mth over the 24mth contract. Can't get / don't want Virgin? Use our broadband comparison to see your full options. Child turned 16 and in full-time education or training? Act NOW to avoid losing Child Benefit. To keep getting your payments, contact HM Revenue & Customs by Sunday 31 August. See Child Benefit for kids 16+. Updated. Top student bank accounts 2025/26... including £1,500 0% overdraft and 4yr railcard. Last Thu was A-level results day. If you're now off to uni (or your child is), make sure they're kitted out with a top student bank account. Full options are within the linked guide, but here are the quick top picks... - Top: Santander's Edge Student* gives a DEFINITE £1,500 0% overdraft for the first three years, plus a free four-year 16-25 Railcard (worth £100ish), which gets you a third off rail travel, and £20+ cash via a free prize draw. - Next-best: Nationwide's FlexStudent gives a likely £1,000 0% overdraft in year one and can offer a higher limit than Santander from year two (though it's not guaranteed). Plus you get £100 cash & £120 Just Eat vouchers. 25% off six bottles of wine & fizz in supermarkets. Say 'cheers' to the bank holiday (and please be Drinkaware). Help us improve the MSE App. Over 2.4 million of you have now downloaded the app (if you've not yet, get it free via iOS | Android). Please tell us how you've found it so far - we'll use your feedback to make it better. FREE cycle & e-bike hire on Sundays in Aug (London only). Bike about the Big Smoke for bupkis. On yer bike

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: MBNA (check eligibility) up to 34mths 0%, 2.99% fee, 24.9% rep APR interest No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR interest Best bank accounts Free £100 + £15/mth for 6mths: TSB Spend & Save Free £175 + top service: First Direct 1st Account Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£20.21/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£25.46/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Try our Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: People's Choice (check eligibility), 7% rep APR interest (6.5% rep APR interest on £7,000 to £7,499) £7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 5.9% rep APR interest Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Chase 4.75%, min £1 (newbies only) Top easy-access cash ISA: Trading 212 4.42%, min £1 Top one-year fix: JN Bank 4.41%, min £100 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club 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: Lebara, '£3.70/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£5.84/mth' for 100GB

 

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Have your say on how Council Tax is billed, collected and enforced in England. The Government is proposing changes such as making Council Tax billed over 12 months (rather than 10) by default, and giving those who've defaulted on payments more time to pay (something Martin and MSE have long asked for). There's a bit of reading to do first, but do click the link to find out more and have your say.

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I have to pay for the clothing my friend wants me to wear for her 'wedding' celebration? My friend is having an introduction ceremony, which is a traditional Nigerian event which celebrates her and her partner coming together. She's asked me to be part of her entourage, which she said is like being a bridesmaid, and explained she wanted me to wear traditional clothing. I was delighted to be asked and agreed. She's since said the clothing will cost me around £100. Typically, I'm the sort of person who'd pay to save any embarrassment, but it's her decision for me to wear it - what should I do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay for the clothing my friend wants me to wear? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

Some back to school competitions... - Win a book bundle and bicycle - Win a packed lunch storage set - Win a year's supply of shoes - Win a bundle of educational toys ... from the MSE Forum comping boards - Win a laptop - Win £1,000 cash and a £500 Matalan gift card - Win a stationery bundle - Win an online learning package

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Tarmac, toys & travel pillows

 

 

 

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