FREE £200 last chance, 2kg spuds 15p, 0% debt shift deals vanishing, 3.45% savings + £40, new energy price hikes?, track Santa

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21 December 2022 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL HUGE MoneySaving successes of 2022 Shift debt to 0% for 30 months 10 key energy saving tips Latest coupons, including FREE Pepsi, FREE vegan chicken Ends Thu. FREE £200 bank bribe Christmas veg price war: 2kg spuds 15p Track Santa on Christmas Eve Ends Fri. Short-term 3.45% savings + £40 cashback Why energy prices are changing in Jan Bulb customer? You're (finally) moving to Octopus Energy bills support for Northern Ireland, park homes & LPG/heating oil Base rate rises to 3.5% - what it means for your mortgage Grab winter water freebies Boxing Day sales on now: Asos 80% off, H&M 50% off Charity gift ideas round-up FREE teas and coffees Tax rises for higher earners in Scotland Give FREE Christmas gifts FREE eHarmony premium trial Want an MSE Charity grant? This week's best buys, including 12GB Sim '£4.20/month', fibre '£18.67/month', Car Insurance Compare+ tool Should I replace my flatmate's fancy bowl - even though she told me not to? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Car Insurance Compare+ 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

Celebrating twenty twenty YOU 15 HUGE MoneySaving successes of the year to inspire, including... - £15,000 council tax refund - £6,600 a year income boost - £3,500 a year pension top-up It's fair to say that 2022 has been a horrendous year for many people's finances - sky-high energy bills, soaring inflation and rising interest rates have made for a severe cost-of-living crisis. Amid this, we've tried to arm you with the tools to cut your costs and fight your corner - and every week, we're inundated with heart-warming stories from people who've used our MoneySaving tips to balance the books, play the system or nab great deals. Here are a few of the most inspiring successes of the year - hopefully they can motivate you into action in 2023... 1) 'Spending £975 on NATIONAL INSURANCE YEARS has bought me a potential £31,000 state pension boost.' To get the full state pension, you need a full national insurance record - but if you have gaps, you can usually buy extra years to fill 'em up. Normally, you can only backfill six years, but some temporary rules mean you can buy missing years from as far back as 2006, so anyone aged 45 to 70 should check now. Our Urgently consider buying national insurance years guide has the full details, and a handy calculator to see how much you could make. Zoe emailed us in May to tell us of her HUGE state pension boost: "Thanks to Martin's advice, I checked and I've six years missing for the full state pension. Found I'm entitled to claim national insurance credits for four years and pay to top up another. So for about £975 and 30 minutes' work, I'll receive an extra £31,000 in pension payments if I live for the average 20 years after retirement. Happy days." 2) 'I saved £1,300 in credit card interest using your eligibility calculator to find a 0% BALANCE TRANSFER.' A balance transfer credit card is where you get a new credit card to pay off debts on old ones, so you owe it instead, but at 0% interest. Yet acceptance is key, so use our 0% Balance Transfer Eligibility Tool, which shows the top cards you're most likely to get before you apply. Plus see more on the top balance transfer cards below.  In November, Adam proved that even low eligibility scores don't mean you can't get a decent card: "I applied to one of the top results on your eligibility checker, which estimated I had only a 20% chance of acceptance. I was offered a credit limit of £3,500 with interest-free balance transfers for about two years. This debt was costing 20% interest. I can now focus on other debts, potentially having an extra £1,328 over the interest-free period." 3) 'I'm saving around £1,200 a year with TAX-FREE CHILDCARE.' The Tax-Free Childcare scheme offers up to £2,000 a year per child towards childcare costs, including nursery, childminder and wraparound care. But while 1.3 million families are eligible, around 800,000 aren't currently using it, even though it could save £100s. It worked for Kiran, who emailed in October to say: "I had no idea about the Tax-Free Childcare scheme until I received an email highlighting I could pay for after-school care through its website and save 20%. Thanks to Martin and his team, I now save around £100 a month. I am so grateful. Thank you." 4) 'I'm saving over £500 a year after switching to a SOCIAL BROADBAND TARIFF.' If you're on universal credit or similar benefits, you could qualify for a discounted social broadband tariff. Around four million people are eligible, but take up is still low - telecoms regulator Ofcom estimates people could save £144 a year on average. Emma saved even more. In September, she told us: "After reading about BT's social tariff, I made one phone call to see if we were eligible, as we're currently receiving universal credit, and got our bill reduced from £65 a month to £21 a month - that's a saving of over £500 a year. We couldn't believe it. Thank you so much." 5) 'My mother-in-law has dementia. We got a £15,000 refund due to a little-known COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT.' It's thought that 100,000s of people are missing out on the 'severely mentally impaired' (SMI) council tax discount, which can be awarded where you're living with a condition such as dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, have severe learning difficulties or have been impacted by a stroke. Graham told us in August that he and his wife applied for this on behalf of his 98-year-old mother-in-law Vera, who has dementia: "My wife was worried about claiming because we don't have power of attorney but, after two years of first reading about it on MSE, we finally applied. The council, the Department for Work and Pensions and the doctors couldn't have been more helpful. The claim was backdated to 2012 and was over £15,000! And going forward, the council tax is zero, a great help with the rising energy bills." 6) 'SWITCHING MY SAVINGS has netted me an extra £480 in interest.' The UK base rate has been rising all year, and now sits at 3.5%. While banks are quick to jack up mortgage rates when the base rate rises, they're much more sluggish when it comes to savings. Don't stand for miserly rates. The minimum you should now be earning on your savings is 2.85% - see the latest top savings accounts. If you're not, check, ditch and switch, like Jo did in April: "I moved all of my savings - thank you so much for the info. I'll make an extra £480 interest this year." 7) 'My pension has increased by more than £3,500 a year after I applied for PENSION CREDIT.' If you're over 65 and have income of less than £200 a week (or £300 if you're a couple), it's worth checking if you're due pension credit. It can be worth £1,000s a year, but more than 800,000 eligible pensioners don't claim. Check online or call the pension credit helpline to see if you're due. If you don't qualify but know someone who might, help them check too. Brid emailed in August: ''I followed your advice on behalf of my sister. Great news - she got an initial payment of £1,800 and will get around £320 per month thereafter. Thank you so much." 8) 'I made £100 using your EXCHANGE OLD COINS TIPS.' If you have defunct coins and notes from your travels, don't leave them gathering dust in an old jar - MSE Rhiannon has found some nifty ways to flog 'em for cash. See our Tips to get paid for UK and foreign currency. Maria got in touch in April with a decent haul: "I had leftover currency from my travels over the last 10 years, including currencies from countries I was unlikely to return to. I went to the sites I found on MSE. and managed to exchange ALL of my currencies, including coins, and got over £100." 9) 'After using your template, I reclaimed £5,500 in PACKAGED BANK ACCOUNT FEES.' These bank accounts come bundled with extras, such as breakdown cover, mobile phone and travel insurance, all for a monthly fee. If you use the cover, they can be good value, but in the past banks mis-sold these accounts in droves. Check if you were mis-sold, then complain and reclaim using our packaged bank account reclaim tool. Anne followed our steps in February: "Thank you so much for the info on reclaiming on packaged bank accounts. I held a Lloyds Gold account for over 20 years, and today my complaint was upheld - I got a whopping £5,555 returned. Happy is an understatement!" 10) 'I saved nearly £400 a year switching to a SIM-ONLY MOBILE deal.' Up to nine million people are currently out of contract on their mobile phone. If that's you and you're paying more than £5 a month for your allowance (that's minutes, texts and data), it's likely you're overpaying. Our Cheap Mobile Finder tool makes it easy to find the cheapest deals. Giles emailed us in November to say: "Thanks MSE. I was paying £24 a month for myself and £23 a month for my wife - I've changed both of us to a 20GB Sim-only deal for £8 a month, saving nearly £400 a year." 11) 'Thanks to you, we now get 16 days of FREE HOLIDAY CHILDCARE for my granddaughter.' If you're on a low income, and your child qualifies for free school meals during term time, you can also get free extra help during the school holidays, including Christmas hols. Karen emailed in August about England's Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme: "After reading about HAF in your newsletter, I discovered my granddaughter is eligible. She's now enjoying three days a week at a summer holiday club - she's entitled to up to 16 full days including a meal and it was so easy to organise. You really have made a huge difference at a time which has been incredibly difficult. Thank you." 12) 'I checked if I had any LOST PENSIONS and got a cheque for £2,600.' It's not just pensions lying unclaimed - it's thought there's £50 BILLION of lost assets in the UK, from bank and building society accounts, to Premium Bonds and investments. Use our Lost assets guide to check for lost money you or a deceased relative forgot was there. Julia emailed in August to tell us: "Martin, after watching your TV episode on forgotten pensions, we contacted the number on your site for the companies my husband worked for 40 years ago. Gave them all the information and within four weeks received a cheque for £2,669 for pension contributions he never realised he'd paid. Thank you." 13) 'I'm saving £1,470 on my TV & broadband thanks to MSE's HAGGLING TIPS.' The best savings usually come from switching, but if you don't want to, haggling with your existing provider can slash costs. This can be particularly powerful when you have lots of products bundled together, as many do with home entertainment and telecoms. Full help in our haggling tips. Alan followed them in August: "After reading your article on haggling, I thought I'd give it a go with my Sky TV, broadband and phone package. I contacted Sky and said I was leaving. The upshot was that by taking on a new contract for 18 months, I am set to save £1,470 and I changed nothing in my bundle. Happy viewing." 14) 'My son saved a massive £1,600 using MSE's new CAR INSURANCE TOOL.' Back in March, we launched a revolutionary new feature - the MSE Car Insurance Compare+ tool. Fill in one questionnaire with helpful cost-cutting tips from MSE to see your cheapest insurers as a benchmark, and we'll then give you bespoke, personalised tips - such as timing your quote or adding additional drivers - to cut costs down further. Using it saved Lisa's son a fortune in November: "I used your car insurance tool and saved for my son on his first car a massive £1,600 off his insurance. It's made his life a whole lot easier. Thank you MoneySavingExpert." 15) 'I used your BENEFITS CHECKER - I'm now getting £6,600 a year.' Millions of households are eligible for, but not claiming, means-tested benefits - more vital than ever as people struggle with the cost of living. Our 10-minute benefits calculator is a ready reckoner which shows what and how much you may qualify for. Joel emailed us after checking in May: "In your weekly email, you encouraged people to check if they're eligible for universal credit. I didn't think I'd qualify, but thought I'd check - turns out I was eligible for £550 a month! Thanks so much for the advice, I'd never have checked otherwise." PS: If these success stories have inspired you, please tell us how much you saved, made or reclaimed.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Bonfire of the balance transfers The longest 0% debt shift deals are vanishing fast. Don't wait - check NOW if you can get up to 30 months 0%  If you can't afford to clear your debts, you can't afford NOT to check if you can shift 'em Just last week, four cards offered longer than 30 months interest-free on debt transferred to them. Now just one card remains (and it limits who can apply for it). Add that to higher card interest rates, higher fees to transfer debt, and reports that lenders are getting pickier about who they give a card to, and it's a perfect storm. Yet the fundamentals of balance transfers haven't changed... it's still about paying 0% interest on the top card YOU CAN GET. So if you are paying interest on credit card debts, use a 0% eligibility calculator to home in on the cards you've the best chance of being accepted for, without any impact on your ability to get credit. TOP-PICK NEW CARDHOLDER 0% BALANCE TRANSFERS Go for the lowest fee, within a 0% time long enough to clear your debt NatWest, RBS & Ulster  Check your acceptance odds through the links above, or apply: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank - 33 months 0% - 2.9% fee - 22.9% rep APR after Existing customers ONLY. Longest 0%, but it's not open to all. If you already bank, save or borrow with these banks, then you can apply. If you're accepted, you'll get the full 33 months at 0%. Sainsbury's Bank Check your acceptance odds through that link, or apply direct* - Up to 30 months 0%  (some get 22 months) - 2.89% or 4% fee (min £3) - 21.9% rep APR after Longest 0% period that's open to all - though it's an 'up to'. This means that whether you get the headline deal is credit score dependent. But if our eligibility calculator shows you're PRE-APPROVED, you'll get the full 30 months and the lower fee. M&S Bank Check your acceptance odds through that link, or apply direct* - 28 months 0% - 2.99% fee (min £5) - 23.9% rep APR after Longest definite 0% period that's available to all.  If you're not a NatWest group customer or pre-approved for Sainsbury's but you've good odds here, you've the certainty of the full 28 months at 0% if accepted. NatWest, RBS & Ulster  Check your acceptance odds through the links above, or apply: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank - 22 months 0% - NO FEE - 21.9% rep APR after Existing customers ONLY. Longest definite NO FEE 0% (by far).  Again, if you bank here, you can apply. Another corking deal, as no-fee 22 months 0% is much longer than the next best option. HSBC Check your acceptance odds through that link, or apply direct* - 16 months 0% - NO FEE - 23.9% rep APR after Longest definite 0% with NO FEE that's available to all. If you're not a NatWest group customer this is a decent option, as you get the full 16 months 0% if accepted. Sainsbury's does have an up to 17-month no-fee card, but some will get just 12 months 0% and be charged a 1% fee - plus we can't check your eligibility. Getting a card? ALWAYS follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: a) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. b) Clear the card (or balance-transfer again) before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to get future credit. d) The balance transfer must usually be done within 1 to 3 months to get the 0% - check your card. Full help and info, including options for poorer credit scorers, in Best balance transfers.

 

Christmas coupons update: FREE £3.50 vegan chicken, FREE £2.20 Pepsi, FREE £1.40 Robinsons juice. See our list of 50+ supermarket coupons. Ends Thu. HSBC's £200 FREE cash for switching banks. Apply by 11.59pm on Thu and you can still get HSBC's FREE £200 switch bonus*. Once you have the account, you get access to a 5% regular saver where you can save £250 a month AND an easy-access savings account paying 3% (max £10,000) - beating the top standard 2.86% savings rate. See full eligibility info, and other options, in Best bank accounts. New deals in the Christmas veg price war - now 15p for 2kg potatoes. See where to find dirt-cheap spuds, carrots, sprouts & more in our veg price wars update. Track Santa as he delivers presents on Christmas Eve. Hop online or download a free app to track Santa. Ends Fri. Get short-term 3.45% savings + £40 FREE (if you've £10k+ to save...). Fix for as little as six months with a top rate from BNF Bank through savings marketplace Raisin. Plus, MSE's code gets newbies £40 cashback. Full info on how the cashback works, plus longer fixes, in Top savings accounts. Energy bills crisis -  key updates... Many are asking why they're getting notifications of energy price changes (some rises) in January. Read our explanation of what's happening to energy bills and what you can expect. Related: Why Economy 7 prices are rising the most. Bulb customer? You're (finally) moving over to Octopus. See what you need to know about the transfer. In Northern Ireland, in a park home or on LPG/heating oil? You'll get £200 to £600 energy support 'early next year'. We've had an update on how you'll be paid and when (some will need to apply). Bank of England interest rate rises to 3.5% - what it means for your mortgage and savings. Read the full analysis, including what your bank or building society's doing with mortgage rates, in Base rate rises to 3.5%. Winter water freebies, including NEW water pipe & tap protectors. 70,000 available, plus nearly a million water-saving gadgets. Find out what your water company offers in winter water-savers. Boxing Day sales: Asos 'up to 80%' off, H&M 'up to 50%' off on NOW. Plus Boots, John Lewis, M&S sales to start? See what's on now and when we think the big sales will start in our Christmas Deals Predictor.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Free eHarmony 'premium' three-day trial Ends Fri	DID YOU MISS? - Premium Bond prize rate to rise to 3% from January - The MSE Mince Pie Taste Test 2022 - see who won - Ends 10am today (Wed). 9p choc, 30p Heinz Hoops & more - Ikea 'up to 50% off' winter sale - for example, £30 shelves

 

 

The big freeze may have gone (for now), but the big squeeze continues - so we've 10 key energy saving tips Including boiler tricks & cheapest ways to heat the human, not the home Earlier this year, when the frankly eye-watering cost of winter energy bills became apparent, we put together our 60+ home energy savers. Simple changes can lead to big savings - something the Government's now highlighting in its own energy saving campaign (launched by Grant Shapps at his own home this weekend). Here are 10 of our big hitters that can help you save £100s... Got a combi boiler? A small tweak could cut your gas bill by £100 a year. If you've a gas combi boiler (the most common, one without a hot water cylinder), check the 'flow temperature'. This is the temperature of the water that circulates around this system and is often set too high, so the boiler doesn't operate efficiently. Lowering it won't change hot water or room temp, but can cut gas bills by 9%. The cheapest ways to heat yourself up (without having to heat the home). Many MoneySavers recommend getting extra warmth from electric heat pads, footwarmers and so on. There are lots of options, so we've rounded up the cheapest electrical heating gadgets. For example, £10 USB gloves that charge by plugging into a USB cost less than 1p per hour to heat. Control which rooms you heat, so you're not wasting cash. Go round your home and turn off radiators in rooms you're not using. Or consider installing radiator valves which let you set different temperatures in different rooms. Take the one-degree challenge... try dropping your thermostat temp. The World Health Organisation says 18 degrees is enough for healthy adults, slightly higher for the very young or old. Yet many set 21 as the norm. Try turning it down one degree (or more) - it could save 10% off heating bills. LED lights can cut the cost of Christmas displays. Many asked how much Christmas lights cost to run, worried if they could afford it, so we crunched the numbers in our Christmas lights analysis. Do you dilute your hot water with cold to stop your bath/shower being too hot? If so, avoid overspending by lowering hot water temperatures on combi boilers - it's often set too high by default. Use the microwave for smaller dishes - it's cheaper than the oven. Microwaves only heat the food, so if you're cooking a single jacket potato, the microwave's up to 80% cheaper. Yet for a full Christmas dinner, stick to the oven. Using an air fryer can also cut costs. Layer clothes to keep in the heat. See how cheap layers can help keep you toasty warm. Turn draught detective. Draughtproofing's one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy - see how to stop the gaps. Electric blankets from £23, fleece hoodies from £14. We've rounded up some of thecheapest electric blankets and throws, as well as fleece hoodies to help you keep warm. PS: More key energy bill help: What to do if you're struggling to pay | 'Is your direct debit right?' calculator | Firms to pay up to £100 for cutting peak use.

 

Check out our charity gift ideas round-up, including build a bog, adopt an elephant and more. If you need a last-minute gift and want to avoid tat, why not both agree to give to good causes? From vaccines to beehives, our Charity gifts guide is packed with ideas. FREE or cheap tea and coffee at Greggs, Ikea, Waitrose and more. And if you don't need it yourself, why not claim it anyway and give it to someone in need of a hot drink? See free and cheap tea and coffees. Higher earners in Scotland hit with income tax rises from April. The changes come as part of last week's Scottish budget, in which benefits were also uprated by inflation. Related: Find your new take-home pay. How to give totally FREE Christmas gifts - use our gift cheques. If money's tight, give your time rather than gifts: pledge to do something nice for someone - for instance, breakfast in bed. See our printable Christmas gift cheques. Related: Martin's ban unnecessary presents video. FREE eHarmony premium three-day trial. MSE Blagged. No subscription needed, newbies only. eHarmony Want an MSE Charity grant? We're offering up to £7,500 each to organisations that can help young people and families to learn vital financial life skills. Our charity's latest grant-giving round starts on Tue 3 Jan, but go quick as it stops once the charity accepts 40 applications. Not sure if you can apply? Check if your group qualifies and see how to apply direct. PS: To wish you a Merry Christmas, MoneySavingExpert.com has donated a sizeable sum to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal to help provide emergency support to those displaced by the ongoing war.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 30 months 0%, 2.89% or 4% fee (21.9% rep APR interest) or 33 months 0% for NatWest/RBS customers No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (apply) - up to 17 months 0%, no fee or 1% fee (21.9% rep APR) or 22 months 0% for NatWest/RBS customers Best bank accounts Ends Thu. £200 to switch + 3% savings: HSBC £175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct Top savings accounts Top easy access: Zopa 2.86%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Atom Bank 4.25%, min £50 Car insurance Try our new Car Insurance Compare+ tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR interest Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) and HSBC (apply), both 4.9% rep APR Broadband top picks Standard (10Mb+): Now Broadband '£18.42/month' Fibre (30Mb+): Vodafone '£18.67/month' Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Vodafone '£19.80/month' Cheap Sims 4GB to 9GB data: Lycamobile, '£2.40/month' for 4GB 10GB+ data: Lebara, '£4.20/month' for 12GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you use credit cards? Credit cards are like fire - used right they're a useful tool, but get it wrong and they burn. Many use them to collect rewards on spending they'd do anyway, but for others they're just another debt to be paid. So this week, we want to know if you have a credit card and, if so, whether you've debt on it (and how much)? Vote in this week's poll. Most MoneySavers dip in to their savings fewer than four times a year. Last week we asked if you had savings and, if so, how often you accessed them. Around 4,000 people responded, with just over a quarter saying they almost never touched their savings, and a further 18% saying they only dipped in once or twice a year. Much depended on age though - about 40% of under-25s said they withdrew several times a month, but only 10% of over-65s said the same. See the full poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Martin and MSE among those urging energy firms to act over missing prepay vouchers

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I replace my flatmate's fancy bowl - even though she told me not to? While putting away the dishes, I accidentally dropped a bowl belonging to my flatmate. She told me not to bother replacing it as we have loads of others, but the bowl I smashed was from an expensive ceramics brand, while our other bowls are normal cheap crockery. I still feel bad about it - what would you do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I replace my flatmate's fancy bowl even though she told me not to? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum Ask An Expert: Deals & Shopping - MSE Forum highlights: Cognac, the Colosseum & catchment areas

 

 

TURKEY & STUFFING ICE CREAM, PROSECCO CRISPS... WHAT WEIRD CHRISTMAS FLAVOURS HAVE YOU SEEN? That's all for this week, but before we go... after hearing of a 'pigs in blankets' milkshake, we asked MSE Forumites for the weirdest Christmas flavour combos they'd ever seen. Adventurous crisp flavours were a common theme, with gin & tonic, Christmas pudding, prosecco and even sprouts represented. One Forumite's local chippy got a mention for its 'festive' battered pigs in blankets, and Waitrose's cheese pastry mince pies caused a lot of debate. But we were most intrigued (and mildly nauseated) by the idea of turkey & stuffing-flavoured ice cream. See the full list of flavour finds and fails in the Weirdest Christmas flavours MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, stay safe, The MSE team

 

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