BILLBUSTER special! Cheaper than the cheapest energy fix, £3/mth for 50GB mobile, £26/mth fast broadband & more

Plus 10% off all flights, 5.05% savings, Free Lego, definite 30mth 0% debt shift, £35 Travelodge

                                                           

14 January 2025 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL BillBuster. Cut energy bills for 16mths... - New. Exclusive cheapest fix: Save 7% - Fixing's not the only fruit - other options - Struggling to pay or want to cut usage? BillBuster. 50GB mobile data £3/mth BillBuster. 132Mb broadband £19/mth 10% off ALL flights code Longest definite 30mth 0% debt shift BillBuster. Slash car insurance costs BillBuster. Cut £500/yr off your water bill? FREE Lego toy New. Top 5.05% easy-access savings 1 million+ Travelodge rooms £35 or less Ends Mon. 'Up to 50% off' train tickets 8pm tonight: The Martin Lewis Money Show Live - BillBuster Special Martin's new pod: Must-listen travel insurance masterclass & more 50% off Radflek radiator reflectors West End show sale: Tickets £10 to £60 90 days' free audiobooks & e-books Chase saver? Check if rate's dropping Martin: 'How I did 24,703 steps a day in 2024' Poll: How do you rate your bank account's service? This week's best buys: 5.9% loan, free £175 bank switch & more Money Moral Dilemma: Should our four-year-old pay for her own activities? 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

BillBuster #1 Cut your energy bills for 16mths New. Exclusive cheaper than the cheapest fix. Many can pay £100s less on elec & gas Max 10,000 switches available It's time to slay some pelicans (big bills). This is my annual BillBuster email, focusing on cutting the cost of mobile, broadband, water and car insurance, plus I'm doing the same in my ITV1 Money Show, which is back tonight (Tue) at 8pm. Let's start with the biggest, energy bills. For those in Eng, Scot & Wales... Most homes are on an Energy Price Capped tariff. The Cap went UP 10% on 1 Oct, UP another 1% on 1 Jan and it's now predicted to go UP 3% to 5% on 1 Apr. Yet act NOW & you save now, and can prevent future hikes. The Price Cap isn't a total cap on what you pay, it's a limit on the daily charge & unit cost of energy, so use more, pay more. Most firms charge at the limit, and these limits are high now, meaning the Price Cap is a pants cap, as most can easily compare & switch to a cheaper deal. Unsure if you're on a Price Capped tariff? You likely are, as eight in 10 homes are, everyone other than those already fixed or who've actively chosen a special deal. To help, when you compare via our tool, it'll say 'Price Capped' if your current tariff is. See full how the Price Cap works help. The easiest & safest route is FIX now Move to the cheapest fix and within five working days you'll be paying typically 7% less than what those on Price Capped tariffs pay. Plus, the rate is locked in so you get peace of mind that it won't change, whereas the Price Cap's predicted to rise further.  New. Exclusive cheaper & longer than the cheapest fix deal (with MSE enhanced service). 10,000 available. We've blagged an E.on Next deal via our Cheap Energy Club comparison, undercutting every other cheap fix, and it protects the rate for 16mths rather than 12. As with all tariffs, the price varies with use & region (your exact rates are in the comparison), but it's on average 7% cheaper than the current Price Cap, so it's currently a £120/yr saving for someone on 'typical use' (more if you use more). If the Price Cap rises as currently predicted, the real saving would be even bigger. It's only available via us and direct at E.on Next. Yet our Energy Club is the cheaper route as new & existing E.on Next customers get an extra £10 bill credit and £20 MSE cashback. Plus, E.on's agreed to 'MSE enhanced service', ie, if there's an issue, go to it first, but if it doesn't sort it, come to us and we can and will escalate it. So how does it compare? The cheapest standalone fixes (1) Links go via Cheap Energy Club to give you a bespoke price E.on Next EXCLUSIVE Fixed 16m V1. 10,000 available. 16mth fix. No smart meter needed. Dual fuel or elec-only | Monthly Direct Debit only Save avg 7% compared with today's Price Cap, including £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback + £10 bill credit (elec-only: £10 cashback + £5 bill credit). £50/fuel early exit fees British Gas Fixed Tariff v21. 12mth fix. No smart meter needed. Dual fuel, elec-only or gas-only | Monthly Direct Debit / cash / cheque Save avg 5.2% compared with today's Price Cap, including £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback. £50/fuel early exit fees EDF Simply Fixed 1yr Jan26v8. Allows Smart Prepay switchers too. 12mth fix. No smart meter needed. Dual fuel or elec-only | Monthly Direct Debit / cash / cheque or smart prepay. Save avg 4.9% compared with today's Price Cap, including £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback for new customers only (existing customers can switch but don't get the cashback, so it's a 3.7% saving). £25/fuel early exit fees Outfox the Market Outfox Fix'd Dual Jan25 v1.0. 12mth fix. No smart meter needed. Dual fuel, monthly Direct Debit only | Online account. Save avg 4.5% compared with today's Price Cap. £50 dual-fuel early exit fees (1) Full tariff info in our energy comparison, it also includes non-standalone tariffs, ie, those requiring you to get other products, eg, broadband or boiler cover too. These tariffs are not available in N. Ireland. For that, see N. Ireland energy. - Remember, it's the rate, not the total price that's fixed. So use more, you pay more; use less, you pay less. - What is 'MSE cashback'? As with many energy comparison sites, some providers pay us to facilitate the switch. If so, you still get the same price as if you went direct. Yet unlike other sites, we don't default to hiding tariffs that don't pay. Instead, when we're paid, we give you a chunk of it as cashback, so those that pay us are relatively cheaper for you, so likely more people switch to them. Win-win. - The savings are compared to the current Price Cap... what about once it ends? As the graph below shows, currently it's predicted that over the next year you'll pay roughly 2% more than the current Price Cap, so all the fixes above have a lot of wriggle room for things to change and for them still to be cheaper than staying on the Cap. As we're well over halfway through the assessment period of the April Cap, the predictions are firming up at a rise of between 3% and 5% depending on the source. Yet the further out you go, the more crystal-ball gazing (and subject to change) predictions are. - Is it worth fixing longer? First, that depends on you. If you want price certainty, a longer fix gives you that for longer. It also means you don't have to deal with switching as frequently. There are some even longer fixes available, but the only price predictions we have to compare against only go just beyond a year out, so it's unknowable if they'll be winners. The key is 'what happens if things change radically.' If prices rise, then a longer fix is great, you're protected longer. If they fall, say due to a worldwide recession, then you may want to leave. That means paying early exit penalties. In E.on's case, it's £100 dual fuel, about 5% of a typical annual bill (less for higher users), so it'd need a big price drop before it was worth most paying that to leave over the period, but if that did happen, it's an option. - Is it worth waiting in case fixes get cheaper? I just don't know. The rate you can fix at moves roughly with wholesale rates, and as with all markets, they're volatile and unpredictable. What we do know for certain is if you stick on the Cap you'll pay more than you would on a cheap fix every day from today likely until at least July and likely longer, so even if you did wait, you'd need a substantially cheaper fix to make up for it. The less stressful move is to fix today, though clearly there's always a chance waiting could win. Fixing is not the only fruit - some other options While fixing is the easiest option for most at the moment, there are a few newer tariffs worth looking at, especially as they're tough to display via the traditional comparison site model (the team & I are trying to work through how to get it right for the future), so let us walk you through the main ones... Rapid change time of use tariffs: Octopus & Tomato. With the Octopus Tracker tariff, rates change daily based on wholesale costs. It's been a big winner: 31% cheaper than the Price Cap on average over the last year, but recently it's had periods of being costlier (especially when wholesale rates are higher). The elec-only Octopus Agile tariff's rates change half-hourly, based on wholesale prices, so much so it can be free or even pay you to use energy in the middle of the night, or very costly in peak times. It's good for sophisticated users - those who can shift their usage nimbly to take advantage of super-cheap times or who have big battery storage. New provider Tomato Energy's Smile tariff works in a very similar way too. The Octopus tariffs are only available for existing customers, though to get 'em, you could first try switching to the Octopus Price Cap tariff then, once in, switch to one of these. Discounted Price Cap tariffs. This option isn't looking as good as fixing for most right now. Yet if you don't want to lock in to a set rate, they promise to track the Price Cap for a year, but at a lower rate, so you're always guaranteed to be lower than the Price Cap. And some have no exit fees, meaning you can switch penalty-free to another tariff if a better deal comes along. The cheapest two are: - E.on Next Pledge: Lower unit rate for avg 3% saving over the Cap. - EDF Simply Tracker: £50 cheaper standing charges than the Cap. Got an EV? Consider dedicated tariffs Several suppliers offer specific tariffs which let you get cheaper electricity overnight for charging your electric vehicle (EV) and sometimes other household appliances. Full details of what's available in our EV tariffs guide, but in brief, there are two types: 'Add-on' tariffs where you can only charge your car on the cheaper rate. Ovo and Scottish Power offer these, so you can add EV charging to whichever of their tariffs you're currently on, and you'll get a cheap rate to charge your EV at any time. All other electrical use in your home will be charged at your existing tariff rates. So if you can get a decent fixed tariff from these firms, the fact you can charge your EV even cheaper is a boon. Two-rate tariffs giving you cheaper elec overnight. Most tariffs offer between five and seven off-peak hours a day (typically from midnight to 5am) and charge around 7p to 10p per kilowatt hour of elec use (the Price Cap rate is 23p to 26p). The benefit here is if you've other appliances that you can use overnight, they'll cost less too. Struggling to pay bills or want to cut usage? My key focus today is energy tariffs. Yet of course that's not the whole story - our 75+ energy saving tips guide can take you through a host of ways to reduce your energy usage. See Energy mythbusting too. If you're simply struggling to pay, then the first route is talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable (and ask to be put on the Priority Services Register). We've detailed guides with more help, including our: - What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide, which includes hardship & debt grants. - Heat the human, not the home guide.

 

 

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

 

 

 

BillBuster #2 Slash your mobile phone bill in 3 easy steps  Many pay FOUR TIMES over the odds, yet you can pay as little as £3/mth for 50GB data, unlimited UK calls & texts, free EU roaming Mobile phone tariff costs have plummeted for new customer deals - while almost five years ago 50GB monthly data would've cost £13/mth, now it's just £3/mth. Yet existing customer costs have risen rapidly due to hefty 10%+ mid-contract rises each April - so inaction is costly. As Clark emailed us last year: "Thank you. Following your recommendation I switched my Sim. I was paying £11/mth for 8GB, which I don't use. Since switching, I pay £2/mth for 5GB. That's a saving of £9/mth." From this Friday, if a network plans to increase new customer prices during the term, Ofcom says it must outline them in pounds and pence, not link them to inflation. Our Cheap Mobile Tariff Finder tool can find your best deal, combined with these three easy steps to cut costs: Step 1: Text 'INFO' for free to 85075. The first thing to do is to check if you're one of the 14 MILLION people who are out of contract on their mobile and therefore free to cut costs by moving to a far cheaper deal. Ofcom forces firms to tell you this via a free text. Most get an instant response, though if you're with Three, Smarty or iD Mobile, you'll need to reply with your date of birth to prove identity. What you're looking for? You need to see that there's a £0 early termination/cancellation charge. Some firms write their text to try and persuade you to stay, but if there's no termination charge, you're free to leave. While it won't work if you're on a multiple-phone contract, such as a family plan, anyone who's not switched in two years is pretty sure to be free to switch. In which case, move to step 2... Step 2: Switch Sim to save. A Sim is just the (sometimes virtual) chip in the back of your phone that gives it its identity, so switch it to a cheaper one to save. Our Cheap Sim comparison tool has all the deals, here's a taster. 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 (network) Key info Average monthly cost over the first year Ends Thu. Lebara (uses Vodafone's signal)  4.1/5 ('Good') customer service - 5GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe within your allowance An average of '£3.05/mth', made up of: £1.20/mth for first six months then £4.90/mth after that. It's a rolling 1mth contract, so you can cancel at any time (even after the six months). Ends 11.59pm Wed. iD Mobile (uses Three's signal) 3.1/5 ('OK') customer service - 50GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe within your allowance (max 30GB) An average of '£3.17/mth', made up of: £2/mth for first three months then £8/mth after that. But you can CLAIM a £40 Amazon or Currys voucher (which we factor into the average cost over the 12mth contract). Ends 11.59pm Wed. TalkMobile (uses Vodafone's signal) 3.7/5 ('Good') customer service - 120GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe within your allowance (max 5GB) An average of '£4.54/mth', made up of: £9.95/mth but you can CLAIM a £65 Amazon voucher (which we factor into the average cost over the 12mth contract). Ends 11.59pm Wed. iD Mobile (uses Three's signal) 3.1/5 ('OK') customer service - Unlimited data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe within your allowance (max 30GB) An average of '£10.94/mth', made up of: £3.75/mth for first three months then £15/mth after that. But you can CLAIM a £15 Amazon or Currys voucher (which we factor into the average cost over the 12mth contract). Thinking 'But I like my signal, I'm worried about switching?' There are only four networks in the UK: Vodafone, Three, O2 and EE - all others piggyback on their signal. So you can just 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 5G, Wi-Fi calling or 4G calling, do check it does that). Step 3: To keep your number, text 'PAC' to 65075. Then you get a code to send to your new provider, which'll transfer it over, usually in one working day. More Sim-switching need-to-knows... - Don't pay for more data than you need. Most say they use 5GB or less. Try our Data Calculator if you're not sure. - Unlock your phone for free. If you're out of contract, your network must let you do this free. See Mobile unlocking. - Don't want to switch? Haggle. Mobile firms are among the easiest to haggle with. Full info in Mobile haggling.

 

Starts Wed 2pm. We've 2,000 codes to get 10% off ALL flights. MSE Blagged. Book via travel site Trip.com and enter our code at the checkout for 10% off before taxes, for up to three bookings of up to nine people (including biz class). For travel till Jan 2026. PLUS our code stacks with current airline sales, eg, BA & Easyjet. Take a trip New. Longest guaranteed 0% balance transfer, all accepted can shift debt for 30mths INTEREST-FREE. The new Tesco 30mth 0% card (3.19% fee) gives all accepted the full 0% length. It's slightly shorter than the very longest 0%s, MBNA's 31mth 0% (3.2% fee) and Barclaycard's 31mth 0% (3.45% fee), yet both of those are 'up to' cards, meaning some accepted get a much shorter 0% and possibly higher fees. We've added the new card into Martin's New Year card cost-cutting masterclass from last week's email, which takes you through it, so do read that. Golden rules: Pay at least the monthly minimum and aim to clear your balance before the 0% period ends, or you'll pay a costly 24.9% rep APR interest. BillBuster #3. Slash car insurance costs - one tool to rule 'em all. Our Compare+ Car Insurance tool is far more than just a comparison, it shows you every trick to cut costs as you go. BillBuster #4. Can you cut £500/yr off your water bill? Will a meter save you money? Plus freebies to reduce usage, social tariffs and medical special tariffs - see our 9 ways to cut water bills feature from just before Christmas. Ursula saved: "Water meter fitted as there are only two of us in a three-bed house. We now pay £16 instead of £60/mth. Thank you." FREE Lego City toy. Build and take home from 19 Lego stores this weekend, limited stock. Free Lego New. Top 5.05% easy-access savings. A cash ISA's just a savings account you never pay tax on. And the current top rates beat the top normal easy-access savings, so for those who've not used this year's £20,000 ISA allowance, Trading 212's new 5.05%* (min £1, unlimited withdrawals) is the top rate with 4.9% AER variable standard interest plus a year's 0.15% rate boost for newbies. Note it has a slightly complex structure, so full info in Top cash ISAs. Ends Fri. Got over £10,000? You may be able to earn an effective 6.57%. 1 million+ Travelodge rooms £35 or less - can you find 'em? More rooms released for stays till Jan 2026... but finding one can be trial and error. Excludes Northern Ireland. Travelodge Ends Mon. Get 'up to 50% off' train tickets (+ possible extra 5% off). The Government-backed rail sale returns, offering discounted advance and off-peak fares for travel between 17 Jan and 31 Mar, but go quick. It's back! Tonight (Tue) 8pm ITV The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE BillBuster Special. Martin: "Yes, I'm going all out BillBuster at the moment. I'll be talking you through and crucially taking your live questions on slashing the cost of energy, mobile, broadband, water, bank accounts and more (after all, it depends on what you ask - email martinlewis@itv.com). Plus loads more news you can use - do watch or at least set the Betamax."

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - 10% off ALL flights code 2,000 available - 50% off Radflek radiator reflectors 1,000 available - 90 days' free access to audiobooks & e-books Ends 11 March	DID YOU MISS? - Pizza Express 2for1 for £1 & more restaurant deals - Buyers beware... eBay's charging new fees from Feb - 'Hugely disappointing.' British Airways loyalty scheme revamp - The Sun '£9.50' holidays are back... but are they really £9.50? - Are you being UNDERPAID minimum wage?

 

 

BillBuster #5 Can you halve broadband costs & double the speed? Eg... New. Fast 132Mb broadband just £19/mth or blistering 500Mb for £26/mth. Ditch, switch & save up to £600/yr NOW Broadband customers have seen bills rocket by double-digit, above-inflation percentages in recent years. The cheapest deals have risen too, but by nowhere near as much, so big savings are possible. Our broadband comparison rounds up the latest deals for your postcode (there are many local providers, so this level of granularity's important). New rules from the regulator Ofcom take effect on Fri, effectively banning 'inflation-linked' annual price hikes. Any price increases must now be clearly outlined upfront in pounds and pence. Currently, our tool does not factor in these specific price hikes, as not all providers included have specified exactly how much their prices will increase in pounds and pence. When they do, we'll update our tool to reflect the changes. 1. Check what you pay (spoiler: for most, it's too much) and if you're out of contract. The bog standard 64Mb broadband deal with BT costs £840/yr, on its 30Mb speed Sky is £520/yr, and at 132Mb Virgin is £650/yr. Yet if you're one of SEVEN MILLION who are out of contract (most people who've not switched in the last two years are), you could pay as little as £233/yr. 2. Check what's available where you live. The key to getting broadband is short-term promo deals punted out on to comparison sites (we collate them within our broadband comparison tool). Most work by giving you sign-up incentives such as bill credit or vouchers, because if firms just offer straight cheaper deals, most would have to offer them to their existing customers on their own sites. Our tool covers 28 providers, both big names and a growing cohort of smaller, often low-cost local providers (and we're adding more all the time). To give you an idea... Cheapest mainstream broadband deals (use tool for local providers) All go via our revamped Broadband Comparison, so you can see what's available at your address New. Virgin 132Mb broadband-only '£19.45/mth' (18mth contract) MSE Blagged Cheapest 100Mb+ fibre deal available to most. You pay £25/mth, but get an AUTOMATIC £100 bill credit on your first bill. So there's nothing to pay for the first four months. Total cost: £350 over the 18mth contract, equivalent to £19.45/mth. Note, the monthly cost will rise every April by £3.50/mth (1). Service rating: 4.9/10 ('OK') (2) New. Vodafone 150Mb broadband & digital line '£20.25/mth' (2yr contract) Cheap 100Mb+ fibre with decent service. It's just launched - you pay £24/mth, but can CLAIM a £90 Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's or M&S voucher within four months. Total cost: £486 over the 2yr contract, equivalent to £20.25/mth. Note, the monthly cost will rise every April by £3/mth (1). Service rating: 6.1/10 ('OK') (2) New. Vodafone 500Mb broadband & digital line '£25.92/mth' (2yr contract) Cheapest 500Mb+ fibre. It's just launched - you pay £28/mth, but can CLAIM a £50 Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's or M&S voucher within four months. Total cost: £622 over the 2yr contract, equivalent to £25.92/mth. Note, the monthly cost will rise every April by £3/mth (1). Service rating: 6.1/10 ('OK') (2) Ends Thu. Virgin 516Mb broadband only '£27.73/mth' (18mth contract) Cheap 500Mb+ fibre. You pay £33/mth, but you get an AUTOMATIC £95 bill credit added to your first bill. So there's nothing to pay for the first two months. Total cost: £499 over the 18mth contract, equivalent to £27.73/mth. Note, the monthly cost will rise every April by £3.50/mth (1). Service rating: 4.9/10 ('OK') (2) On Universal Credit or similar benefits? Try a social tariff. Many providers offer special discounted social broadband tariffs, which give long-term cheap prices of usually £13/mth to £20/mth for 30Mb+. Add your postcode via the link above and, within your search results, you'll see the social tariffs local to you. Our 'equivalent costs' - adding all costs, deducting promo credits and averaging over the contract so you can compare easily. (1) Contractual annual price hikes aren't factored in, as not all the providers in our tool specify exactly how much they'll increase in pounds and pence yet - though they'll all have to by this Friday, when we'll update our tool. (2) Broadband service ratings tend to be worse than other sectors, so all scores are lower. See our full broadband service poll results. 3. Ensure you know the broadband switching need-to-knows: Slow broadband? Before switching, test your speed - is it the Wi-Fi or the connection? Do a speed check - first via Wi-Fi, then by plugging your device into the router (if you can). If Wi-Fi's a lot slower, try our speed-boosters. You no longer need to contact your current provider to switch. Until recently, switch broadband and with some providers you had to contact both your old and new firm (sometimes leaving you paying for both during the overlap). Now, Ofcom has rolled out a 'One Touch Switch' service, so the new firm should seamlessly sort it for you. Don't want to switch? Haggle. In our December poll, the vast majority of those who'd haggled with the big broadband firms were successful. Use the deals above as a benchmark. Read full Broadband haggling tips. Bundling your broadband, TV and phone with one provider can work out cheaper. While bundles can unlock cheaper prices, you'll have fewer switchable options when you get to the end of your contract, and exit fees can be high if you need to cancel early. See Broadband and TV deals to compare. Switching usually only means about two hours' downtime. You're told the switch time, and most don't need an engineer, even if you're getting fibre to the premises (where you've a fibre cable fitted to bring the connection into your home allowing the fastest speeds), though someone may need to come to look at the externals of your home (you needn't be there). There are exceptions, eg, if you're moving to or from Virgin, you may need one (you're told before applying). At least 50% of customers must get the advertised speeds at peak times. Plus, all bigger providers must also indicate your estimated minimum speed pre-application. Members of cashback sites can sometimes undercut deals. In some cases, the cashback can mean these sites undercut promos elsewhere, though sometimes the deal differs - so check carefully. More in Top cashback sites.

 

Martin's new pod: Booked a holiday? Must-listen travel insurance masterclass (get it ASAB, annual policy overlaps, pre-existing conditions, etc) | Are cats legally different from dogs? | Do energy bills always rise? | No-fault car insurance. And more in The Martin Lewis Pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Spotify | Apple or wherever you get your Martin fix. Starts Wed 1pm. 50% off Radflek radiator reflectors, eg, 3 for £14 delivered (normally £26). MSE Blagged. These energy-saving packs are always popular, so the 1,000 available will likely go quickly. Radflek West End show sale: Tickets £10 to £60, eg, Mean Girls, Wicked, Disney's The Lion King. Nab tickets in the See It Live sale. Related: Tickets from £20 for selected shows and theatres across the UK 90 days' free access to over a million audiobooks & e-books. MSE Blagged. For Bookbeat newbies. Read on Chase saver? Check if your rate's about to drop to 3.5%. Its hugely popular savings boost from last year expires on Thu, meaning the rate will be a long way off our best buys above. See Chase rate news. Martin: 'My step obsession: How I averaged 24,703 steps a day (burning 3,850 calories) in 2024.' So for those who are able, put on your walking shoes, rub some balm into your calves, and massage your toes (not necessarily in that order), it's step time. See Martin's my steps year blog. How do you rate your bank account's service? We ask you to rate your current account provider for customer service every six months, so we see which have got better - and which have got worse. Have your say.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: MBNA (check eligibility) up to 31mths 0%, 3.2% OR 3.49% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0% + possible £20 cashback, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Free £175 + TOP service: First Direct 1st Account Free £175 + 5% interest: Nationwide FlexDirect Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£19.45/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£25.92/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Try our new Compare+ Home Insurance tool (beta) Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility), 7.2% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility), 5.9% rep APR Top savings accounts Top easy-access cash ISA: Trading 212 5.05%, min £1 Top easy-access savings: Chip 4.85%, no min Top one-year fix: Vida Savings 4.77%, min £100 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.78/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.05/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.50/mth' for 15GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.17/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you rate your bank account's service? Every six months, we ask for your help to track the quality of customer service provided by banks. By comparing your answers with last time, we can see which have got better or worse. Please vote based on customer service for your main current account over the last six months. Vote in this week's poll. Smaller mobile networks beat traditional firms for customer service. More than 18,000 people voted in last week's mobile phone service poll. Of firms to receive 75+ votes, Spusu, Lebara Mobile and Giffgaff scored highest for customer service, with 74%, 68% and 66% of respondents rating them 'great' respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, biggies O2 and Three scored just 20% and 18% 'great' respectively. See full mobile poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: British Airways passenger? Use or lose old Covid vouchers by 30 September

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should our four-year-old child pay for her own extracurricular activities? Since she was born, our four-year-old has been given money by friends and family on birthdays etc. She now has a few grand saved up in a bank account we opened for her. Recently, we've signed her up to some extracurricular activities she wants to try - gymnastics, swimming, drama and Scouts. The cost mounts up, so would it be fair to charge them to her account, rather than our own? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should our child pay for her own activities? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

A few MoneySaving challenges for 2025... - Collect every £2 coin you come across - January pantry challenge: use up your old food - Fiver Friday: save £260 by end of year ... from the MSE Forum - The joy of decluttering - Crafting without buying new materials - Save £1 a day for Christmas 2025

 

 

MARTIN'S BLOG - My step obsession: How I averaged 24,703 steps a day in 2024	MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Snowdrops, sofas & supermarket prices

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 14 JAN ONWARDS) Tue 14 Jan - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 8pm Thu 16 Jan - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm Tue 21 Jan - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.20am

 

 

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