Car finance MASS redress CONFIRMED!, urgent 4.7% ISA, Lloyds app glitch compensation, free cereal, energy bills drop, top 0% spending + £25

Plus... Ben & Jerry's tub & 2 pizzas £5, 100GB Sim £4/mth, 4p carrots, missing State Pension check

                                                           

31 March 2026 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin: Car finance mass redress CONFIRMED - are you due £830? - How to complain (even if you've no info) - I've complained, what now? - Is it better to go to court? - When will I get my money? Urgent. 4.7% cash ISA | Free £50 shares Energy bills CHEAPER for (almost) all Lloyds app glitch compensation £5 for Ben & Jerry's tub and two pizzas Ends Thu. Top 0% spending card + £25 FREE Kellogg's cereal & fruit New. 100GB mobile Sim £4/mth 4p carrots, parsnips and more Missing State Pension check: 'I got £25k' Rejected for 0% debt shift? Check again Booked a holiday? Book airport parking! Martin pod. Is LISA's free £1k/yr worth it? Question pod. Refund for 5yr faulty TV? How do scam ads work? Protect yourself Don't pay for passport photos... 50% off toys Winter Fuel Payment clawback help Poll: How much mobile data do you use? This week's best buys: Free £200 bank switch, 5.6% loan, 150Mb fibre £20/mth Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay for house repairs to get joint ownership? 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

Martin's Car Finance News briefing... CONFIRMED: £9bn mass redress scheme Bought a car, van or motorbike on finance since 2007? 12m deals were mis-sold & are due a typical £830 back. Free complaint tool to get it quicker, easier & with more certainty Finally, the regulator, the FCA, last night set out its new mass redress scheme for car finance, covering 12m mis-sold agreements from 2007 to 2024. It'll all kick off at the start of July (unless there's legal challenge, of course). And 'mass' is the crucial word, as it won't just cover those who make complaints - firms must try and rout out everyone who was mis-sold and contact them. Yet it's important to understand... It's best to put in a complaint if you haven't yet, as you'll get your money far quicker and there's less chance of missing out as they don't have your (correct) info. - When does it start? The clock starts ticking on 1 Jul for agreements made after 31 Mar 2014, and 1 Sep for those before. Most who've complained you should be contacted within 3mths of that. - Find it easier to watch or listen? I've done an instant reaction video explainer and a mini podcast episode on it.  - Got specific questions... I'm going to explain in detail, but here's quick jump links if you've a specific issue... - How do I complain? And what if I don't know my finance info? - I've already complained, what next? (incl if they said 'you've no case'). - Is it better to go to court? - When will I get my money, and could all this be challenged? The 'Is my car finance covered by this?' checklist.  Here's the deals that are covered by the FCA redress scheme, or watch my 'Does my car finance agreement count?' 1min video.   It must be MOTOR vehicle finance: Car, van, motorbike & campervan (not caravans as they don't have motors). Eligible dates: Finance from 6 Apr 2007 to 1 Nov 2024. Finance types: Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) & Hire Purchase (HP) but NOT leased cars. Vehicles must primarily be for personal use, or for sole trader or small partnerships if finance is under £25,000. Some ask about agricultural tractors - generally no, as they're not for personal use. Still applies if the owner passed away? Yes, see claiming for deceased. Paid vehicle off, or no longer own it? This is about the finance agreement, so that changes nothing - you can still complain. Had multiple eligible car finance deals? You may be due multiple payouts - complain to each firm separately. My finance was interest-free. This is all about unfair commission on the interest - you had no interest so weren't mis-sold. Of these agreements, that are covered, 35% were mis-sold (so 65% weren't). To check put in a free complaint. What did this week's announcement change? The most important thing is it confirmed the mass redress scheme would go ahead. The big picture is it's pretty similar to what we knew from the consultation, yet some things are different...  - It was 14m mis-sold agreements, now it's 12m. This is due to increased exclusions, especially on the 'contractual ties' issue. - The payout did average £700, now it's £830, as there'll be higher compensatory interest & higher payout rates for earlier claims. - The total cost was £11bn, now it's £9bn (with the amount of redress to consumers moving from £8.2bn to £7.5bn) - some due to fewer agreements, but also as it now predicts a 75%, not 85%, take-up rate. As it's complex, I'll highlight the changes in orange as I explain below... There are THREE ways you may have been mis-sold under this scheme. And each agreement could've been mis-sold in more than one way. With all three, the key is that what they did wasn't disclosed to you (it was in very few % of cases), so... As you weren't told what they were doing, the only way to know now if you've got a complaint, is to complain! Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs). 10.6m (was 11.4m) agreements. This was the original form of mis-selling that most people who put in complaints asked about. Here, without telling you, the interest rate you paid was increased, in order to pay the dealer or broker extra commission. DCAs were banned on 28 Jan 2021, so this only applies to finance agreements prior to that. Contractual ties. 1.1m (was 2.4m) agreements. This is where a broker didn't adequately disclose it was working exclusively with one lender, or that one lender had a right of first refusal, eg, the dealer said: "We'll go to a panel of lenders to find you the best car finance", but in reality one lender had first refusal, so the 'searching the market' was false. Change: If dealer was linked to lender (eg, VW dealer, VW finance). The FCA has now said if firms prove to them there was an obvious 'captive and white-label tied agreement' between the dealer and finance firm (eg, VW dealer, VW finance; Toyota dealer, Toyota finance; Ford dealer, Ford Finance) - and there is evidence of prominent and consistent branding in the consumer journey - it won't count as contractual tie mis-selling as the link was obvious. This is why there are so many fewer cases here. If this impacts you, you could still have been mis-sold in one of the other two ways. Unfairly high commission. 2.6m (was 2.9m) agreements. If the commission paid to brokers or dealers was BOTH over 39% (change: it was 35%) of the total cost of credit AND 10% of the total loan cost, then without disclosure this is seen as likely excessive and thus mis-selling. (There's also a higher category of unfair commission where the compensation will be bigger). With all types you can use our free complaint tool to ask if that happened with your agreement. Change: There are some new exclusions... The FCA says it will exclude claims where the total commission was below £120 (pre April 2014) or £150 (after 1 April 2014), as at this level it doesn't think it would've affected decisions.  It will also exclude cases where there was a DCA in place but it wasn't used to give discretionary commission. Plus it's excluding 0.5% of claims which were for high-value loans, saying they're not suitable for a mass market redress scheme (so you'd need to reclaim individually and can escalate your case to the Financial Ombudsman if you're not happy with its decision). Already complained using the free MSE tool (or any DIY route)? Over 3.7m complaints have been sent via our free complaint tool. What to do now depends on how (& if) the firm replied - there are three main camps. Name, address or details changed since you complained? If you've got married, moved house or changed contact number, do make sure you contact the firm to update it with the new details. It replied and said you DID have a Discretionary Commission Arrangement: Compensation is very likely. So sit tight and wait until after the implementation period (see the 'I've complained timetable' below) and you should be sent a letter or email (or in some cases a phone call) telling you how much you're owed. Then if you accept it, you'll be paid within a month. If it didn't say anything except 'acknowledge receipt'. Well, the key is you put in a complaint and it got it. You're on the fast track and don't need to do anything more. See the 'I've complained timetable' below. If it replied "you don't have a complaint"...! Till the middle of last year, the FCA was only investigating DCAs, and that's what our complaint letters focused on. If it wrote back and said you didn't have a DCA, that isn't the end of it, as a Supreme Court ruling last year meant two new mis-selling categories (contractual ties & unfairly high commission) were added and they cover around 4m agreements.  Change: Now best practice is to put another complaint in. I believe this is a change, but the FCA was unclear before, so it may not be. While your case will be looked at again by the firm for the other two types of mis-selling, you won't be in the quicker "I've complained" route - you'll be in the slower "I've not complained (opt in)" route (see the complaint timetables below). That's not ideal, so you can use our complaint tool again now to speed it up, as it now includes all three complaint types. Not complained yet & had car finance? Do it now - there are free tools to help. If a firm's data shows you were mis-sold and you haven't complained, the mass redress scheme means it will have to let you know.  Yet that way you likely won't be paid out until 2027 or even 2028, rather than 2026, and you are reliant on the firm having kept your info, and it being able to track you down (if you've changed name or address). So far better to get a complaint in yourself, and it's not just me saying that, the FCA boss said it on my show last week... FREE TOOL 1: If you know who you had finance with... the MSE Car Finance Complaint Tool. Our free complaint tool has had 3.7m complaints and incorporates all three mis-selling types. You just put in your car finance details for each agreement and it builds an email based on my draft, and fills in the right address to send it to. PS: We don't data-mine or store your info. We get great feedback, like from Roy last week: "Thank you very much for creating the free tool to draft complaint letters to car finance companies in relation to the car finance redress scheme. Whilst I have only just submitted my letters and will wait to see what happens, I am so grateful for the tool which made it super easy to generate the emails with the correct details and wording." FREE TOOL 2: Forgotten if you had car finance or lost the paperwork? Credit reference agency Equifax has just launched a free Car finance checker app tool with info on all the car finance records reported to it since 2007 (most but not all firms' policies - feedback's been good though), including info on any joint agreements.  Though to get it you'll need to sign up to its free basic Equifax account (if you're being asked to pay, you've done it wrong). It won't say if you were mis-sold, but the info it gives is great to then plug into our free complaint tool. The timeline: when will I get my money (and could this all be challenged)? I think a legal challenge is quite likely, but the FCA has done something that may be clever. The most likely challenge would be a Judicial Review of the regulator to get it to exclude agreements made before 1 April 2014. So the FCA has technically split the car finance redress scheme into two: one from 6 April 2007 to 31 March 2014, the other from 1 April 2014 to 1 November 2024. That way, if there is a challenge to the earlier agreements, they will be put on hold, but it can carry on as normal with the later ones. Yet the currently planned schedule is...  Step 1: Implementation Period. Basically, this means there's a wait until it all starts. If your agreement was made from 1 April 2014, the implementation period ends 30 June; if it was made before, it will be 31 August. Step 2 (for those who complained before implementation period ends): If you've already complained, or do it soon, within three months of the implementation period ending you'll be told if you're due compensation and how much. If you accept that straight away, you'll be paid what you're owed within 1 month of accepting. So that should be October at the latest (December for older agreements). Step 2 (for those who've not complained): If the firm thinks you were mis-sold, it must contact you within 6 months and ask if you want to opt in to a complaint. You'll then be told if you're owed compensation and how much within 3 months, and if you accept, you'll be paid within a month after that. So that will likely be around or after April 2027 (June 2027 for older agreements). How will they contact you (beware scams)? Generally, finance firms will write or email (and may call as well). And they must contact you twice.  If you're worried it may be a scam, the FCA has a new helpline on 0300 124 8899 - so you can check if it's genuine (it's not for other queries though). We'll be working on guidance to ensure you don't get scammed and will put more info out on that once we get closer to the point where people will first be contacted. How much will be paid out & will there be interest? This is where we've seen the most changes. On the surface it's good news, as the average payout is now to be £830, rather than £700 as it was.  Some of this is a real increase due to more compensatory interest and higher payouts on older agreements. Yet an element is because quite a lot of those who were due smaller payouts have been excluded, which ups the average. The calculation is the same for most ways you were mis-sold, even if you were mis-sold in more than one way (with the exception of a small number of extremely high commission cases).  How they work out your compensation... OK, this is going to get technical, so feel free to skip this box if it confuses you. The regulator will take the mean average of... - 17% of the interest you paid (its assessment of the typical cost of the 'market distortion' caused by mis-selling). Change: This has been increased to 21% for pre April 2024 cases. - The total commission paid to the dealer or broker (this is generally a higher amount and is what the court has ordered paid in some cases). We worked out someone who took £20,000 finance over 5 years in 2010 on a typical DCA would be likely to get around £1,600 back including interest (£1,000 before it). With £10,000 finance over 2 years in 2018, it'd be around £600 back including interest (£450 before). Yet, depending on circumstances, the actual numbers can swing wildly. Change: A cap has been added for some. 1 in 3 agreements will see the payout capped so that people aren't put in a better position than they would be had they just got a fair deal. Generally, this applies to those where less commission was taken. In general (it's complex), the cap is set at the lowest of: - 90% of the commission, plus interest. - The cost of the borrowing (ie interest generally), worked out against a very cheap benchmark deal (ie the cheapest 5% on the market, ignoring interest-free deals). There will be compensatory interest added on top. This is to make up for the fact you couldn't use the amount mis-sold over time. The initial rate was very poor - we campaigned strongly that this wasn't enough, was far lower than prior mis-selling campaigns and wouldn't come close to the realistic loss. While it's still not where we'd like it, I'm pleased the FCA has increased it. The interest is set for each year from roughly when you got the agreement. It is simple interest (ie, not compounded): - Was: Bank base rate in the year +1%. - Change: Now Bank base rate in the year +1% (min 3%). That means that every year from 2009 to 2022 you'll get significantly more than you would've before, often double (as it would've been 1.5% in most years). We don't yet know if this interest would be taxable as savings interest. My guess is it will, based on how it worked with PPI and bank charge reclaims, but do remember most basic rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 (higher rate taxpayers £500) of interest a year without being taxed on it due to the Personal Savings Allowance.  There is another way you can do this - go to court, and you may get more... Above I've focused on the regulator's mass scheme. Yet it's important to understand the payouts are not as high as the court may award based on some past cases.  My guess is the FCA watered them down primarily to find a compromise to try and ensure that lenders don't derail the process. Only time will tell if that's enough. Yet of course equally, if it's watered it down too much, that will just push more people to go to court, make it more difficult and clog up the courts.  And indeed for this reason, when those who've complained get sent the letter asking if you want to get your payout, it's important you know you've a right to say no, as you may choose the court route instead. Yet while you may get more via court, it's likely 30% or more would go to pay claims firms/lawyers' fees, which will eat away at a chunk of that.  I've made the call that MSE and I will focus on the redress scheme, and all our info above is about that. I've done that because most people contact me saying: "Can't they just make it easy and quick?" and the redress scheme is likely to be easier.  Plus, I want to support the 'mass' element of the scheme that means millions, including vulnerable people who won't complain, will get redress. Yet that doesn't mean court is wrong - the decision is yours, and done right you may end up better off via it. There are plenty of firms you can use to access it.  Ultimately, neither route is perfect. So while court is a more militant option for some, as a mass-user website we're focusing our resources on helping through the mass-redress scheme. I've signed up to a claims firm - what do I do? The FCA redress scheme is designed to make DIY easy, so if you're going through this route, not court, firms won't add much.  Yet if you've already signed up, the main issue is some contracts say they can charge you a cancellation fee, and it's payable on cancellation, ie, now (others say a success fee is due if you win, even if you cancel - do check). If you stick with them, the regulators say you should only be charged for work done. Both the FCA and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) - as firms can be regulated by one or the other, you need to check yours - say charges must be reasonable, but frustratingly they don't define that. So if you think they're not, make a formal complaint, then if it's rejected, you can go to the Claims Management Ombudsman (if FCA regulated), or the Legal Ombudsman (if SRA regulated).  We will aim to look into this further in the coming weeks, but are somewhat reliant on whether there is more guidance from the regulators. Got more questions that haven't been answered? Check out our detailed Car finance mis-selling guide which has even more info.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

It's the final countdown (duh-duh dur-duur)! Tax year ends on Sunday ISAs use 'em or lose 'em. Earn 4.7% in the top cash ISA or get a free £50 with top shares ISA incentives All UK adults can put up to £20,000 in ISAs each tax year whether in cash ISAs, shares ISAs or a combination. Yet this Sunday, 5 April, is the last day you can use this 2025/26 tax-year's allowance - don't wait till the last minute as it can take time administratively. Once your money is in a cash ISA, it stays tax-free year after year. So if you've not used your ISA this year, you could put £20,000 in now and another £20,000 in ISAs from MONDAY (the new tax year). Top 4.7% cash ISA is still available. A cash ISA's just a savings account where the interest isn't taxable. If you've got easy-access savings and haven't filled this year's ISA allowance, put it in a cash ISA as the rates beat normal savings. Yet go quick - some providers close before the year end. Both easy-access top picks include year-long rate boosts for new customers. Top picks: Trading 212's 4.68%* is the top easy-access for new money. Moneybox's 4.27% AER is the top easy-access for transfers in from other ISAs (max 3/yr withdrawals). Top 1yr Cash ISA fix open-to-all is Vida's 4.37% AER. Far more picks in our regularly updated Top cash ISAs guide. Related: Top saving accounts. FREE '£50' if you invest £100 with not one but two shares ISA promos (you can do both). Shares ISAs are investment accounts where the gains aren't taxable. Over the long run (5+ yrs) in a broad spread of investments, on the balance of probability they should easily outperform savings (see Martin's audience shock at savings vs investments video) - but of course you need to understand values can go down as well as up. Two shares ISAs have newbie promos on, and both let you invest in a huge range of funds. This is great to dip your toe into the investing water with smaller amounts, as the freebies offset an element of risk. You can do both, as you can have as many ISAs as you like, provided you don't go over £20,000 total. Top 'dip your toe in' shares ISA incentives: Trading212's* using code MSE50 (16,000 available) gets you £50 of shares in a randomly selected big firm (eg Apple, Nvidia, Coca-Cola) when investing £100+. It's paid quickly and you can then keep or sell it (and withdraw the proceeds after 30 days).  InvestEngine* via this link (2,500 available) gets you £50 of cash paid into your account within 5 working days when investing £100+. To get the promo you need to click a notification in your app after sign up, and keep at least £100 invested - plus your £50 bonus saved or invested - for 12mths. If you're confused, see our InvestEngine £50 help. More options including 'transfer promos' in our Top shares ISA guide.

 

Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland users complaining about the recent app glitch are getting an avg £40 compensation. If you were impacted, read Lloyds Group app glitch compensation to see whether you think you're due. £5 for Ben & Jerry's tub and two pizzas. You'd pay £14 to buy it all separately. Cheap night in. Ends Thu. Longest 0% 'new spending' card gives 'free' £25 M&S voucher. The M&S 25mth 0% card is the longest definite 0% card for new borrowing, meaning all accepted get the full 25mths interest-free. And till 11.59pm Thu, accepted newbies spending £500+ on it in the first 30 days get a £25 M&S voucher. So if you need to borrow for a budgeted-for, planned purchase, and can clear the debt before Apr 2028, nowt's cheaper than interest free, especially with a voucher (if in doubt though, err on avoiding debt). Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly min or you can lose the 0%. Clear the card before the 0% ends, or it jumps to 24.9% rep APR interest. Never withdraw cash on it. Full info & options in 0% purchase cards. Totally FREE Kellogg's cereal & fruit for adults or kids at Morrisons Café during Easter hols. A good deal, and it may help those finding things tough right now, as it's one per day per family member. See Free cereal & fruit. Plus, kids eat for £1 (no adult meal purchase needed) at Asda café & Ikea. Or see our full Kids eat for 'free' or cheaply. New. 100GB monthly data, unlimited UK calls & texts just '£4/mth'. This 100GB Lebara Sim (uses Vodafone's network) is £3.95/mth for the first 6mths, then £11.90/mth. Plus, you'll be emailed a £45 Amazon, M&S, Sainsbury's, or Primark voucher within 6mths (check your spam folder). Factor all that in, and over 12mths it's equivalent to £4.18/mth. It's a one month rolling contract you can cancel at any time. Find all the best deals: Cheap Mobile Finder. Easter veg prices slashed: 1kg carrots, 500g parsnips etc just 4p. 6 supermarkets chopping up to 95% off veg. Missing State Pension check: 'I reclaimed £25,000 after taking time off to provide care.' If you took time off work between 1978 and 2010 to look after children or provide care, you too could be due £10,000s in underpaid State Pension – check now, as we've heard reports of long delays in processing claims. See HRP reclaim. Got credit card debt(s) but get rejected when you apply to shift it to 0%? Check again... There are a growing range of cards offering 0% balance transfers to those with poorer credit histories - and a reminder, last week we told you there's now a new-ish 0% balance transfer that accepts likely twice as many as others. Booked your holiday? Book your airport parking sooner! Early booking can massively bring the price down and we've blagged you extra comparison site discounts (do try a few, don't assume bigger % always means cheaper): FHR 5%-55% off* | SkyParkSecure 3%-54% off* | Holiday Extras 10%-50% off* | Airport Parking & Hotels 16%-20% off*. Far more help in Cheap airport parking. New Martin pod. Is a Lifetime ISA (LISA) with its free £1,000/yr still worth it? A must-listen for anyone with a LISA, a Help to Buy ISA, or looking to save for a first property. Plus the insider money tips you learnt from work. All this & more in Martin's main podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc. Do try the Question Time pod for a lighter listen (it may make you smile)... Question Time pod. My 5yr old TV is faulty - can I get a refund? Your caller helped me sort my debt! When shouldn't I pay in full? This is the pod where you can ask anything and everything (within reason!) and these are just some of what you asked him in this week's Martin's Question Time podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

 

 

DID YOU MISS? - Can you make cash buying unclaimed lost luggage? - Easter deals: 99p eggs, free kids' activities & more - Warning. New 'Making Tax Digital' rules - Ikea 'up to 50% off' sale, eg, £20 duvet set £10 - £37 Ted Baker prescription specs or sunnies (normally £135)

 

 

Almost everyone's energy bills are about to get CHEAPER (for now)... No joke - from tomorrow, 1 April, the Energy Price Cap drops 6.7%. And, unprecedentedly, those on fixes will see their rates drop too, most by 7% to 9% 10 important energy-all-change need-to-knows Tomorrow (1 Apr) is all-change-day for energy bills, when the announcement in the last Budget to remove some costs off all energy bills finally kicks in. This is largely due to shifting most of the cost of the Renewables Obligation off bills and to the state (so paid for via taxes or debt), plus the end of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. There's a lot you need to know - so much, in fact, here's a quick index to help... - Price changes for those on: Bog standard tariffs |  Fixes | Other special tariffs. - Key things to do: A meter reading if on Direct Debit | Check your Direct Debit | Time top up if on non-smart prepay.  - Cheaper deals? Time to fix if on Price Cap? | Low Standing Charges deal | Help if struggling with bills. 1. On your firm's bog standard tariff? Your energy costs will fall by an average 6.7% tomorrow (Wed). The Energy Price Cap dictates the maximum standing charge and unit rate firms can charge on their standard tariffs (the "I'm not on a special fix or deal" tariffs). This impacts 65% of homes in Eng, Scot & Wales - see Am I on the Price Cap? Almost all firms' standard tariffs are priced at or very near the maximum, so they will be reduced. Your exact change depends on where you live and how much gas and/or electricity you use.  Try our What'll I pay from April? calc to see info for you (also region-by-region Price Cap rates). PS: If you're on the Price Cap, be aware a large rise is predicted for July, read our consider fixing info below. 2. On a fixed tariff? Your rates should get cheaper too. Again, this is due to changes in the underlying policy costs on bills. While your Standing Charges won't change, most who are fixed with major suppliers will see a reduction of... - 3.5p per kWh on the electricity unit rate (likely to be around a 13% reduction, but can vary) - 0.33p per kWh on the gas unit rate (likely to be around a 6% reduction, but can vary) The reduction will be smaller with some suppliers, as they didn't need to be on the ECO scheme, so there's no saving from that ending. In those cases, you'll usually only see a reduction in your electricity unit rates. See firm-by-firm fixed guidance. 3. Other tariffs should drop too. If you're not on a fix or Price-Capped tariff, your price should still drop as the same policy costs are being removed. Exactly how, though, is more complex. - On a fixed Electric Vehicle or Economy 7 tariff? Overall, the price should come down, but it depends how firms balance the cost between your off-peak and peak rates. At the extreme, if firms do rebalance these, a few customers could end up paying more.  - On Time of Use tariff? Such as Octopus Agile or Tracker. You should see your rates reduced. Octopus says it'll apply the policy cuts automatically, but as these tariffs are so variable, it's tricky to predict what impact this will have. There are some exceptions to the rules. Some customers of Home Energy, So Energy or Utility Warehouse may not see the reductions above. The links explain why. 4. It's Meter Reading Week. If you've NOT got working smart meters, aim to give an up-to-date reading within a few days either side of 1 Apr, reducing the risk that your supplier estimates you've used more at the old, higher rate than you actually have. And this time, it's not just those on Price-Capped tariffs that should take a meter reading - if you're on a fix, you should do it too, as your prices are changing. See firm-by-firm when & how to do a reading. 5. Check your Direct Debit (DD) after the rate drop. Use our 'Is your Direct Debit right?' calculator to see roughly what it should be. If too high, see how to challenge unfair DDs. Though for those on the Price Cap, we're expecting to see a big rise on 1 July, so you may want to hold off reducing your DD too soon. 6. Got a non-smart electricity prepay meter? Your meter only switches to the new cheaper rate when it's topped up. So first thing Wed morning, top it up - even if only by the minimum - so you're paying less from then on.  7. On the Price Cap? If you're scared of rate rises, consider fixing. Analysts are currently predicting the Cap will RISE around 20% on 1 Jul, once the impact of the Middle East conflict is factored in (see latest Price Cap predictions). If the conflict continues, those prices could carry on for the 1 Oct Price Cap too. The way round this is to lock in a fix, which guarantees no rises for a set time. The cheapest fixes are nowhere near as cheap as pre-conflict, but the cheapest is still around 3% more than the current Price Cap (down from 9% more just 10 days ago, so it has come down a little). And remember, this price will drop on 1 Apr like most fixes. So if you're worried about rate rises, use our full market comparison to see what's available. 8. Not on the Price Cap? Comparing is tricky right now. We're busy updating all the tariffs in our Cheap Energy Club to reflect the 1 Apr rate changes - but this involves updating ALL the historic tariffs that households are already on, and we're still waiting for the new rates from some providers. This means, particularly if you're on a fix, the savings you see when you do a comparison may not be accurate yet. If you do want to compare, make sure to check your new rates from 1 April directly with your current provider. 9. Low Standing Charges tariff - an easy way for many to save... The EDF Simply Tracker tariff matches the Price Cap unit rates (so when they move, it moves) but with £50 lower Standing Charges for a year. Plus, via our link, you get boosted £70 dual-fuel MSE cashback (£35 for elec only) if you pay by Direct Debit or on receipt of a bill (no cashback if you prepay). Smart meters aren't required unless you're on prepay. There are £25 per fuel early exit penalties. So, who's it good for? - Anyone staying on the Price Cap (especially EDF customers) - it's basically a Price Cap tariff, just cheaper. - Lower users generally - but with no fixes cheaper than the Price Cap right now, it can work for others. - Those on Smart Prepay - as no fixes were available even before the crisis, so this is cheaper.  10. I can't afford to pay my energy bills - what do I do? It's always worth talking to your energy firm first - many offer hardship & debt grants. For far more guidance, see What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills.

 

Martin: 'How do scam ads really work? A must-listen to protect yourself!' There's lots in the news this week about scams (many using Martin's face). To find out how they try to trap you, listen to Martin's podcast from last year on The Scams Epidemic, on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. Don't pay for passport photos or apply by post - millions overpaid last year. See 3 passport cost-cutters. 50% off toys at Tesco and The Entertainer. See our Toy sales round-up. Winter Fuel Payment clawback... look out for HMRC letter if you earn £35k+/yr. See Winter Fuel letter help. How much mobile data do you use in a month? Let us know in our quick poll.

 

 

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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 + perks: Club Lloyds Free £200: Barclays Bank Account Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£20.30/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£23.55/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs 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 4.68%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Kent Reliance 4.51%, min £1k Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.88/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: iD Mobile, '£3/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.09/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: Lebara, '£4.18/mth' for 100GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How much mobile data do you use in a month? Mobile phones are at the heart of everyday life, with streaming, gaming and social media now all relying heavily on mobile data. When we last ran this poll in Sep 2025, three‑quarters of people were using less than 5GB a month. We want to see if this has changed since then. Please vote in this week's poll.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: NS&I to pay compensation to bereaved families over account tracing failures - Council Tax to rise on 1 April - how bills will change in England, Scotland and Wales

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I pay for repairs to my fiancé's house in return for joint ownership? My fiancé lives mortgage-free in a house he inherited. It's in poor condition and needs £1,000s spent on repairs, but he has no savings to fund them. I currently rent a flat, but he wants us to live in the house together when we get married next year. He says if I pay for the repairs, he'll make me joint owner - then we can decide whether to stay or rent it out. What's worries me is he hasn't shown me any documents to prove his ownership. Should I take on this responsibility? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I help pay for repairs to my fiancé's house? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Rob's hack to 'double' TSB bank switch rewards - MSE Forum highlights: Airbnb, airports & air fryers

 

 

 

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