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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL → SIX ways to cut your Council Tax, incl: - Check & challenge your band - Missing out on a discount? - 2.25m missing out on support - Owed Council Tax credit? - Council Tax is changing (hooray) → FREE £210 Ends Wed → Get £100s of energy credit back → Got a will? Register it for FREE → 'Free' US flight trick Ends Sun → New cheapest energy fix → Jet fuel cancellation protection? → Code gets £51 off Morrisons groceries → Beware home insurance hikes: 'I saved £650 after 80% rise!' → Car Wars - industry fights back! News → 'Free' Eng Heritage family day pass (£40) → 'Your email just saved my holiday!' → TWO pairs of specs £14 via code → Make £500 switching bank? Big Topic pod → Where do I put house sale money? Question pod → 60% off Abel & Cole fruit & veg boxes → Are you a sole trader or landlord? Urgent → £50 to £300 'free' John Lewis gift card → Get 5% cashback on petrol & diesel? → £30 bonus when you spend £5+ online → This week's best buys: 36mth 0% debt shift, 150Mb broadband £19/mth & more → Money Moral Dilemma: Keep the loyalty points from doing neighbour's shopping?

The SIX ways to cut the cost of Council Tax Are you one of 100,000s overpaying Council Tax and maybe due £1,000s back and a lower bill? Check now, as costs are up 5% for many Council Tax was introduced as a rush job in 1993 to replace the then relatively new form of local taxation - the Community Charge (aka the Poll Tax) - which'd caused riots in the streets. The speed at which it was set up, meant there were some serious flaws in the system, many of which have still - 33 years later - not been fixed. And that has left large numbers overpaying. Within a few years of starting this site, I turned my focus to exposing this. Now, as many saw their Council Tax rise another 5% last month, it's worth bringing to your attention again. Here are my six things we'll talk you through checking, interwoven with a potted history of MSE's Council Tax campaigning and help... Check & challenge your Council Tax band. I launched this system in 2007 and it was splashed all over the newspaper front pages. Since then, who knows, maybe 100,000s have had their band lowered and got backdated refunds - we certainly get swamped with successes. Help to Challenge your band. If you band looks too high, getting it changed is the tough part. Two years ago, we extensively improved our 'challenge help' based on why people were being rejected. This includes the big 'un... getting your key property attribute data. Missing out on a discount? If you're single, a single parent, a student, or have physical or mental disabilities, you may be. We added this to our Council Tax arsenal over a decade ago. Up to 2.25m on low incomes not claiming Council Tax Support. Since 2024 (if not earlier) we've been warning about this on the back of Policy In Practice research, which revealed huge under-claiming, often by people on Universal Credit (UC) wrongly assuming it's automatic. Owed Council Tax credit back? In 2019, we discovered that many who'd moved home, weren't getting the refunds due.  And there's good news to come in 2027... Last year, with my Money & Mental Health Policy Institute charity, we launched a campaign against overly aggressive English Council Tax debt collection - and it's worked. It's just one of a raft of small but crucial changes coming next year. So now the team and I will run you through the specifics of those... 1. Are you in one of up to 400,000 homes in too high a band? The primary fact that dictates what you pay is your Council Tax valuation band - A is the lowest, H the highest. Yet many people were arguably put in the wrong band (Geri, Robbie, Zayn - sorry).  That's because it was assessed via a stop-gap system back in 1991, literally via estate agents doing drive-by 2nd gear valuations. And in England & Scotland it hasn't been redone since. No surprise then, up to 400,000 homes may be in the wrong band. Yet Martin's check & challenge system has meant many are not only getting bands lowered, but a backdated payout too. Michael is one of many who's emailed us in the last year... "As a result of reading about it on your website, we got our Council Tax band reduced from E to D, backdated 20 years. Got a cheque for £6,500. Brilliant result. Very many thanks MSE." To see whether you're likely in too high a band, there are two checks. Check 1: The Neighbours Check. Find whether you're in a higher band than your neighbours in very similar or preferably identical properties. Don't worry, you won't need to ask them what their band is - you can check your band and neighbours' online. Yet remember, all this shows is your relative bands, if it shows yours is higher, that may be as yours is too high, or theirs too low. And you don't want to be responsible for a rise in your neighbour's band, so always do the next check too... Check 2: The Valuation Check. This is Martin's safety check. It isn't allowed as evidence if you challenge - this is purely so you can see if it's likely you're in the wrong band. To do it, you need to assess your house's value in 1991 (which in Eng & Scot is still what bands are based on). It sounds complex, but don't worry - our free Valuation check help and tool will take you through it easily. And remember, only consider a challenge if you clearly pass BOTH checks.  That's because you can only ask for an assessment - and you don't want yours or your neighbours' bands going up! 2. How to challenge your Council Tax band If you passed both checks, it's time to challenge. And let's be plain: the bit above is quick, this is where the work starts. Our Challenge your Band briefing has full help, split by each UK nation (as processes differ), so just see this as a general taster... Step 1: Submit a formal or an informal challenge. Formal is better as it's a set process, but it's available to fewer people. - Who can formally challenge? In general, whether you rent or own, you must've lived in the property for six months or less (renters: courtesy would indicate you notify the landlord).  Other reasons include a fundamental change in the property (eg, house to flats), its use (eg, part is now business); the local area has changed (eg, nightclub built next door); or in Scotland, if there have been significant property price drops where you are. Whenever you move home, always remember to check Council Tax bands within the first six months - it makes things much easier.  PS: We've been campaigning to get the 6mth rule changed and there is now a chance it may happen in England. - England & Wales: Can't formally challenge? You can do it informally. Over the years, many have got back to us saying "they won't let me challenge as I've lived there too long" - yet the Valuation Office (VO, part of HMRC) has a statutory duty to uphold the integrity of the Council Tax bands list. This means you can still submit an informal review request (use our template to help), but then it is tougher to do, and the burden is on you to provide compelling evidence that your band is wrong, to persuade the VO to do the review. - Scotland: There's only the formal process. So it's very tough if you don't fall into the formal appeal reasons (though it isn't 100% impossible - the link has more info). Step 2: In England or Wales? Get your 'property attribute data' (PAD). The VO holds a PAD document about most residential properties. It includes... Age or period | Type (semi-detached, end-of-terrace etc) | Floor area | Number of bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms | Number of floors So as long as you verify you are the Council Tax-payer, you can get your free PAD from it within a few days or weeks. Once you've got it, it's important to check line-by-line that it's correct, as - Incorrect details could be enough to see your property rebanded. - Knowing how your property is described will help you ensure you can spot neighbouring properties that are really similar in a lower band, which can be submitted as compelling evidence. - In Scotland? No PAD is available, but think about similar factors for your home, as they're what really counts.   Step 3: Identify neighbouring or nearby properties. You did this in the brief check, but this is the real deal and needs be far more thorough now (especially for an informal review). See our how to find & research similar properties info. Yet it can be worth the work, as Tanya emailed last month: "I followed all your tips. We have lived here 18 years so I did the informal challenge. After waiting patiently for 13 months I got the call.... SUCCESS and backdated 18 years. We have gone to a band D from an E and got £7,600 back. Thank you so much. We are thrilled. I'm just about to be made redundant from the NHS so this is perfect timing." Step 4: Submit your challenge. Online is normally easiest, but you can also challenge by letter (and in England, phone and email too). Take a look at our template example for what's needed. Step 5: You've sent in your challenge - what next? Hopefully you succeed, in which case, well done! Expect to have your band lowered, and a backdated rebate from when you moved into the property (or 1993, whichever's later). See backdated payout rights. However, your challenge may be rejected... If it's a formal challenge you do have options to appeal, which vary by UK nation, but you need a strong reason.  If it's an informal challenge, be patient, many are telling us it's taking over a year. If the review is turned down, you can't appeal and that's probably it - unless you find further evidence to support a new review (in which case, you'll need to start the process again). 3. Are you due a Council Tax discount? The full Council Tax bill is based on two or more qualifying adults living in the property. If this isn't your living arrangement, you may be overpaying. Our Council Tax discount guide has full details, but Martin designed this little graphic for use here and on his show that will hopefully help you see at speed... If you may be entitled, do read more info in our Council Tax discounts guide both about how to apply and about whether a backdated payout may apply. Just to be clear though, let's run through some common scenarios... Only adult in household? You may be due a 25% discount. All full-time student household? There's no Council Tax to pay. Have a live-in carer? See whether you can cut your bill by 50%. As Vicky emailed Martin in March: "As a carer for my severely disabled son, after watching your show I put in applications for carers disregard, SMI discount, and the disabled room discount. I wasn't expecting anything but thought what's the worst that can happen? I asked for it to be backdated to 2014 when my son turned 18. Well, I only bloody got just under £8,000 refunded. Thank you".  Home been adapted for someone with a disability? Slightly different this one, but you could drop a Council Tax band, though this has to be reconfirmed each year. Do you or a household member have a Severe Mental Impairment (SMI)? You may be due a discount Yes, it's a horrid name, so let's just call it an SMI (the name is changing though). If someone has an SMI - common conditions include dementia, Alzheimer's, severe strokes or severe Parkinson's - they may be 'disregarded' for Council Tax purposes. And as many with SMIs live with just one other adult, this effectively means their home is eligible for the single-person 25% discount (50% if it's their carer). To be eligible, someone must fulfil two criteria, the links will take you to more info on each.... - Be medically certified as being 'SMI' - Be receiving a qualifying benefit (most of the main ones as well as the non-means tested Attendance Allowance) While there's currently no legal rule that requires local authorities to backdate, some do (back to when both criteria are first met). And in 2019, wonderfully, the Welsh Government took up our campaign recommendation to ensure all Welsh councils' payments are backdate-able. (Diolch Cymru!). 4. Up to 2.25 million people on lower incomes are missing out on Council Tax Support worth up to £1,500/yr Separate from discounts, every council runs its own Council Tax Reduction scheme. So what you get depends on where you live, but it can cut your Council Tax bill by up to 100%... though it's a jungle of variation, so it really depends on each council.  Who's likely to get it? If you already qualify for a means-tested benefit, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you may be due this. The most important thing to understand is you won't get it automatically - YOU MUST APPLY SEPARATELY, which is why so many miss out. See How to claim a Council Tax Reduction. 5. Are you in one of 800,000 homes due a cut of £140m in overpaid Council Tax? In 2024, our latest investigation found local authorities across Britain were sitting on £140m of overpaid Council Tax. You're MOST likely to be able to claim if you've moved out of a council area since 1993 and weren't paying by Direct Debit. If that sounds like you, check out our Council Tax overpayments guide. 6. And finally, English Council Tax is changing (hooray!) Back to Martin for this one... "It all started with a meeting I had with Angela Rayner in 2025 about Council Tax admin when she was the Sec of State in charge. I had my brilliant campaigns teams both from here at MSE and my MMHPI charity with me, as both were looking at different elements. "She picked up the issues straight away, and said 'we'll do it'. My jaw dropped. Normally, ministers don't give a commitment, just a careful, couched response. Yet a consultation soon launched. And just a few weeks ago, the current Sec of State, Steve Reed, told us it was done - the changes, a good chunk of what we asked for - would start April 2027. All in less than two years; light-speed for policy moves!" Council Tax debt collection to be SLOWED down (the one that made me cry). Currently, if you miss a monthly payment, within three weeks they can ask you to pay for a whole year, and within three weeks of that, take you to court for the year's Council Tax - plus admin fees. It's a terrible, aggressive, counterproductive system that destroys many lives, especially those with mental health problems (which is why it was an MMHPI campaign). How people who can't pay for a month are expected to pay for a year is beyond me.  When I first heard they really were consulting - which happened live on air on Good Morning Britain - as I came off air I burst into tears. I've met so many desperate people for whom this has been catastrophic, it was a blast of relief. And last week on my show I joyfully explained what's happening...  - Council's will have to wait 63 days to demand a full year (coupled with signposting to debt help). Which I hope will give people breathing space to sort things out.  - The added court admin costs are to be capped at £100.  Of course, I'd have liked longer and a lower cap, but after 33 years this a great start. See full Council Tax debt collection changes info. The SMI discount will be renamed and made easier to claim. This is an MSE win (well done to our campaigns team). This is one of those small changes, with big impact.  From April 2027, a universal SMI application form for all English councils will be introduced, fixing inconsistencies and making it easier for charities and people like us to provide help (Wales listened first, back in 2019) to many vulnerable people. And, in alignment with Wales, the SMI name will be changed to 'Significant Cognitive Impairment'. The Government is still considering its final response to our suggestion for consistent backdating rules in England.  Paying Council Tax over 12 not 10 months to become the default. Currently, most councils in England default to asking for payments from April to Jan (though you can request to pay over 12 months). From April 2027, for new bills, the default will be 12 equal monthly payments (it starts the year after for existing payers). This wasn't our suggestion, but we did say people should still be able to opt for 10 months if they want (just like you currently have a right to go for 12), which it's done. Reform to rebanding rules delayed for now. Our final request was to change the rule that means you can only formally challenge your Council Tax band if you've lived in your home for less than six months.  The government has said it is continuing to look into the process of challenging a Council Tax band and will set out its thoughts in detail in a separate consultation. So while it's not off the table, it's delayed for now - we'll keep pushing.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Ends Wednesday (tomorrow) midday: FREE £210 to switch to top customer service bank, with top overseas debit card, 7% regular saver & 0% overdraft It's all change for bank switch deals, so what's your winner? (incl up to £500 for higher earners) It's another all-change week for the best bank switching bribes - three accounts have ended their deals, the biggest payer's about to end, and another's boosted. For now, at least, there are still five to choose from, so quickly scan the top accounts and top high-earners' account deals below to see which wins for you. Switching's usually quick & easy: The free cash is usually paid within 3mths. You need to use the bank's seven-working-day switch service (so roughly 10 days) which closes your old account and moves all your money, Direct Debits & standing orders for you. All payments to the old account are auto-forwarded. You'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. Free cash for new switchers You usually need to switch 2+ Direct Debits. Full eligibility: Top bank accounts Top STANDARD FREE CASH DEALS for ALL-COMERS... First Direct 1st Account* Min pay-in: You must have a total of £1,000 going in (can be in dribs & drabs) within 45 days. None needed after. Fee-free? Yes. Can joint accounts switch? Yes and get same bonus. Top sign-up bonus & service Ends 12pm Wed. FREE '£210', 7% regular saver, 0% overdraft, top debit card overseas. The ongoing £175 free cash continues, what's ending is that via our specific First Direct link*, you currently get £35 to spend at most big supermarkets in-store/online (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Waitrose, M&S, Iceland). Other perks include: - Service rated 92% 'great' - it's topped almost every poll we've ever done. - Linked 1yr 7% fixed regular saver you can put up to £300/mth in. - Most get an ongoing £250 interest-free overdraft (don't go over). - Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rates. - See full First Direct eligibility & review. Barclays Bank Account* Min pay-in: You must have a total of £2,000 going in (can be in dribs & drabs) within 30 days. None needed after. Fee-free? Yes, though optional £5/mth for Blue Rewards. Can joint accounts switch? No. Top pure cash sign-up bonus FREE £200, optional half-price Apple TV & new short-tern 5% Tesco fuel cashback. As well as the free £200, buy petrol or diesel at a Tesco forecourt using a Barclays debit card till 31 July and you automatically get 5% cashback (max £10/mth). No great shakes, but clever marketing in current climes. You can also opt to add Barclays Blue Rewards for £5/mth (must pay in £800+/mth into the account & register for digital banking) to get a year's free Apple TV+ subscription (normally £10/mth), including free Major League Soccer. See full Barclays eligibility & review. Santander Edge* Min pay-in: A total of £1,500 within 60 days, then £500+/mth  Fee-free? No, £3/mth, but that gets you the cashback, which should easily outweigh the fee for most. Can joint accounts switch? Yes and get same bonus. Top for (joint) bills accounts FREE £180, up to £10/mth cashback on bills, 6% easy-access savings, top debit card overseas. As well as the free £180, the big sell here is for a £3/mth fee you get cashback on bills paid from it by Direct Debit. For a typical home, that covers the fee and more. Its main perks are: - 1% cashback up to £10/mth on Council Tax, energy, water, mobile & home phone, broadband & paid TV bills you pay from it by Direct Debit. - Linked saver paying 6% variable for 12mths on up to £4,000. - Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rates. - See full Santander eligibility & review. BIGGER cash but ONLY FOR HIGHER EARNERS... HSBC Premier FREE £500 (was £250)*. Free family travel insurance & digital GP access. To get this, you must have a min £100,000/yr salary. See full HSBC Premier eligibility & review. NatWest Premier Reward FREE £250. Plus £8/mth cashback after a £2/mth fee. To get this, you must have a min £100,000/yr salary. See full NatWest Premier Reward eligibility & review. You may be able to make £1,000s by repeatedly switching banks. Becoming a bank-bribe bagger can pay well - we've had people tell us they've made a shedload. As Justin emailed last month: "Dear MSE Team, I thought you might like to know that between my wife and I, we have pocketed £2,930 in bank switch bonuses since May 2025 - less than a year! That's on top of bonuses obtained in previous years." See pros & cons in make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank. Are subscriptions moved when you switch? Direct Debits and standing orders are moved for you. Yet the third category of regular payments, known as recurring payments (eg Netflix, Disney+ etc), where you give the long number on your debit card when you pay, aren't moved; you'll need to do this yourself. If you do forget, though, normally they'll notify you 'your payment card no longer works', so it shouldn't be too big an issue. See recurring payment help. Can switching bank affect your ability to get credit? In the short term, yes. It's a credit application, so that has an impact by itself, but also lenders like to see evidence of stability. It usually isn't a big deal, but if you've an important credit application soon (eg, a mortgage), it's probably best to hold off until after. You may want to check your 'eligibility rating' via our free MSE Credit Club (or easier via the MSE app on iOS & Android). More in how switching banks affects your credit.

 

A huge congratulations to Martin from the whole MSE Team on his Special Award to be presented at this Sunday's BAFTA Television Awards (BBC1, 7pm) in recognition of his extraordinary and lasting impact on British consumers and public life. Got a will? Register it for FREE throughout May. Your will should be stored securely (such as at a solicitor's firm, or safely at home) so it can be tracked down easily. As an extra precaution, commercial firm the National Will Register is used by 10m+ to log details about where wills are kept, to help loved ones find them when needed. Registering normally costs £30, but you can register it for free during May. Be aware that searching the register costs from £65, so see this only as a backup - best to store it safely & let the relevant people know. Related: Free & cheap wills. Ends Sun. Got Tesco Clubcard points? Trick to get 'free' long-haul Virgin Atlantic flight to USA, Caribbean, Maldives, etc. Of course 'free' means you still pay taxes and charges which can be £100s, but it's still far cheaper than normal. For the full hurdles to jump, see our 'Free' flight trick. On Energy Price Cap? New E.on FIX locks you in below the current cap & existing custs can get it too. 2,500 dual fuel switches available. Sadly, our prediction that cheaper fixes due to the Middle East ceasefire may not last long has come true, amid renewed escalation in the conflict. Now very few suppliers offer fixed energy deals below the Apr-June Price Cap. Yet this exclusive E.on Next 13mth fix (Direct Debit only; £50/fuel exit fees) is bucking the trend and is the market's cheapest at 2% below the current Cap when you include MSE cashback. Both new and existing customers can get it, so if you're with E.on on the Price Cap and want to stay with it, this is a good way of guaranteeing price certainty. Prices vary depending on region & use, so check how it works for you, and how it compares to others, via our Cheap Energy Club. 'Martin, if fights are cancelled due to jet fuel, you'd usually be due a refund/alternative flight, but what about hotel cost...?' Watch Martin's key jet fuel shortages answer, or better still watch his full ITV1 Travel Show: How to protect yourself and save from last week (via ITVX). Never shopped online at Morrisons? Code gets £51 off groceries. It gets you £15 off your first £60+ shop and then £12 off your 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Morrisons code Tonight (Tue) at 7pm ITV1 or after on ITVX The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE: Pensions Special - a must-watch Martin: 'It's so important ITV have given us a full hour at 7pm. Everything you ever wanted to know about private and workplace pensions but were afraid to ask. I'm joined by a specialist panel to look at how & where to start a pension, how much to save, consolidating, avoiding tax traps when you take your pension, the pension inheritance tax change - and more. Got a question? Email the team at martinlewis@itv.com. Plus, of course, my usual News You Can Use. Do watch. Beware home insurance hikes: "I saved £650+ via your tool after my insurer quoted 80% more!" Last week we warned many home insurers are again hiking prices yet they're still down year-on-year so you want your renewal to be cheaper. As Phil's Success of the week email this week perfectly demonstrates: "My home insurance provider sent me a renewal quote last week, exactly the same cover had risen by 80% from £645 to a staggering £1,155! After using your Home Insurance Compare+ tool, I got exactly the same cover for under £500 - even less than last year. Thanks." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), please tell us about it. Motor Finance Reclaim News. Car Wars - the industry fights back! Martin says payout delays now seem inevitable as three lenders challenge the regulator's mass redress scheme - yet still get your complaint in ASAP. Full info in Car finance redress latest. Related: Free MSE Car Finance Complaint tool. From Sat. 'Free' English Heritage family pass (norm £40ish). In £1.50 newspaper. Eng only, obvs. English Heritage 'You just saved my holiday with your latest email!' As Rosemary said this week on Facebook: "You just saved my holiday with your latest email - check your documents folks!! (Expiring passport). Cheers Martin" - just one of our 24 do-nows to slash cost & hassle when you go abroad from last week's email. TWO pairs of specs £14 via code. MSE Blagged. Stack this code with existing offers. See Glasses Direct deal. Martin's new 'Big Topics' pod. Can you make up to £500 switching bank? Plus pensions and consumer rights. Simple explanations, best-buys and tips to make it easier, with banking info on how to make money doing multiple switches and your Credit Score impact in Martin's Big Topic podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc. Martin's new Question Time pod. Where do I put house sale money? | Consumer rights wrong righted! | How to talk to my partner about money? This is the pod where you can ask anything and everything (within reason!) - some of the callers stories are fascinating, well worth a listen. Martin's Question Time podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Two pairs of prescription specs £14 via code Ends 14 May - 60% off organic fruit & veg boxes Ends 30 June - Get a £30 bonus when you spend £5+ online 5,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Govt-backed NS&I boosts fixed savings to 4.4%+ - Chinese giant Joybuy wants to take on Amazon: FIGHT! - Test our new Airport Parking: Comparison of Comparisons tool - GOING TO THE EU? Ensure you've a valid (free) EHIC/GHIC - FREE kids' football sessions, tennis lessons & more

 

 

Martin: It's the PERFECT time to check if your energy Direct Debit's in too much credit. Are you due £100s back? While you won't hear it in the news, this is a crucial moment in the energy calendar that I always alert you to. Right now is the moment in the year when you should have the least credit, which makes working out if they're sitting on too much of your cash easy. And boy, are they sitting on a lot - energy firms collectively hold over £3 BILLION of our money - and a chunk of it is reclaimable. After my warning last year, many got in touch, like Donna, who emailed: "I contacted my energy supplier to ask if they could credit me some of my money back. I was in credit by over £700. They refunded me £380 - would have been more, but it was in the middle of when my payment was due. Still not bad though😊." Full info in my can you get £100s of energy credit back?, but here are the basics... Related: Compare energy bills | Slash water bills | Find the cheapest broadband | Mobile Sims for £2/mth Are you in too much credit on your monthly Direct Debit? Monthly DDs are a good budgeting concept: your annual usage is estimated, usually divided by 12, so you pay the same each month, smoothing your cashflow. That means you build up credit in the lower-use summer, and use up that credit (or go into debt) in the higher-use winter. And right now we're at the bottom of the cycle, as May is usually when you've minimal credit/max debt before you start to rebuild it. Which gives me an excuse to show you this very sexy energy Direct Debit cycle graph... Yet while a great concept, the problem is monthly DDs are ruined by poor delivery due to firms mis-estimating use or credit-grabbing. Under condition 27 of both the gas & the electricity supply licence rules (not N Ireland) suppliers must: a) Set fair Direct Debits. b) Give clear explanations. c) Refund credits where appropriate. So... Check your usage history is up to date. By that I mean either you've a working smart meter that does regular readings for you, or if not, you submit an up-to-date meter reading. Then wait until that has been incorporated by the firm in its calculations. Also check our Is your Price Cap Direct Debit about right? calculator to see if your DD's too high (or low). My rough rule of thumb... over a month and a half's credit right now is likely too much. Exactly how much credit depends on when you started with the firm (see the even sexier Direct Debit cycle variants graphs), eg if you started this time two years ago, you'll rarely be in debt, just bottom out on credit. Yet as this is the low point, I'd suggest things are fine if you've up to a month and a half worth of Direct Debits in credit. Why a month and a half? In normal times a month would do it, but with the energy Price Cap due to rise in July by possibly 13%, a little bit spare to help cover cost increases is worth it. If you are on the Cap (see am I on the Price Cap?), then it's worth doing a quick comparison to see if you can lock in a cheaper price before the hike. In too much credit? Ask the firm why. Call, use online chat or email to ask why you're in so much credit, as there may be a legit reason. The rules state that if too much credit has accumulated and a customer asks for it back, suppliers must refund it - or clearly explain why not. If it won't, make a formal complaint, and if it rejects that, escalate it to the free Energy Ombudsman to adjudicate. To be fair, a very few firms do promise automatic refunds or reduced DDs if your credit's too high on the anniversary of you joining, but most require you to check (see firm-by-firm refund rules).  Just want to pay for what you use? Beware Payment-in-Receipt-of-Bills, Variable Direct Debit is cheaper. Many who prefer to budget themselves, or cope with winter's heavier cashflow demands, opt for Payment-in-Receipt-of-Bills (where you're billed and pay for what you use each month). However, this costs 8% more on the Price Cap than DD and has few switchable deals. Instead, check if the firm offers Variable DD - you still pay only for what you use each month, but it's collected by Direct Debit. This is offered by British Gas, Fuse, EDF, Octopus and So Energy at the same price as monthly DD.

 

60% off first two Abel & Cole organic fruit & veg boxes, from £9.30 delivered. MSE Blagged. Then 50% off your 3rd & 4th - though you can cancel any time (available in most of Eng & parts of Wales). Veg out Urgent. Sole trader or landlord with £50,000+/yr income? Act NOW on new 'Making Tax Digital' rules. If this is you, you were expected to start keeping digital records from 6 Apr and must submit 'Quarterly Updates' (first deadline is 7 Aug) as well as a final Tax Return. While we don't usually cover small biz finance, this is a huge shake-up to Self Assessment tax rules and we're hearing that take up so far has been low so we wanted to remind you of our new guide... for full help, including free software, see Making Tax Digital. Get £50 to £300 John Lewis gift card if buying big-ticket electrical item, eg, TV, fridge freezer. On 360+ items over £329. It isn't always cheapest, yet factor in the gift card for a planned purchase, and it may be. JL gift card Got a Barclays current account? 5% cashback on petrol & diesel. Fill up at a Tesco forecourt using a Barclays debit card till 31 July to automatically get 5% cashback (max £10/mth). Clever marketing in current climes, see Barclays boost. Get a £30 bonus when you spend £5+ online. MSE Blagged. If you've never used Quidco, you can nab an extra £30 cashback by signing up using our special link and spending a fiver or more through it. Quidco coup

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest definite 0%: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.19% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Ends 12pm Wed. Free '£210' + top service: First Direct Boosted. Free £200 + 5% fuel cashback: Barclays Free £180 + up to £10/mth bills cashback: Santander Edge Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility), 5.6% rep APR Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Chase 4.5%, min £1 Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.51%, min £1 Top one-year fix: UBL UK 4.68%, min £2,000 Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£18.71/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£22.67/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.90/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.95/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.96/mth' for 15GB 31GB+ data: Lebara, '£2.99/mth' for 35GB

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Lidl shopper? You'll now need to earn points to get freebies and money off - Credit card and loan rates to be investigated after years of campaigning by MSE - Base rate held AGAIN at 3.75% – here's what it means for you

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Am I justified in keeping the loyalty points from doing my neighbour's shopping? I help a housebound, 82‑year‑old neighbour by doing his weekly shop. He's got no smartphone and no idea how supermarket loyalty schemes work, so I use my own app when buying his groceries at the same store I use for my family. The rewards only add up to a few quid a month - less than my petrol costs as I usually make a separate trip, so I feel it's fair to keep them. Telling him about the scheme would only confuse him, and splitting the benefit would be a real faff. Am I morally justified in keeping the rewards? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Is it fair to keep loyalty points on a neighbour's shopping? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 6 MAY ONWARDS) Thu 7 May - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 12 noon Tue 12 May - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am Tue 12 May - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7:15pm

 

 

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