Energy bills UP 13% - fix now?, free pasta, Tesco Clubcard warning, free £200 ending, 36GB Sim £3/mth, rare 4.6% fixed savings, £120 Vax for £70

Plus... £5 kids' tennis racket, NS&I compensation, Nationwide free £100, £57 full breakdown cover

                                                           

26 May 2026 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL → 20 mobile phone must-knows, incl: - Slash Sim costs - 36GB '£3/mth' - Cheap new phones - Insure your handset for less - 5 anti-theft must-dos → Energy bills up 13%-ish in July - fix to beat the hikes? → Get a year's breakdown cover from £57 → Free pasta, 50% off Magnum & more coupons → Martin, did Govt really cut energy bills if Price Cap'll be up 13%?' Video → Free £200 bank switch Ends Thu → The MSE App is 4 - tried it yet? → Nectar trick gets 2x theme park discount → Nationwide customer & due free £100? → £70 Vax corded pet vacuum → 1yr savings fixes - up to 4.85% → Mileage allowance rise 'really important' says Martin → £17m Clubcard points expiring Urgent → 0% interest on card debt till 2029 → Energy bill hikes coming Martin's pod → 1% cashback on top travel credit card Ends Wed → 250+ FREE Open Farm Sunday events → How to reclaim mis-sold car finance for deceased relatives Video → £5 for kid's tennis racket, set of balls & taster sessions → NS&I to pay £367m compensation → Live in social housing? Beware mould, damp etc 'compensation scheme' ads → This week's best buys: 5.7% loan, £20 broadband & more → Money Moral Dilemma: Should I give more to my overseas grandchild? → Quick deals: FREE Tomb Raider games & more

Thefts up! Sim prices down! 20 mobile phone must-knows - 15 ways to slash bills by £100s - 5 anti-theft must-dos For most of us, our phone is our life hub, packed with everything from personal memories to sensitive banking details. And yet... ...Millions allow far too much money to drip out of their pockets and into networks' hands. Over 14m people are out of contract and being ripped off. ...And millions of phones are set up to be insecure, with thieves ever-more desperate to nick 'em. Over 270,000 people had their phone swiped over the past year (source: ONS), up 16% from the previous year.  Phone theft is about far more than just replacing the device - it can cause financial havoc if crooks get access to your apps and data. So, here are 20 tips to protect your pocket in every way... Jump to: Slash mobile costs | Cheapest handsets | Slash mobile insurance costs | How to protect your phone & data. Slash your mobile's cost (& cheap new phones) 1. Just five digits to tell if you're out of contract - if so, switch & save. Text 'INFO' for free to 85075. Firms are required to respond to and tell you if you're out of contract. You're looking for a reply that includes something like "a £0 early termination/cancellation charge" to find out if you're free to move. If there's a cost, you're likely still in contract.  - With Three, Smarty or iD Mobile? You'll need to reply with your date of birth to prove ID. - On a multiple-phone contract? It won't work, but if you've been with the same firm for over two years, you're likely out of contract - do check though.  2. Out of contract? Ditch, switch & save.  36GB data, unlimited UK calls & texts & free EU roaming £3/mth. It feels like everything is getting more expensive at the moment - except for new Sim-only deals, where prices keep plummeting. Our Cheap Sim Finder will find you top deals. here are some examples: All these include free EU roaming... - iD Mobile (on Three's signal): Ends Thu. 36GB '£3/mth' | 100GB '£6.88/mth' - Lebara (on Vodafone's signal) 5GB/mth '£2.43/mth' | 100GB/mth '£7.20/mth' Not sure how much data you use? Try our Data Calc. Alan emailed us: "Out of contract with EE at £20/mth. Haggled, but only offered £14/mth. Used your site and found iD Mobile Sim only deal at £6/mth for a year. SIX pounds! Thank you MSE!" 3. Not switching because you want to keep your signal? Well, you can keep it AND switch... First check Ofcom's MapMyMobile to see signal strength where you live, but it's worth remembering there are only four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the UK : EE, O2, plus Vodafone and Three (which are merging and now sharing masts). Every other provider is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that pays to piggyback on the MNOs' signal... So even if you live somewhere you can only get decent coverage with one network, you're not stuck with it - just use a piggybacker with the same signal. Our Cheap Mobile Finder will find the cheapest deal on your current signal. Some features (like Wi-Fi calling or voicemail) and customer service may differ, yet overall research shows there are only subtle differences in performance, which most people won't notice. Jon emailed recently: "EE hiked my bill to £43/mth so I switched to another network that piggybacks on EE, saving me £519/yr. I am truly grateful for the clear and practical advice, it's made a real difference for both me and my family. Thank you so much!"  - Really don't want to move network? If you're wedded one and out of contract, benchmark the best deals from our comparison tool, then use our how to haggle down your mobile bill guide to ask them to match or beat your price. 4. To keep your number when switching, text 'PAC' to 65075. Then you get a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) to give your new provider, which'll transfer your number over - usually in one working day. Even if you want to stay with your existing provider, it's worth doing this as it indicates that you're leaving. We've had plenty of reports from people saying they were offered a cheaper deal in the reply - no guarantees, but worth a quick try.  5. Want free EU roaming? Most of the big networks don't offer it, but many of the piggybackers do. O2's the only one of the 'big four' networks that still includes free roaming in the EU - Vodafone, Three and EE now charge £2ish/day to use your phone and data package abroad. Yet plenty smaller piggybackers include it, such as ID, Lebara, Smarty and Giffgaff. Again, our Sim comparison includes this info.  6. Roaming outside the EU? There's an eSIMple way to cut costs. Your home network could charge up to £15/day just to use your data allowance. Instead, buy a cheap international eSim online (eg, £11 for 10GB of USA data that lasts 30 days). There's no physical change to your handset - it just adjusts your phone's settings and temporarily routes it via another provider to give you a data allowance overseas. Prices vary by destination, trip length & data. Compare a few, eg, Airalo* | Breeze* | EasySim* | Firsty* | GoMoWorld | Holafly | Nomad | Saily*. See our eSim guide for much more info. 7. Need a new handset, be it iPhone, Samsung or owt else? Use our tool to find the hottest deals... It's usually far cheaper to stick with your current phone and just change Sim. But if you're after a new handset, we've top models below, or use our Handset Finder for top deals on other models: - iPhone 17 (256GB): 15GB/mth of data, equiv £34.83/mth over 2yrs - iPhone 15 (128GB): 30GB/mth of data, equiv £25/mth over 2yrs - iPhone 17e (128GB): 30GB/mth of data, equiv £27.41/mth over 2yrs - Samsung S26 (256GB): 200GB/mth of data, equiv £29.05/mth over 2yrs - Samsung S25 (128GB): 30GB/mth of data, equiv £25.83/mth over 2yrs 8. Or forget a new phone - many can save £100s on a refurb. Top-grade refurbished models are often just unused handsets that have been returned from customers who've changed their mind, but they can be far cheaper than buying new, eg: - iPhone 14 (released 2022), 'good' condition: £214 - Samsung S23 (released 2023), 'good' condition: £189 - Google Pixel 8 (released 2023), 'good' condition: £196 Stock's often limited, so head to our handset comparison tool, which lets you filter refurbished phones and compare refurbs against new phones to find the cheapest option. 9. Got an unused old mobile sitting in a drawer? Flog it... There are a few options when it comes to selling your old mobile, and it's good to ensure the tech's reused, not dumped.  - Want a quick, hassle-free sale? Try specialist sites where you enter your phone details and get an instant price (subject to it being in the condition you said it is), eg £245 for a working 128GB iPhone 14. Try SellMyMobile* | CompareMyMobile* | Compare&Recycle. More help in Compare mobile recyclers. - Upgrading to Apple or Samsung? Both offer trade-ins for money off a new phone. Samsung, for example, offers £193 off for a working Galaxy S23, and Apple offers £180 off for a working 128GB iPhone 13. - Max cash for more effort. If you're prepared to put in a little more effort and flog your handset yourself, you can often get a better price on eBay*. See eBay selling tricks. - Flog your empty mobile phone box too. Sell your tech leftovers online, eg, iPhone boxes can sell for £5 to £15. Don't forget to first safeguard your photos, videos, contacts and other important data before sending your phone away. See our 'before you sell' tips. 10. Ensure you're always able to access the best deals on your mobile. Slightly cheeky, we know, but as we're talking mobiles just a suggestion to ensure you've downloaded the MSE App available on Apple or Android - you'll get notified first when this Weekly Email is live and it has loads of tools not available on the site. Now, slash handset insurance costs too... 11. Cheapest: Standalone insurance from £40/yr for phones under 3yrs old. While exact prices vary by handset, we find these four providers are usually the cheapest, covering you for worldwide loss, accidental and liquid damage, theft and mechanical breakdown. See our mobile phone insurance guide for more, but in brief... Insurance2Go*. £15 off annual 'Full' cover with code 'MSE15'. Switched On*. 'Ultimate' cover. Mobile Phone Insurance Direct*. 10% off 'Premium' cover when you use the code 'INSURE10'. Love It Cover It*. Code 'SAVE10' gets 10% off 'Premium' cover. Handsets are usually replaced within a week if you send in all info and proof on time. If your Sim card's gone too, contact the network to tell it, get it to block the Sim and send you a new one with same number.  12. Fastest: Your network's cover, costs up to £180/yr. Here, handsets can arrive the next working day, but you can generally only cover new phones. Insuring, say, an iPhone 17 costs £120 to £180/yr. See network insurance. 13. Best for couples/families: Up to a year FREE if you'll switch bank. Have multiple phones in the household? With packaged bank accounts, you pay a monthly fee and loads of decent-quality insurance is thrown in - often far cheaper than separate policies. Plus, a couple of these pay switchers a sign-up bonus, which can effectively cover the cost for the first year or so. Santander Edge Explorer*. FREE '£210' for switchers, costs £17/mth. Covers all handsets in household. Plus worldwide family travel insurance and UK & Europe breakdown cover. Plus... - 1% cashback (max £10/mth) on household bills paid by Direct Debit. - 1% (max £10/mth) on grocery, travel & fuel debit card spending. Nationwide FlexPlus. FREE £175 for switchers, costs £18/mth. Covers all handsets in household. Plus worldwide family travel insurance and UK & Europe breakdown cover. Handsets are usually replaced within a week if you send in all info and proof on time. Far more options in Top packaged bank accounts. 14.The E.T. option: Phone, home insurance. Contents insurance often covers phones for fire or theft, but many let you pay extra for phone/gadget cover away from home. Yet a claim could push up renewal costs, and often replacements/payouts aren't quick. Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool to find a cheap policy. 15. The DIY option: Self-insure, especially good for lower-cost handsets. You could also try self-insuring, which is great for those who trust themselves not to lose or break their phone, or have a lower-value model. Simply pay the money you'd spend on insurance into a savings account to cover the cost if you need to buy a new phone. And, protect your handset & data from theft This is about protecting your pocket if your phone gets stolen. There's detailed help in our 16 tips to protect your phone from thieves, but here are key highlights... 16. Stop your phone showing security texts when it's locked. Banks and others often send notifications or security codes to your phone, and these can show on your screen when it's locked - not good if your phone's stolen. Turn off 'preview notifications', so a thief would need to be logged into your phone to get any security codes. Beware 'shoulder surfing'. This involves thieves lingering around pedestrians, keeping an eye out for the phone's Personal Identification Number (PIN) before snatching it. And if possible, use headphones. If talking, use headphones, so your handset can be in your pocket, making it less visible and tougher to grab. It also means your private conversations are less likely to be overheard. 17. Dial a quick code to save your phone's unique ID number - the police will request this. To access it, dial this quick code, then screen grab your phone's unique IMEI number - and save it somewhere other than just on your phone! If your phone's later stolen, the IMEI can be used by the network to block or identify it. 18. Set up 'Find My Phone' and similar tracking apps so you can locate your mobile or remotely wipe all info. You need to set up tracking apps on your device, such as Apple's Find My or Samsung's SmartThings Find, BEFORE your phone gets stolen. As well as enabling you to locate your mobile, most also have additional features to protect you if it's unrecoverable: - Mark your phone as lost/stolen, so payments are suspended. - Remotely wipe all data from your phone. - Remotely lock your phone (Android devices only). 19. Enable biometrics for your phone and banking apps. So use fingerprint or face ID for both. If you prefer a PIN code, use different codes, especially for all your financial apps. 20. Turn on 'stolen protection' to detect and protect if your phone's nicked. This works a little differently depending on the operating system you're on - see Apple help or Android help - but the idea's the same. There's a setting you can turn on that either locks your phone or disables certain features (like your digital wallet) if the phone thinks it's been stolen.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

In the morning, Ofgem will announce the July to Sept Energy Price Cap... it's likely to RISE by around 13%. If you're on it, ditch & switch to protect your pocket Beat the hike with the cheapest 1yr fix - 4% less the CURRENT Price Cap Tomorrow (Wed) morning, energy regulator Ofgem announces the new July Energy Price Cap, which dictates what 65% of households in Eng, Scot & Wales will pay for their energy between July and Sept 2026. We'll have all the details in our energy price rise news story tomorrow, but owing to the chaos in the Middle East and soaring global energy costs, it's likely to be painful for households. Martin covered much of this in his ITV Energy Special show last week, and we have the latest deals and tips to beat the hike... 1. Analysts predict that Ofgem's Energy Price Cap will RISE by roughly 13% in July. The assessment period for July's Price Cap was 18 Feb to 18 May - smack bang in the middle of the conflict in Iran. During that time, wholesale gas and electricity costs rocketed by around 45%. Of course, any increase in energy bills is bad news - the small consolation here is that this is coming during the summer months, when we generally use a lot less energy (typically 15% of annual energy usage). For someone paying £150/mth, the increase is likely to add £30 to £40 over the 3mth month period - not good, but not catastrophic.  The main worry is if these high prices continue into the winter months - and it's currently predicted they will, although much of that is crystal-ball gazing, as the assessment period for October's Cap has only just begun.  2. On the Price Cap? Get off it - you can lock in up to 4% less than today's Cap. If you're not on a fix or special deal, you are likely to be on the Price Cap. These are firms' standard default tariffs, often called 'Standard Variable' or 'Flexible' tariffs. Still not sure? Use our new Energy Price Cap checker tool. Do nothing, and you'll be hit with the likely 13% hike in July, and a currently predicted (though by no means certain) further 4.5% hike in October. If you're risk averse, the thing to do right now would be to grab a cheap fix to lock in prices for a year - yes, there's a chance cheaper deals could turn up in a couple of weeks, but that's far from guaranteed.  There are only three fixes currently cheaper, on average, than the current Price Cap, undercutting it by up to around 4%. So, you'll save a smidgeon now, but more importantly, you'll protect yourself against upcoming hikes, where that 4% saving will be closer to 15% on average. Switch via our Cheap Energy Club, and you'll also get up to £20 MSE cashback...  Cheapest fix in the market. Ecotricity's EcoFixed - MS 1 Year May 26 v2 - 12mth fix  New & existing customers | £75/fuel exit penalties | Dual fuel, elec only, gas only. DD only | Smart Meter required This is 3.8% less on average than the Apr Price Cap (including MSE cashback). Existing Ecotricity customers can get it too, but if you're on a fix with 50+ days left, you may have to pay any exit penalties. While a Smart Meter is required, Ecotricity told us you can get this deal if you have genuinely tried to get them installed but can't.  STOP PRESS: As we were sending the email out, another small supplier, Fuse, launched a fix that's 2.8% cheaper than today's Price Cap. To see your cheapest, do a full comparison. Cheapest fix from a big name supplier. E.on Next Fixed 12m Exclusive v1 - 12mth fix New & existing customers | £50/fuel exit penalties | Dual fuel, elec only. DD only | Smart Meter not required. This is 2% less on average than the Apr Price Cap (including MSE cashback). Existing E.on customers can get it too and if you're already on a E.on fix, it won't charge you early exit fees to switch to this. Your cheapest depends on your region and usage level, so use Cheap Energy Club comparison to find your winner. Though remember, comparison sites (including Energy Club) will currently show savings compared to the current Price Cap (or your current tariff if you're on a fix), as firms' July Price Cap rates haven't been published yet. But come July, the savings will be more substantial. PS: The market is volatile so prices can change, and new tariffs can come in, but the links above are via our comparison which is always updated. 3. 'I'm already on a fix, should I consider switching again?' The answer largely depends on how long there's left on your fix - and your attitude to risk... FIX ENDING SOON? If you've less than 50 days left on your current deal, you can't be charged exit fees, so you're free to ditch it and switch. If you really don't want to take a risk, the safest thing to do is the grab the cheapest fix now. Beware, though, if cheaper deals emerge in the next few weeks, you'll end up locking in at a higher rate, but again, there's nothing guaranteed.  If you're happy to ride it out and think things in the Middle East will be over soon (and so cheaper energy tariffs will return), you could wait and regularly do a comparison in the coming weeks. Either way, do make sure to grab a new tariff before your deal finishes, as you'll be rolled onto your supplier's Price-Capped standard tariff when it ends. ON A FIX WITH 50+ DAYS REMAINING? Without a crystal ball, there's no right answer here. If you're on a cheap fix, you are sitting pretty for now, and would likely need to pay an early-exit penalty to leave, which adds to cost. On balance, that's probably not worth it, unless you think prices are likely to rise further and you're very worried about affordability. 4. Low Standing Charge tariffs are an easy way for many to save... The EDF Simply Tracker and British Gas Cap Tracker tariffs match the Price Cap unit rates (so when they move, it moves) but with £50 lower Standing Charges for a year. Plus, via our links, you get £20 dual-fuel MSE cashback (£10 for elec only) on both tariffs. Smart meters aren't required (unless you're on EDF smart prepay) and both have £25 per fuel early exit penalties.  These tariffs are suitable for:  - Anyone deliberately staying on the Price Cap (especially EDF and BG customers) - they're basically Price-Capped tariffs, just cheaper. - Lower energy users generally - Those on EDF Smart Prepay - the only fix available to you. 5. Can you cut bills by cutting your use? Obviously, cutting use cuts bills, so we've some detailed guides that can help: - 70+ ways to save energy includes a mix of hardcore savings and some thrifty crowd-sourced tips. From using special 'holiday' or 'summer' modes for your fridge-freezer and boiler, to charging solar lights for night-time use and more. - Energy mythbusting covers less clear-cut issues, such as: 'Is it expensive to run an electric fan?' 6. I can't afford to pay my energy bills - what do I do? Talk 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.

 

Free Batchelors pasta, free Onken yogurt, 50% off Magnum ice creams & more supermarket coupons. Video: 'Martin, did the Govt really cut energy bills if the Price Cap is going to rise 13%?' Watch Martin's 1-min answer as well as how much will the Price Cap rise really cost? and Do you know more about your energy tariff than most? are all on Martin's YouTube (do subscribe). Or better still watch his full Beat energy price hikes show from last week on ITVx. Ends 11.59pm Thu. FREE £200 CASH to switch bank. There's a glut of bank switching offers right now, but this week it's one in, one out... New switchers who apply to Barclays Bank Account* and start a switch before 11.59pm on Thu, as well as pay in £2,000+ within 30 days, can get a free £200. Or, there's top-for-service bank First Direct's FREE £200* + top overseas debit card, 7% regular saver and (some get a) £250 0% overdraft, Santander Edge's free '£210'* (£180 cash + £30 Amazon), NatWest Reward's free £200 and Bank of Scotland's £175. Plus Nationwide's just started paying switchers a free £175 too. Full options and eligibility in Top bank accounts. The MSE App is four years old - have you tried it? It's got the full MSE site with extras - news and deal alerts, bill reminders, credit file warnings, AI search (with more launching soon). Get it free (obvs) via Apple | Google Play.  New. Nectar trick gets 2x points' value on tickets to Merlin theme parks, eg, Alton Towers, Legoland. Eg, £5 of Nectar points = £10 towards entry at 20+ attractions. Full info in Nectar points theme park trick. Nationwide customer? Check whether you'll get a free £100 in June. Its 'Fairer Share' bonus is back again for 2026 - here's who'll get the payment. PS: Thanks for the '"I'm due it, thanks MSE" messages from those who read our 'how to max your chances' article. We love to see it! £70 Vax corded pet vacuum via code (normally £120). MSE Blagged. Cheapest we've seen it. 6,000 available. Vax 1yr top savings FIXES - get 4.6% 'with access' or 4.85% without. The Marcus (part of Goldman Sachs) 4.6% 1yr fix* (min £1, max £250k) is unusual - while most savings fixes lock your money away, here you can access it without notice by closing the account, with a 90-day interest penalty (or all interest if you close before 90 days). So if you want to lock money away but may need it, it's a good option. The rate's a smidge below top payer MBNA's (itself part of Lloyds) 4.85% 1yr fix (min £1k). Or, Nationwide pays 5% for 15mths (min £1), but it's for existing customers only and has a max of £10,000. More help in Top fixed savings. Related: Fixed cash ISAs MUST let you access 'em - top there's 4.66% for 1yr. Martin: Mileage allowance rise 'really important change' for drivers using cars for work. You can now claim tax relief on 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles driven in a tax year. It's part of the Govt's new cost-of-living support package, which also includes VAT cuts on family days out over summer. Ends Sun. Tesco Clubcard vouchers worth £17m expiring - how to find & extend them. See Tesco trick. Pay 0% interest on credit card debt till May 2029. A balance transfer's where you get a new card that pays off old cards for you, so you owe it instead, but interest-free for a set period - meaning more of your repayments clear the actual debt. Currently three cards give a DEFINITE 36mths at 0% to all accepted - HSBC with a 3.19% fee (Existing HSBC customer? Use this link), Virgin Money with a 3.4% fee and Tesco Bank with a 3.45% fee. The links go via our eligibility calc so you can see BEFORE APPLYING whether you'll likely get 'em. For far more options, see Top balance transfers. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum & clear the card before the 0% ends, or they jump to 24.9% rep APR interest.  Big energy bills hike coming: should you fix (even if you're already fixed)? Full help and Q&A. Plus, why hasn't Govt stopped scam ads? And more in Martin's Big Topic podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £120 Vax corded pet vacuum for £70 6,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - How to watch the UEFA European football finals for 'free' (or £5) - £116 of Sol de Janeiro, Nars, Supergoop & more for £40 - Code gets £5 off train tickets costing £5.01+ - Chase boosts debit card cashback to 2%, but... - Martin: 'Age 15 to 23? Check NOW if you've a forgotten £2,000'

 

 

Cheapest breakdown cover from just £57/yr - includes roadside recovery, home start & onward travel Wanna stick with AA/RAC? Never auto-renew, haggling with 'em is a doddle Breakdown cover isn't just a winter essential - summer heat can put extra strain on your engine, tyres and battery, all of which can leave you stranded on the side of the road. So now's a great time to check your cover, as many are overpaying by £100s and can easily slash costs by switching. At the very least, it's worth picking up the phone to your current provider - our latest poll shows breakdown providers (especially the RAC and the AA) are the easiest companies to haggle with. Full help in our cheap breakdown cover guide, but in brief... Cheapest FULL service breakdown cover - £57/yr for you AND your partner, including roadside recovery, home start & onward travel. AutoAid's* been a top pick for over a decade, and usually gets strong feedback. Its £57.28/yr policy covers you and your spouse or live-in partner in any car you/they drive - make sure you add them in the 'Enhanced cover' section. Got a car 10+ years old? There's a £25 call-out fee. If it's 16+ years, you pay £79.18/yr (plus any call-out fees).   Eversure Gold* costs £57.50/yr and has similar cover. There's no call-out fee for older cars, though it won't cover cars 16+ years old. We've less feedback, but what we do have is decent.   Both companies use local recovery operators rather than their own fleets, which helps keep costs low, and, based on anecdotal feedback, the call-out times tend to be similar to the big operators. Want a new RAC policy? Use a cashback site to save up to 50%. Sign up to a new policy via a cashback site and you get a chunk of the introducer fee the site gets for sending you to the breakdown firm, so it costs you less - though this only works for new policies. Here are the cheapest policies for two people we could find, so you'll likely pay more, but you can use this as a benchmark for what it's possible to get... - Basic cover: £74/yr, but cashback can be £29yr, so the total cost is £45/yr. - Full service: £125/yr, but cashback can be £41/yr, so the total cost is £84yr. We tend to be wary of going for deals just for cashback (as it's never 100% guaranteed), yet if you want the RAC - as there's limited choice and the cashback here is such a big chunk - it's often the cheapest route. See RAC cover.  Want AA cover? There are no cashback offers at present, at least on its UK cover, so go direct to AA's site*.  Nine in 10 people who try to haggle down their breakdown cover price succeed. Breakdown cover success rates are higher than any other sector at 87% overall. Within that, the RAC and the AA are easier to haggle with than any other firm with huge 91% and 90% respective success rates in our Jan 2026 haggling poll (see the Top 10 firms to haggle with in 2026). Full haggling help in breakdown cover haggling tips & techniques, but try these to start you off...   - Time it right: Haggling works best when you're near or past the end of your contract. - It's only a phone call: All you are expressing is it is too expensive, and are thinking of not renewing. - If it won't play ball, ask 'to cancel': This is likely to get you to 'customer retentions', where it's their job to keep you. - Do use charm, cheek and a smile: Don't be aggressive - you've no right to a discount (only a right to leave). - Don't be rushed into it: If you're still not happy, say you "need to check with the wife / boyfriend / dog" to buy time. - If you fail, try again: Wait a few days - it may be that a different person can offer you something more.   As Erin emailed recently: "Thank you for your breakdown cover guide. We received a renewal notice for the RAC for £534, we called them and used the techniques you suggested and they gave us a revised quote of £210 - a saving of £324!!" A couple more quick tips... far more in the full Cheap breakdown cover guide. - Also need travel insurance & mobile phone cover? Packaged bank accounts can be a cost-effective way to bundle it all. - Driving in Europe? Make sure you've cover there too. See cheap European cover for options and info.

 

Ends Wed. Boosted 1% cashback for 6mths on top overseas credit card. The Barclaycard Rewards credit card is fee-free and interest-free for spending and ATM withdrawals overseas (provided you pay off IN FULL each month), making it a top pick for use overseas anyway... but if you apply by 11.59pm Wed, you'll get a boosted 1% cashback on most spending at home and abroad for 6mths (0.25% after). Barclays current account holder? You can get the boosted 1% cashback for a year if you apply through the Barclays app. Full info and alternatives in Top travel cards. 250+ FREE Open Farm Sunday events, incl tractor rides & welly-wanging. One day a year in June, farms open their gates and put on activities for free - it's an absolute baaaa-gain (excludes NI). See Open Farm Sunday. New Martin Video: 'How to reclaim mis-sold motor finance for a deceased relative (1-min watch).' Watch via Martin's YouTube (do subscribe), courtesy of ITV. Related: Free car finance reclaim tool £5 for a kid's tennis racket, set of balls & taster sessions. From the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). 10,000 available. Tennis starter kits NS&I to pay £367 million to thousands of bereaved families. It comes after the Govt-backed savings provider failed to properly trace the savings of deceased customers. See NS&I tracing failure. Live in social housing? Beware shyster firms pretending to be compensation schemes for mould, damp, etc. We've found more than 150 ads on social media that look like Govt help but are actually claims firms that can take 25%+ of any compensation you're due. Here's what to watch out for & how to complain for free.

 

 

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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 Free '£210' + 1% on bills: Santander Edge Ends Thu. Free £200 + 5% fuel cashback: Barclays Free £200 + top service: First Direct 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: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 5.7% rep APR Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Cahoot 5%, min £1 Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.62%, min £1 Top one-year fix: MBNA 4.85%, min £1,000 Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£19.50/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£22.84/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.37/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.43/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.48/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3/mth' for 36GB

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I pay extra to cover fees when I transfer gift money to my USA-based grandchild? I have four grandchildren - three live in the UK and the other has just moved to the US. I regularly give them gifts of money, and want to treat them equitably. But if I send them the same amount, the grandchild in the US gets less due to transfer fees and exchange rates. Should I top up their gift to compensate for the shortfall? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I give my grandchild in the US extra gift money? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

QUICK DEALS - Epic Games Store: Three FREE Tomb Raider PC games (normally £20+) - Morrisons Café: FREE cereal & fruit, ends Sunday - Popeyes: FREE biscuit & dip (normally £2.50ish) on Friday 29 May only - SpeckyFourEyes: £37 Ted Baker prescription specs or sunglasses (normally £135), ends Sunday - Tails.com: 90% off code on a one-month supply of tailored dog food, ends Sunday

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 27 MAY ONWARDS) Tue 2 Jun - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am

 

 

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