Household Bills archive

Published in May 2012

Broadband speeds: broadband providers are lying to us

by Cliff D'Arcy | The broadband watchdog has accused some providers of failing to be honest about speeds.

New cap for mobile phone roaming charges

by Emma Lunn | Holidaymakers will benefit from cheaper phone bills after the European Parliament slashed extortionate roaming charges.

First Utility launches UK's cheapest energy deal

by ReenaSewraz | The Big Switch campaign was supposed to secure buyers a market-leading energy deal. Yet it has already been trumped.

How to avoid the next big energy price rise

by Neil Faulkner | British Gas profits are up 200% over nine years, thanks to massive price increases. Read how to avoid the coming £100 winter energy price rise.

Tax credits: 200,000 families worse off by £3,870 a year!

by Cliff D'Arcy | Changes to tax credit rules mean 200,000 families face a cut of nearly £4,000 in their income.

Tesco rebrands Value range

by ReenaSewraz | Could the new Everyday Value products bring us any closer to being proud to go basic and meet all our expectations at the same time?

Where a packet of cigarettes will soon cost £50

by Rosalind Kent | Would an astronomical rise in the cost of cigarettes make you give up? One nation hopes so, and it putting it to the test.

Pay £2.49 a month for broadband from Direct Save Telecom

by Cliff D'Arcy | Direct Save Telecom has launched an unbelievable deal, offering broadband for just £2.49 a month!

Why all taxes must rise by 16%!

by Cliff D'Arcy | For the UK to balance its books, all taxes would need to rise by 16%. Which would you raise?

Published in April 2012

Refurbished goods: get an iPad for under £240

by ReenaSewraz | Could buying refurbished electronics be a cheaper and safer way to get those ‘must have’ items?

O2 Wallet: send money to friends and shop using your mobile phone

by ReenaSewraz | O2 has launched O2 Wallet, a new app giving users the chance to send money to their friends and shop using their mobile phone. But is it any good?

Why energy bills have trebled in eight years

by Cliff D'Arcy | Cliff D'Arcy investigates why your energy bill has risen so much faster than the wholesale costs of gas and electricity.

Banking gimmicks are no bad thing

by Robert Powell | Bonds with temporary bonus rates, current accounts with switching incentives: banks are frequently bashed for their gimmicky products. But would we really be better off without these deals?

BT launches phone and broadband deal for £3.50 a month

by ReenaSewraz | New package from BT offers half price broadband and calls for the first six months. But can it be beaten?

Is your mobile phone insured overseas?

by Cliff D'Arcy | Take care when taking your phone abroad, as your insurance could leave you in the lurch!

Ten ways to avoid Capital Gains Tax

by Cliff D'Arcy | Investors and landlords can use these tricks to dodge the new 28% rate of CGT...

Sim-only tariffs: how I saved £234 on my mobile bill

by Emma Lunn | As new research suggests we are wasting £5 billion a year as a result of being on the wrong tariff, Emma Lunn looks at how she managed to slash her own mobile costs

HMRC: new PAYE system to ensure you ALWAYS pay the right tax

by John Fitzsimons | HMRC has launched a new real time PAYE system which it hopes will eliminate errors and ensure we always pay the right amount of tax.

Water rates increase as hosepipe ban kicks in

by Robert Powell | As water prices rise and a hosepipe ban hits households across the country, Robert Powell takes a look at how to trim your water spend…

Landline vs. mobile: time to ditch the home phone?

by Robert Powell | Is it time to ditch the landline and go fully mobile for voice calling? Robert Powell finds out…

Energy companies to tell customers about best tariffs

by Simon Ward | The 'Big Six' have agreed to send their customers an annual letter telling them if they are on the best tariff or not.

Alcohol, cigarettes and diesel black markets cost us £28.5 billion!

by John Fitzsimons | Illicit trade in alcohol, diesel and cigarettes is costing the taxman a fortune.

Tax and benefit changes for 2012/13

by Simon Ward | It's the start of a new tax year, so let's take a look at the tax and benefits changes that have now come into effect.

Slash your supermarket delivery costs!

by Alison Hunt | Love online shopping but hate paying for the privilege? Check out my top tips to get cheap or free delivery with Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Ocado and Waitrose.

How I learnt to love my bills

by Cliff D'Arcy | Cliff D'Arcy explains why he now can't wait for bills to drop on to his doormat.

How to get free cavity wall and loft insulation

by Simon Ward | The Government has committed the big energy companies to install free insulation in our homes. Find out if you're eligible.

Published in March 2012

Cheapest ways to use mobile broadband abroad

by Emma Lunn | If you're heading overseas this year, make sure you don't pay a packet for using mobile broadband by nabbing a speciaist tariff or dongle.

Big budget month day 31: stick to your goals

by John Fitzsimons | You've found ways to save money. Now you need to stick with it!

Big budget month day 30: spend less and have more!

by Neil Faulkner | Do borrowers or savers accrue the most lifetime possessions? And will borrowing to buy really help you buy stuff sooner? The answers will surprise you.

Where council tax is rising and falling next year

by Simon Ward | Most of Britain will enjoy a council tax freeze from April after taking up a Government grant. But some councils are still increasing charges, while others are decreasing theirs.

EDF announces price promise and help for vulnerable

by Simon Ward | The energy giant has announced a series of Customer Commitments as it bids to boost its reputation.

Big budget month day 25: switch insurance, mortgage, cards and loans

by Neil Faulkner | By spending a bit of time shopping around, you can save a serious amount of money on financial products.

Big budget month day 21: make tax-free cash from your spare room

by lovemoney staff | Make your spare room make you money: get a lodger!

Call 0800, 0808 and 0870 numbers for free from your mobile

by Emma Lunn | Mobile networks charge a fortune to call “freephone” 0800, 0808 and 0500 numbers. But there are a number of smartphone apps that can cut the cost of calling 08 numbers from your mobile phone.

Virgin Media Broadband: How Richard Branson and Usain Bolt tricked me

by Cliff D'Arcy | Virgin Media pledged to double its broadband speeds for free. But that's not quite true

EDF tops energy complaint tables again

by Robert Powell | A familiar name has topped the latest customer satisfaction poll from the energy watchdog…

Big budget month day 14: save money by stopping smoking

by lovemoney staff | Today is No Smoking Day. If you're a smoker, and someone offered you £163,084 to quit today, would you do it? Because that's how much you save by giving up...

Big budget month day 13: save on music, TV, movies and games

by Simon Ward | In today's article, we look at how to cut back on what you spend on home entertainment.

eBay vs Mazuma, Fonebank and Bowzowi: should I recycle or sell my old mobile?

by Rosalind Kent | Got an old phone lying around? You might be able to get the most cash for it on eBay - but will you get a better deal than going through a recycling site like Mazuma or Fonebank?

You’re subsidising your neighbour’s energy bills!

by Robert Powell | If you fail to regularly shop around for energy tariffs, you’re subsidising the cheap rates of those that do…

Big budget month day 12: how direct debits can save you money

by lovemoney staff | In the latest article in our month-long series, we look at how paying for certain things by direct debit can save you money.

Watch out for this Sky Plus communal dish trap

by Robert Powell | Recording live TV directly onto your set-top box is now a common feature thrown in with many subscriptions. However many Sky customers are not receiving a full service, despite paying full price…

Big budget month day 11: cancel subscriptions and memberships

by Simon Ward | From digital TV to magazines, here are some monthly outgoings you should be thinking about ditching.

Boost your solar panel savings by £60 a year

by Neil Faulkner | A new product is designed to increase the effectiveness of home solar panels to reduce your energy bills by another £60 per year.

Avoid this mobile phone bill shock

by Robert Powell | As Ofcom sets out plans to tackle unexpectedly high phone bills, Robert Powell looks at how you can cut your monthly mobile spend…

EDF agrees £4.5m payout following sales investigation

by Simon Ward | The energy giant has agreed to give money to vulnerable customers and an energy awareness programme after Ofgem ruled it had broken its sales guidelines.

Big budget month day eight: cut your utilities spending

by John Fitzsimons | In the latest of our month-long budgeting series, we look at ways to cut your spending on broadband, home phone, mobile phone and water bills.

Big budget month day seven: ten ways to save on energy

by Alison Hunt | Check out these top tips for keeping those energy bills down.

Big budget month day five: cut your transport costs

by John Fitzsimons | Today’s edition of our month-long series of articles on budgeting looks at how to cut the amount you spend on travelling around.

Big budget month day four: make sure you're not missing out on money

by Simon Ward | Before you look to make savings, you should check you're not paying too much tax and you're receiving all the benefits you're entitled to.

Big budget month day three: setting your goals

by Simon Ward | In the third of our month-long series of articles, we look at what to think about when you're setting your financial goals.

Big budget month day two: looking at your spending

by Simon Ward | In the second of our month-long series of articles on budgeting, we look at the importance of reviewing your spending.

Six easy ways to pay less tax

by lovemoney staff | No one likes paying tax. So here’s how to pay less of it!

When paying an exit fee to escape your energy tariff is a good idea

by Robert Powell | Variable energy tariffs may have fallen in price, but that doesn’t mean dropping your fixed rate is always a good idea. In fact, for a majority of people staying put is probably the best option.

Big budget month day one: how to plan a budget

by Simon Ward | Here's the first in a series of articles throughout March that will help you get your finances in shape.

Published in February 2012

Vodafone unveils 'mobile wallet'

by Simon Ward | The phone operator has partnered with Visa to create a mobile phone payment system due to launch in the spring.

Protect your phone from this growing threat

by Robert Powell | Robert Powell reports on the growing threat of 'phone snatching' and finds out what you can do to protect your handset...

Third of homes suffer slow broadband speeds

by John Fitzsimons | A third of homes in the UK are lumbered with broadband speeds considerably lower than the national average.

British Gas offers £100 incentive for insulation scheme

by Simon Ward | The energy giant is offering £50 for referring people to its free insulation scheme for low-income households and £50 to the households themselves.

The Big Switch from Which?: Join the mass fightback against rising energy bills

by Robert Powell | More than 100,000 people have already signed up to fight back against expensive gas and electricity tariffs as part of consumer group Which’s Big Switch campaign…

Council tax rebanding: the risks

by Neil Faulkner | Getting your council tax band reassessed can save you money and get thousands refunded, but is there a danger that you'll provoke an increase?

HMRC targets Avon reps and Ann Summers party hosts for unpaid tax

by John Fitzsimons | The taxman is taking on various groups of direct sellers in a bid to reclaim unpaid tax.

Tesco launches unlimited broadband for £2.50 a month

by John Fitzsimons | For just £2.50 a month you can enjoy unlimited broadband use from Tesco Broadband.

How to slash your council tax bill

by Rachel Wait | Find out how you cut down your council tax bills to a minimum!

Government wants to keep cutting solar feed-in tariffs

by Simon Ward | Plans to reduce amount paid for electricity generation by 10% every six months unveiled.

Which? launches campaign to negotiate cheaper energy prices

by Simon Ward | The consumer champion challenges energy companies to offer cheaper prices and will help people switch.

Broadband and home phone prices set to fall

by Simon Ward | Regulator Ofcom challenges BT to lower wholesale costs of line rental.

The Full Monty from T-Mobile - phone tariff that gives you unlimited texts, calls and data

by Emma Lunn | The new Full Monty Tariff from T-Mobile offers completely unlimited calls, texts and internet usage as part of the tariff. But are there any hidden catches?

Virgin Media ups broadband and phone call costs

by Simon Ward | The company is to increase the cost of its most popular broadband product and increase the cost of daytime phone calls.

Broadband speeds still lagging behind advertised rates

by Simon Ward | Ofcom's latest research finds the average UK broadband speed is rising but many packages are still delivering slower performance than promised.

In debt? 'Extreme budgeting' could save your finances

by Cliff D'Arcy | To help pay off my credit card debt, I've taken up 'extreme budgeting' and completely frozen my spending!

Beware this tax scam

by lovemoney staff | If an email comes into your inbox promising you a tax refund, don't get too excited - it's likely to be fake.