Household Bills
Energy companies sitting on £1.5bn from overpaid bills
New research reveals that 61% of Brits are overpaying their gas and electricity bills, by £96 on average, which collectively means that energy companies are banking an extra £1.5bn of their customers’ money.
Gogglebox Brits spend £398 per year on TV packages, but only watch 25% of channels
More than six in ten (62%) households pay for TV, spending an average of £33 per month but, according to new research from price comparison and switching service uSwitch.com, almost a third (30%) claim it isn’t good value for money.
Energy prices falling but only for savvy switchers
With wholesale energy prices falling to the lowest levels in the past year, and accusations that energy providers are failing to pass on the fall in costs to consumers, analysis by MoneySuperMarket shows that of the cheapest energy tariffs in the market over the past six months, the majority of providers have cut prices, by as much as £189 in once instance - but only to people who are proactive and switch tariffs.
Annual household bills fall by £70 on average since last election
People pay less now for a range of utility and finance products than they did at the time of the General Election in May 2010, according to research from comparethemarket.com.
Black Friday marks the kick off for the Christmas spending frenzy
Black Friday is set to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year, as retailers adopt the American tradition of offering discounts to entice shoppers in the run up to the festive season, research from Halifax reveals.
Small energy providers power ahead of big six in customer satisfaction
New figures reveal a gulf in consumer satisfaction between the country’s two largest new energy providers and the traditional big six, according to uSwitch.com’s ninth annual independent report of 5,300 energy customers.
Brits share their top tips for a low-cost Christmas
Vouchers, discount codes and loyalty points top the list of the nation’s top tips for saving money at Christmas, with just over half (52%) of UK adults using them to cut the cost of celebrating the festive season, according to a new survey.
Consumer confidence bounces back
The Lloyds Bank Spending Power Report for October finds that consumer confidence has increased to reach its second highest score since the start of the index, climbing five points to 151.
Christmas shoppers set to miss out on £347 of rewarding spend
On average, Christmas shoppers expect to spend a total of £439 this festive period (£182 on food and drink and £257 on presents), according to research from M&S Bank.
Almost half of Brits to use credit and overdrafts to cover Christmas
Almost half of Brits (46%) will turn to credit cards, store cards and overdrafts to cover the cost of Christmas this year, according to the Money Advice Service’s annual Christmas spending survey.
Energy bills continue to top the list of baffling bills
Despite the introduction in the Spring, of new rules from energy regulator Ofgem requiring energy companies to simplify bills, research shows that millions of customers are still struggling to understand their electricity and gas bills.
Home phone costs soar by 29% in three years
As Virgin Media confirmed that it’s increasing the price of monthly home phone rental by 6.25%, uSwitch.com, the price comparison and switching service, has discovered the cost of a landline has increased by more than a quarter (29%) since 2011.
Brits set to spend over £17 billion on Christmas cheer
With Christmas fast approaching and the number of shopping days dwindling, research from MoneySuperMarket predicts festive expenditure is set to exceed £17 billion with Brits splashing out an average of £383 per person this year.
New collective switching energy tariff takes top spot in the short term fix best buys
Extra Energy’s Saverplus Collective Jan 2016 tariff has taken top spot in the list of short term fix best buys for dual fuel customers.
Npower’s new tariff indicates a 3% drop in energy prices in under a month
Npower has launched a new tariff which is now the second cheapest short fix for medium energy users.