Helping you keep your finances healthy!

Seven money resolutions for the next three months. They make the most of seasonal opportunities to save.
And they prevent us from simply switching off after the summer, condemning ourselves to another year of paying over the odds for things like energy, insurance, debts, etc.

Last week’s discussion on fuel prices shows we’re clearly frustrated about the rising cost of fuelling our cars. The question was whether we’re numbed into submission by an unending procession of small rises in petrol prices. Judging by all the comments that attracted, it’s clear we’re not numb at all, and that the continued rise [...]

The energy bill you receive this spring is likely to be the highest you have ever received. Thanks to a combination of accelerating energy prices and increased consumption in this winter’s big freeze, most British households will be feeling the strain when their next gas and electricity statement arrives. Chances are that as a result [...]

That rattling, wheezing, inefficient boiler you’ve been struggling along with could now be worth £400 as scrap. A Government-led scrappage scheme for old gas-hungry boilers has just been launched. Like the “cash for bangers” scheme for old cars, it’s for those who want to upgrade to a new model. The government thinks this will save [...]

We all probably know how straightforward it is to save money by switching our electricity and gas billing company, but with water it’s not so simple. The UK’s 10 regional water authorities were, like our gas and electricity suppliers, privatised in the 1980s. However, unlike energy companies, they have been allowed to operate as profitable [...]

How would you stay warm and well fed if the nation’s gas ran out? Once again there’s a warning that the UK’s stored gas supplies might not be enough. We had a real practical warning last winter, when the disruption to Russian exports put us within three days of an interruption in gas supplies. But [...]