MSE's weekly round-up
Get off the Price Cap, grab a discount vacuum cleaner, beware misleading housing repair ads & more
Welcome to the hottest MSE content from the past week! See our latest top tips, best deals and news-you-can-use, plus Martin's musings, all in a quickfire bite-sized format. To catch up on all you need to know from this week, read on...
MSE's Money Tips email: Bag supermarket coupon freebies, claim extra mileage allowance, get a top 0% balance transfer card & more
Some highlights from this week's email include...
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Grab free (and discounted) food & drink using supermarket coupons. Such as free Batchelors pasta, free Onken yogurt and 50% off Magnum ice creams.
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Need to use your car for work? You can now claim extra tax relief. MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis has called the mileage allowance rise a 'really important change'.
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Pay 0% interest on credit card debt until May 2029. Three balance transfer cards give a definite 36 months at 0% to all who are accepted.
The latest from Martin Lewis: Most people can AVOID July's 13% Energy Price Cap rise
Martin has issued a fresh warning to households on standard or default variable tariffs: get off the Price Cap. From Wednesday 1 July, their energy bills are set to rise by 13.1% to 13.5%, depending on how they pay.
But Martin says that this increase is “voluntary” seeing as there are still fixed deals available below the current Cap level. This means that households can cut costs immediately and avoid the full July jump.
As always, do a full-market comparison to find the best energy deal – MSE's Cheap Energy Club shows all tariffs on the market by default and will give you cashback if we get paid to switch you.
READ MARTIN’S FULL ENERGY PRICE CAP WARNING
Key MSE News: Watch out for misleading social housing repair ads
MSE has uncovered more than 150 misleading social media ads targeting social housing tenants with promises of help for mould, damp and disrepair issues.
Some of the adverts closely resembled official Gov.uk pages, which could leave people thinking they were dealing directly with the Government or their council. However, these ads were actually from claims firms that could take a hefty cut of any compensation that you're due.
If you need help with housing disrepair problems, it’s safest to go directly via Gov.uk or your housing association rather than clicking on ads in your social feed.
READ THE FULL SOCIAL HOUSING ADS WARNING
Hot deal: Get £50 off a Vax corded upright vacuum
We've bagged an MSE Blagged code on Vax's Air Stretch Pet upright vacuum, knocking down the price from £120 to £70.
The discount should apply automatically when you use our special Vax link*, though you can also enter code MSEASP at checkout if needed.
The deal is available on up to 6,000 units, limited to one per household, and is due to end at 11.59pm on Sunday 7 June or when the units sell out, whichever happens first.
What's new on MSE: Don't mistake lower 'typical' energy use for cheaper prices
Energy comparison figures could soon look cheaper on paper – but that doesn’t mean prices are actually falling.
From July, Ofgem is changing its definition of a household's 'typical-use' figure. It will assume lower annual energy usage for both electricity and gas, so 'typical-use' estimates could look cheaper than they do now, even if prices for many homes are still going up.
Our latest blog explains what’s changing, why it matters, and what to watch out for when comparing tariffs or checking how bills have changed.
READ THE FULL GUIDE TO TYPICAL ENERGY USE CHANGES
From our social channels: Check your sun cream's expiry date after opening
Looking to enjoy a spot of spring sunshine? In our latest social post, we shared a simple sunning suggestion that could save you cash later on....
When you open a bottle of sun cream, write the date on it. Most bottles include a “period after opening” symbol on the back – usually 12 or 24 months – showing how long the product should still work for once opened.
By writing the date on the bottle, you’ll know whether it’s still safe to use or if it needs replacing if you find it half-used next summer.
And finally, from the MSE Forum: Cash, cooling and holiday food choices
Some highlights from the MSE Forum this week include...
Still use cash to pay for things? One forumite says withdrawing a set amount each month helps them keep tighter control of spending. Do you still think cash is king, or is it a bit outdated now?
Got any portable air-con suggestions? With temperatures soaring, one forumite is after recommendations for a bedroom air-con unit. Reckon you can help?
Vote in our latest forum poll. We’re asking what food option you pick when booking a holiday, whether that’s all-inclusive, half-board, bed and breakfast or self-catering.
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