Bank of England base rate held at 0.5%

It means now's a perfect time for savers to check what they're earning on their money and switch, if necessary.

The stable interest rate environment follows six months of falls, culminating in the current historic base rate low.

Since early October last year, when the base rate stood at 5%, it’s been misery for savers who, in many cases, have suffered from a dramatic drop in income.

However, homeowners with mortgages linked to the base rate or their lender’s standard variable rate have generally seen monthly payments plummet.

Dan Plant, savings analyst at MoneySavingExpert.com, says: "If you’ve got savings, check your rate now and see if you can beat it, as there has been a slight recovery in rates.

"The volatile environment’s over, so it’s the right time to compare and switch."