June 2023

Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds, which are all part of the Lloyds Banking Group, will shut at least 276 of their bank branches in 2023 and 2024, after the Group announced a further 45 closures today (Wednesday 29 November).

Most households are on standard energy tariffs right now, with prices controlled by the Energy Price Cap, but deals are starting to return – including Octopus Energy's 'Tracker' tariff, which has relaunched and could be worth switching to. It's not right for everyone, but if you're willing to regularly keep track of daily price changes, it could mean big savings. We've full info below.

Today (31 July) is the last day you can use any non-barcoded everyday stamps – those with the Queen's profile on – before they become worthless. Alternatively, you can swap them for barcoded versions for free through the Royal Mail scheme.

NS&I will increase its Premium Bond prize-fund rate to 4% from 3.7% for its August 2023 draw and beyond, with an extra £30 million in prizes up for grabs. This latest increase – the seventh we've seen in just over a year – is to the highest rate since 2007. The odds of winning will also increase from 24,000 to one to 22,000 to one. 

No-frills mobile operator Lycamobile has surprisingly switched all of its customers from O2's network – which it piggybacked on – to EE's, seemingly without telling them ahead of time. It comes after the company quietly signed a deal with BT Wholesale last week, meaning it will now piggyback off EE's mobile network.

First Direct has scrapped all fees for overseas spending and cash withdrawals on its debit card for both new and existing customers, MoneySavingExpert.com can reveal. 

The Bank of England has increased the base rate from 4.5% to 5% – taking it to its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and so it influences what borrowers pay and what savers earn.

Easyjet passengers who accepted vouchers for Covid-19 disrupted flights or holidays have now got until 31 January 2024 to use them, as the airline has extended their validity for a further six months. Below we've got all you need to know about the extension. 

The UK's biggest mortgage lenders have today agreed to introduce a new set of support measures for struggling borrowers, including allowing homeowners to increase their mortgage term or switch to interest-only repayments temporarily without any impact on their credit rating. These reflect several of the measures MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis has been calling for since last autumn.

NS&I will increase its Premium Bond prize-fund rate to 3.7% from 3.3% for its July 2023 draw and beyond, with an extra £39 million in higher-value prizes up for grabs. This latest increase – the sixth we've seen in just over a year – is to the highest rate in 15 years. The odds of winning will remain the same at 24,000 to one, but there will more prizes between £50 and £100,000 available.