Petar Lekarski

Assistant Editor – News & Investigations

Petar joined MoneySavingExpert in 2019, but his passion for all things MoneySaving goes back much further – as evidenced by his 'Part of the furniture' badge on the MSE Forum.

He developed his in-depth knowledge of bank accounts, credit cards, loans and savings in the Money team before moving across to MSE News. He has written about a wide range of personal finance topics, covering everything from mobile roaming charges to supermarket loyalty schemes to railcards.

In 2021, Petar researched and wrote MSE's comprehensive and massively popular guide to diesel emissions legal claims, and he continues to maintain it as the cases progress.

Petar has also worked directly with Martin Lewis as his researcher, supporting the MoneySavingExpert with his eponymous ITV show and other media appearances over a period of 18 months.

When he's not polishing prose or crunching numbers, you'll find Petar at the cinema, eating spicy food or cycling around London on a rented bike. He also enjoys playing video games, bouldering and lists of three.

Latest from Petar Lekarski

30% of British Gas, Octopus & Shell Energy customers say their direct debits have DOUBLED

At least 30% of British Gas, Octopus Energy and Shell Energy customers who were in credit and on price-capped tariffs told the UK's biggest consumer website, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), that they've seen their direct debits double – even though the price cap rise is half that, at 54%. Across all firms, 25% of customers in this situation reported direct debits doubling or more.

8 May 2022

Over three million Brits saved on their passport applications by applying online instead of by post last year – but more than half a million missed out, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) can reveal. So if you're planning a holiday abroad for the first time in a while, check your passport's still valid – and, if it's out of date, here's how to renew it for less.

3 April 2022

Around 6,600 people who get tax credits, child benefit or guardian's allowance paid into a Post Office card account need to take action urgently as HMRC will stop making payments into these accounts after 5 April. If you have an alternative account already you must let HMRC know and if not you'll need to set one up.

27 March 2022

PCR travel test provider Randox Health, one of the largest firms in the sector, has changed its terms and conditions to be clearer on when customers can expect tests and results to arrive and when they can cancel an order and claim a refund after intervention by the competition watchdog.

24 March 2022

Santander customers with the bank's popular 123 current account will see the interest paid on savings drop to just 0.3% from 12 April. It's the third time the bank has cut the account's rate cut in less than a year and means holders are better off switching.

24 March 2022

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One in 10 shoppers using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have been chased by debt collectors, rising to one in eight young people, according to new research from Citizens Advice.

24 March 2022

Prospective university and college students who plan to go through a process known as 'clearing' to get onto a course should not wait for their exam results before applying for student finance. The Student Loans Company (SLC) says people should instead apply as soon as possible. Students who've already been offered a place but have yet to apply for funding should also do so now.

24 March 2022

All remaining English Premier League matches this year will be broadcast live on TV – without any pay-per-view fees. And at least one game will be shown 'free' on the BBC.

24 March 2022

British Gas is the worst firm to be moved to if your energy firm goes bust

Over two million households have been switched to a new energy supplier they didn't choose in the past year after their previous provider went bust. But very few caught by this 'safety net' – especially those moved to British Gas – reported having a good transfer experience, with many left waiting months for credit refunds as well as being "left in the dark" about the transfer process.

7 March 2022

Vodafone is to start charging new and upgrading customers roaming fees of £2 a day to use their monthly allowance in Europe from 31 January 2022 – though some will be able to cut the cost to £1 a day by paying for a multi-day pass. Vodafone is the second mobile firm to scrap free roaming in the EU following Brexit, after EE announced similar changes in June.

5 January 2022

Students in England can now sign up to the Student Finance England mailing list and get an email when applications for the 2022/23 academic year open. The invitation to sign up comes with just weeks to go before the UCAS application deadline for undergraduate courses on 26 January 2022.

31 December 2021

Energy supplier failures will add an extra £94 to household bills next year, warns Citizens Advice

The recent collapse of many UK energy companies will add an extra £94 to household bills from next year as the firms left in the market look to pass on the costs of taking on stranded customers, according to a damning new report from Citizens Advice that is also highly critical of the regulator.

10 December 2021

More than two million Premium Bond prizes worth a combined £74 million remain unclaimed, according to the latest figures from National Savings and Investments (NS&I). If you have or have ever had Premium Bonds, here's how to check if you've won.

18 November 2021

"Legal advice" is the "only reason" the Government hasn't included protection against paid-for scam adverts in its upcoming Online Safety Bill, according to new comments made by secretary of state for digital Nadine Dorries.

5 November 2021

Martin Lewis facing camera and holding copy of financial education textbook

The first-ever curriculum mapped financial education textbook – funded jointly by MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis and the Money and Pensions Service – has now landed in secondary schools in Scotland, following the successful roll-out of versions in England and Northern Ireland.

25 October 2021

Tesco Bank has quietly launched a prepaid debit card called 'Clubcard Pay', which it's currently trialling. It promises to help you manage your money and lets you collect Clubcard points on your shopping – but the prepaid card can't be used in the same way as a full current account. Here's what you need to know.

29 September 2021