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The Biggest Consumer Decision of the Year
How you vote counts - here's all the info you need
It's not just the economy and taxation, how you vote in Election 2010 affects services like health, education, street cleaning, the environment, policing & more ...
- Can you name your MP? To speedily find your sitting MP, their party and how long they've been in office, enter your postcode at TheyWorkForYou.
- Check voting records & expenses. TheyWorkForYou also shows what they've done in Parliament & expenses.
- Find out more about your constituency's candidates. The YourNext MP site lists all local candidates and has many election leaflets online.
- What'd it take to topple (or keep) your MP? The BBC's constituency search lists the last general election's voting results, so you can see who came second & what it'd take to shift or keep them, or work out a tactical vote.
- What are the parties' MoneySaving policies? Read the full MSE Leaders' Debate for leaders' views on petrol prices, mortgages, bank charges & more.
- Take a look at the manifestos. Read the Conservative, Green, Labour, Lib Dem, Plaid, SNP & UKIP pitches and promises.
- Web tools to help you pick a party. Several Q&A websites place you on the political spectrum. For quick, slick questions by academics, use VoteMatch or a more thorough, hobbyist site is MyVoteAdvisor.
- Who don't you want to win? Try the vote against poll.
- What do they do with our cash? Take the MSE Election Quiz to see where they spend our £620bn or play C4's Chop or Not to try and cut the deficit.
Politicians aren't as bad as you think ... vote for someone
You don't often hear this, but even after all the scandals, having met and co-operated with politicians of all parties in recent times, I believe most are decent people of conscience who want to improve others' lots.
So while it's easy to denigrate and deride, if we don't vote, what right do we have to complain? If you desperately feel the need to protest against them, register your distaste by turning up and spoiling your ballot. It's a far stronger message than not voting (see re-open nominations blog).
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| The Ones Not To Miss |
"Cap NOW?" Cheap tariffs ending, price rises predicted
Industry warms towards locking into low fixed prices as cheapest tariff is pulled
The price suppliers pay for gas's jumped by up to 50% this year & more rises are predicted; last week the market's cheapest tariff was pulled. What's a cap? It's a deal where the rate paid per unit is fixed over a set period. Usually they're more expensive, but currently the cheapest are similar to the cheapest variable deals - saving £250/year for those on standard tariffs. Time to cap? We asked five energy industry insiders, and all supported fixing in the long run, three said now's good, one wait till Autumn, the other was on the fence. My view is capping's most important for those worried they can't afford price hikes. Will all prices rise? It's more about the availability super-cheap (typically £880/year) online new customer deals than hikes in standard prices (typically £1,150/year). What if prices fell? To leave before the cap ends, you need pay £30-£75, but that's small compared with most's potential savings. The cheapest cap: It varies by region & usage, so select 'capped option only' comparison sites' results. Compare, switch & get cashback: Top Pick: Energyhelpline* pays £15 cashback per switch. Dual Fuel: MoneySupermarket* £30 in cash, Uswitch* a crate of wine, SimplySwitch* £35 in Amazon vouchers. FULL info & cashback options in the Updated Guide: Switch Gas & Elec Time to Switch? Energy capping views Related: Boiler Cover, Grant Grabbing
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Exclusive! Tesco.com Fri 2hr Flash Sale 50% off all clothing code. Details still coming in - full updates & how to get the code in the Daily Deals List: Discount Vouchers
Free Family Railcard for 2mths, then 50%-off code
Gives 1/3 off adult & 60% off kids' train fares, when up to 4 adults & 4 kids travel together
No-strings 2mth trial, then a code to get a year's card for £13 (usually £26). See the Deals List: Cheap Trains & Coaches
New top balance transfer deal. 0% for 16 mths (3% fee)
Slice the cost of existing debts by shifting them to the new longest 0% deals
If you've got existing credit card debts, a balance transfer means you get a new card that pays them off, so you owe it instead, hopefully at a cheaper rate. New longest 0% deal: If you've a very good credit score, Yorkshire & Clydesdale banks' gold cards give 0% for 16 mths on debts shifted to it, with a 3% fee. After the 0% ends, it jumps to 16.9% APR. Slightly lower fee & easier to get: Existing current account customers at HSBC*, RBS* or Natwest* can all get a slightly shorter 0% for 15 mths, with a tad lower 2.9% fee (all 16.9% APR after). As they're with your own bank, these should be a little easier to get. 0% on balance transfer AND spending: Only use the above cards for shifting debt, to get 0% on spending too, Virgin* offers 0% for 12 mths on both, with a 2.98% fee for debt shifted (18.9-21.9% APR after). Warning! With all cards, ensure you repay or shift the debt again before the 0% ends. And always make at least the monthly min. repayment, pref by direct debit, as, miss it, and you'll lose the 0% deal. FULL info and more best-buys in the Updated Guide: Best Balance Transfers Related: Cheap Loans, Credit Card Shuffle
Uncovered! Peel off Poundland's labels to find Boots No.7
See the pics: Poundland £1 Pure cream is really Boots No.7 firming cream, worth £8ish, and there's more
Just peel back the labels. Full info and disguised products list in the Deals Note: Disguised Boots Products
Urgent! Totally free 3mth tastelondon card (norm. £70/year)
Gets 50% off at 1,000+ London restaurants - we've blagged unlimited cards for MoneySavers
Sign up by this Fri 7 May to get it, no card details needed. See the Deals Note: Restaurant Vouchers
£3.50 BOOST when selling any old mobile! Special code
Sexy handsets can sell for £100s, but older phones fetch little, so this is a boon
TV ads for sites wanting to buy old mobiles are everywhere, yet the amounts paid vary per site and per handset. Free tool: The MSE Mobile Selling Comparison tool instantly tells you what each of the main sites will pay. It can be serious cash, eg, £278 for an iPhone 16GB 3GS, but for some older handsets it's next to nowt. ENDS SUN. New £3.50 booster code: There's an auto-code on Mobile Valuer from Mopay that gets you an extra £3.50 (though that's not included in the comparison result). Unlike normal codes, there's no min. value so it's great for older phones. How mobile recycling sites work: Once you agree to sell, they send a freepost bag, you post the phone, they give the cash. MobileValuer.com: Compare Mobile Selling Sites Related: Cheap Mobiles, Haggle Your Mobile Bill
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Urgent! Broadband £4.30/mth! Until 18 May, get 4 mths free on Plusnet's* £6.49/mth package (avail to 70% of UK). So over the year's contract it's an avg £4.30/mth. FULL info & more best-buys in the Updated Guide: Cheap Broadband
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New 2for1s at Burger King, Pizza Express, Strada & Cafe Rouge
New restaurant vouchers! Join GBK 2 burgers 'n' fries for £11, Bella Italia & Ha ha 2for1s
A raft of Burger King vouchers join lots of new deals at the big pizza chains. See the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers
Habitat.co.uk 20% off, H&M 20% off one item, Blockbuster 2for1
These new vouchers join online codes for Debenhams 15% off, Vertbaudet 20% off & loads more
Plus Dwell 20% (in mag) and many more in the Daily Deals List: Discount Vouchers
Water bills up 8% in some areas
Yet savings of £200+ a year are possible. New billing year. See if you can cut costs
We're now a month into the new water & sewerage billing year, and the national average 'no change' belies the true picture, as bills have been cut in some regions and increased up to 8% in others. Cut water bill costs: With water, you can't switch provider, so it's all about billing, yet savings can be £200+. Many homes still pay based on a home's 1990 'rateable' value (roughly how much it could be rented out for) and there's no way to challenge that. The alternative's a water meter, where your bill depends on usage and a possible standing charge. Will you save with a meter? As a rule of thumb, if there're more bedrooms in your house than people, eg, 3 rooms 2 occupants, then do the sums, as savings are likely. Both Uswitch* and the Consumer Council For Water have quick comparison calculators. Though those in Scotland need pay for a meter, so it's rarely worth it. FULL info in the Updated Guide: Cheaper Water Bills Related: Cheap Gas & Electricity
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Eloping? Free flights to Bermuda if you marry there
Get two free BA £600 returns if you tie the knot there (must stay 4/nts in hotel - min cost £780-ish all-in)
Travel until 31 Oct '10. Must send proof you've swapped vows to get refund. Forum Note: Free Bermuda Flights
5 top album downloads for £3.97 each
Albums from Glee, Usher, Scouting for Girls, Plan B and Diana Vickers
For full details and to compare prices, see the MSE Tunechecker site: £4 Album Downloads
Annoyed by your bank? Don't get mad, get even!
Only 5% take complaints further, but 53% who do WIN!
The regulator the FSA's slammed banks for how they handle complaints, with two likely to face enforcement action. Up to 60% of initial complaints to insurers, card companies, banks, investment houses & others are rejected. Yet you've a legal right to be treated fairly. Don't give up: Only 5% then take it on to the free independent Ombudsman. Yet 53% of those WIN, some getting back staggering amounts like £100,000. Banks'll try to put you off: Rejection's often just a TACTIC; companies save £bns by making their 'NOs' look legal & authoritative. Now we shout this regularly, yet still my mailbag's full of people saying: "They said no, what should I do?". So check out the wee mnemonic ditty on the right to help. FULL info the Updated Guide: How To Complain & Win News: FSA slams banks Related: Bank Charges, Loan Insurance, Council Tax, Credit Card Fees, Mortgage Arrears
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£9 PAYG mobile inc. £10 credit. Super-cheap handsets (no bells & whistles) on either O2 or Orange, which can also be used for Orange 2for1 Wednesdays, see the Forum Note: Cheap PAYG
Bargain hunt at Poundland, Wilkinson's, B&M etc
Collectively pounce when serious deals hit the discount chains, eg £1 iPod speakers, Piz-Buin self tan £2
Discount stores bulk buy 'known brands' and flog 'em cheap, so while products aren't consistent, prices are always low. To help, forum regulars collate the hottest mega-bargains at each store, currently ... Poundland: £1 iPod speakers, Aveeno face cream (RRP £12) & Neutrogena Cleansing Cushions (£4), all in the Poundland bargains thread. Wilkinsons: 42p Lynx shower gel (£2.30), Tresemme shampoo £1.50 (£4) & Calvin Klein Eternity perfume £15 (£25) in Wilkinsons Bargains. B&M Stores: Benefit Gettin' Steamy Bathina body wash £1.79 (£18), Piz Buin self-tan £2 (£14) & Intimately Beckham shower gel £1.50 (£8). See the full B&M Bargains guide. Home Bargains: Aspall vinegars 99p (£1.80), Crabbie's ginger beer £1.50 (£2.50) & Radox handwash refills £1 (£2). See the full Home Bargains thread. Related: Supermarket Shopping, Cheap Online Shopping
Free ShowerSaver regulator - reduces your water use. Useful if you're on a meter - see the Forum Note: Water saver
Important! We DON'T endorse door-to-door sales. More reports that people are fraudulently claiming they're endorsed by Martin Lewis/MSE. Pls ignore them or, better still, get their details & email us at MSE imposters.
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| Big & Easy Ways To Save |
| Quick links or click the titles for full pros, cons, alternatives & more savings |
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| More MoneySaving |
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Q. As a nursing student I was given a 25% council tax discount. At the end of my course I told the council I was to start work. Two years later they wrote stating I owed them for 2 yrs discount as they'd continued to allocate the reduction. It's their error not mine – what do I do? Pauline.
Martin's A: Actually, as a student, you don't need to pay council tax, so I presume you live with a partner and thus what actually happened is as you didn't count for the tax, they got the single person discount (see the Council Tax guide).
Yet the nub is you told them and they didn't act. There're arguments both ways here. So I'd write to the council saying you believe you've been unfairly treated. If they reject it, then put a complaint in to the local council ombudsman. While it can't rule on council tax levels, or whether you're entitled to discounts, it can look at how your council's dealt with your council tax, which is exactly the problem here.
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Discuss: Council Tax Error
Suggest: A question of the week
(big general issues not personal q's pls)
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Explanation of * Links
FSA NOTE: Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances require FSA authorisation. For this reason, Martin Lewis of Shepherd's Studios, Charecroft Way, Shepherd's Bush, London W14 0EH is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
How this site is financed. Any links with a * by
them are affiliated. That means go via this link and a contribution may be made
to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay ad-free and free to use. You
shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and
the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by it. If it isn't
possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in
exactly the same way. As we believe transparency is important, we're including the
following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for the same things: alliance-leicester.co.uk, confused.com, energyhelpline.com, gocompare.com, homephonechoices.co.uk, hsbc.co.uk, icicibank.co.uk, moneysupermarket.com, natwest.com, plus.net, rbs.co.uk, simplyswitch.com, tescofinance.com, uswitch.com, virginmoney.com. Read more about this in how this site is financed.
MoneySavingExpert.com is the free to use Consumer Revenge website focused on how to save you cash. It's owned, and run by ultra-focused journalist and bestselling author Martin Lewis. On TV amongst other things Martin is GMTV's Money SavingExpert and presents money programmes for ITV1 Tonight. On Radio Martin has regular slots on Radio 2 Vine and Radio 1 Whiley. He's also a columnist for amongst others the News of The World, The Telegraph and the Sunday Post. Find out more: About the site and its funding.
Disclaimer: This e-mail is based on journalistic research. It does not constitute financial advice. Any information should be considered in regard to your
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