Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Three easy steps to slash mobile costs - don't overpay
Get 50GB data, unlimited UK calls & texts, free EU roaming for '£4/mth'

Sim-only prices have plummeted for newbies over the past few years, and right now there are new deals from just '£3.70/mth'. Yet existing customer costs have risen rapidly due to hefty mid-contract rises, so inaction is costly. As Sandra emailed us this July: "My husband and I bagged a deal from Lebara that is going to save us £8/mth each - a total annual saving of £192, plus savings on roaming in Europe. Hooray!"

Our Cheap Mobile Tariff Finder tool can find your best deal, combined with these three easy steps to cut costs:

Step 1: Can you switch & save? Type five digits to check whether you're out of contract. Text 'INFO' for free to 85075 (some providers will ask for your date of birth to help confirm your identity). The service should then tell you whether you're free to move. You're looking for a response along the lines of 'your early termination/cancellation charge will be £0'.
- On a multiple phone contract? The service won't work for you, but if you've been with the same provider for more than two years, you're likely out of contract, though do contact your provider to check.

Step 2: Switch Sim to save. Our Cheap Sim comparison tool has all the deals - here's a taster of what's there...

Thinking: 'But I like my signal, I'm worried about switching?' There are only four networks in the UK - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - all others piggyback on their signals. So you can use the filters in our Cheap Sims tool to find out which is the cheapest deal that stays on your existing signal - though if you rely on Wi-Fi or 4G calling, you need to check the new provider offers this, even if you stay with the same network.

Step 3: To keep your number when switching, text 'PAC' for free to 65075. Then you get a code to send to your new provider, which will transfer it over, usually in one working day. (Do note, some providers will ask for your date of birth to confirm your identity, and doing this won't work if you're on a contract with more than one phone.)

Slash your water use and/or bills
Wat-er saving! You may not be able to switch provider but millions can still cut costs by £100s
'We're now saving £857/yr by paying for what little we use'

After an incredibly dry spring, continued warm weather and minimal rainfall over summer is putting pressure on our water supplies with millions of households now under a hosepipe ban. At the same time, we're only a year into five years' worth of planned bill hikes, so here's a quick run-through of the key ways to both slash your bill and reduce your usage (the two go hand-in-hand for many). Full help in our Cut your water bills guide, but in brief...

1. Water bills are up, yet don't think there's nowt you can do - some can save £900+. The biggest savings usually come via one of these three checks:

• a) Can you save £100s with a FREE water meter so you're billed for what you actually use? If you don't have a meter, water bills are based on the old pre-1990 rates system, where the amount paid is roughly based on your home's rental value, NOT what you use. So bigger homes tend to pay more, even if they're using little. In England and Wales you can get a free water meter, which measures how much you use, so you're billed accordingly. Millions can save £100s using Martin's simple rule of thumb...
  
  
  ... then there's a good chance you can save, so use a water meter calculator. 
  
  For some, especially those in bigger houses with few people, the savings are large. David emailed us in March: "I read your advice about water meters. One child left home, one at uni, leaving three people & five bedrooms. I didn't think we used a lot of water, so checked if a meter would be worth considering - it was, and we're now saving £857/yr - thank you." If the calc shows savings are likely, you can ask your firm for a more formal assessment if you want.
  
  Can you switch back? If you voluntarily have a meter fitted, with most (not all) firms, you've up to two years to change your mind and go back without penalty (see firms' water meter switch-back policies).
  
  
• b) Told you can't get a meter? In some ways that's the best route... Some with shared pipes or in flats are told by water firms they can't 'practicably' have a meter fitted. If so, ask for an 'assessed-charge bill', which works out how much you'd likely pay if you had a meter. Then if that's cheaper than your normal water bill, switch to it. If not, don't.
  
  Shirley emailed us last month: "After receiving a water bill of almost £1,400/yr, your mantra 'fewer people than bedrooms' prompted us to apply for a water meter. We were put on an assessed amount of £40/mth until a meter could be fitted. Which couldn't be done so we remain on the assessed amount, a huge saving [of £920/yr]. Thanks."
  
  
• c) Are you on a low income and NEWLY ELIGIBLE for a water social tariff this year? Some save £800/yr! 1.6m eligible people were already missing out on water social tariffs, even before some suppliers increased how much you can earn and still qualify earlier this year. See our water social tariff firm-by-firm eligibility list. It could slash your water bill by 90%, as Jacqui found: "I read Martin's article about water social tariffs and now pay £6/mth, saving £836/yr. Thank you!"
  
  Separately, if you receive benefits AND either have 3+ children OR a medical condition such as Crohn's or eczema which means you need to use more water, you may be able to have bills capped under the WaterSure scheme.

2. Cut your water usage - it will help ease water shortages but will also likely save you money. For those on a water meter, reducing use directly saves you money. But even without a meter, cutting water reduces energy bills (and helps the environment) as much of the water we use is heated...

• 100,000s of water-saving freebies are available. Households across much of the UK can bag a range of FREE water-saving gadgets - eg, £20 shower heads, £5 tap inserts, £2 cistern bags etc. So check for water-saving freebies - it's hit-and-miss depending on which area you're in, but even if you miss out, you can still...
  
  

• Cut your water use - we've 30 ways to save. There are lots of ways to cut usage - here are just a few:
  - Get off your butt and collect rainwater. Use stored rainwater to water plants, wash the car and even flush your toilet.
  - Running your tap to temperature? Fill up empty bottles while you wait and use to water plants etc.
  - Don't wallow, shoot into the shower. A quick shower uses far less water than a long soak in the tub.
  - Don't wash up as you cook. Save it up and do it in one go to minimise hot water.
  - Get a dual-flush loo. Use the small flush for number ones, or the stronger flush for bigger jobs.