Helpful Tips
Short, practical, and written for your household. No jargon, no affiliate links, nothing to buy. Just the things that work, each one checked before you read it.
energy · standing charges
The daily fee you pay before you switch anything on, what it covers, the new October figures, and whether a zero standing charge tariff would actually help you.
· 8 min read
broadband · mobile
A word-for-word script for cutting your broadband, mobile or insurance bill, plus the four numbers to have in front of you before you dial.
· 9 min read
energy · price cap
There is no official national meter reading day. Four dates a year genuinely matter for your energy meter reading, and the next one is 30 September.
· 8 min read
water · bills
Social tariffs, the WaterSure cap, free meters and leak allowances all exist — but you have to ask. Here's how to claim help with water bills, step by step.
· 10 min read
energy · bills
Suppliers reset monthly payments after each price cap change. Here's how to check the maths, ask for a lower direct debit, and get credit back.
· 8 min read
energy · price cap
Ofgem's price cap rises 4% on 1 October 2026. A reading taken right before the change stops your supplier estimating cheaper units at the new, dearer rate.
· 8 min read
broadband · ofcom
Ofcom's pounds-and-pence rules changed what providers can charge you mid-contract. Here's how to check your end date, leave without a fee, and pay less.
· 9 min read
cost of living · energy
What the cost of living crisis is, how energy, water and food prices got here, and why falling inflation still leaves bills painfully high.
· 8 min read
You can trust the numbers
Every figure you read here comes from somewhere you can check yourself: the regulator, a government feed, the supplier's own price sheet. If we could not check it, you will not see it.
You can act on it tonight
Short paragraphs, one clear thing to do, no jargon. You will not need a finance degree, and you will not find a tip that only works if you already have spare cash.
Nobody is selling you anything
No affiliate links, no sponsored posts, no products slipped in. Nothing you read here earns us a penny, so the only reason a tip is here is that it helps you.
Prefer a feed reader? RSS feed. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we fix it in public.