Beat 9.3% BT EE Virgin etc hikes, £4.50 dresses, free Ideal Home, new free £150, can't afford energy bills help

Last week, December's 5.4% inflation was revealed, and that figure dictates many telecom firms' annual price rises (they add 3% or 4% on top). The exact rise depends on your product - see our company-by-company price hikes table.

This can add over £60/year on to some already high bills. It's yet another dark cloud in the cost of living sky - but there is a small silver lining, as many can...

Use these hikes as an opportunity to radically cut your bill

How much action you can take depends on your firm and contract status:

If you're with BT, EE, Vodafone, Plusnet, TalkTalk & others...

These firms have millions of customers who are out of contract and have simply been rolled on to often pricier tariffs without signing up for them. If that's you, you're free to leave, so read on for what to do - it's a simple choice of switch or stick.

Yet if you're in contract, meaning you actively signed up to a new tariff within the last year or possibly two (do check), then as the price rise was part of the contract, there's little you can do except diarise when that contract ends, and take action then.

If you're with Virgin Media...

This one works differently, as here even if in contract you can switch penalty-free within 30 days of it officially notifying you of the hike (as the hike wasn't part of your contract). We take you through how to use this as a way to haggle and save in our beat Virgin's price hike story.

We've been swamped with successes due to it, such as Kate's - she emailed: "Thanks to the MSE email I've managed to save £924/year on my Virgin Media bill, after notification it would rise to £162/month. I followed the haggling tips and the price was cut by nearly 48%."

Option 1: SWITCH & save...
- Fibre broadband & line £13/month (half what most pay)
- Unlimited calls, texts & 5GB data Sim £5/month

In most cases, the biggest savings come from moving your custom elsewhere, to a firm that is salivating to win your business. So let's run through the deals currently available for new customers...

Broadband & line rental deals from £13/month. Many are paying £30-£45 a month on standard packages. Yet you can slice that right down, and often get better speeds too. The best deals come from short-lived promos you can't get direct from firms, involving cashback or vouchers.

QUICK ROUTE: Use our Broadband Unbundled comparison tool, which includes deals from a range of sites, and is postcode-specific so you know exactly what deals you can get in your area. As an idea of what's available right now...

- Basic 11Mb broadband and line: Plusnet is £17.99/month at the start then £19.66/month from April due to the price rise, but you AUTOMATICALLY get a £75 prepaid Mastercard. Factor that in over the year's contract and it's equivalent to £13.14/month.

- Ends Mon. 35Mb fibre or 63Mb superfast fibre broadband and line: Sign up to Shell's 35Mb fibre or faster 63Mb superfast fibre and it's £21.99/month - this price won't rise until April next year. You can also CLAIM (don't forget) a £100 Amazon voucher from Broadband Genie, plus a £65 Shell Energy shop voucher, though there's a limited range of what you can spend the latter on. But if you do spend both vouchers, when factored in, it's equivalent to £12.83/month over the 18-month contract.

- Megafast 108Mb broadband and line: Virgin Media charges £23.95/month but you AUTOMATICALLY get £100 bill credit, essentially giving you the first four months free and making it equivalent to £18.40/month over the 18-month contract. You won't be affected by Virgin's March price rise, though it may raise them next year - if so, you'd be able to leave penalty-free.
Slash monthly mobile costs to well under a tenner. If you're happy with your phone, then big savings are available by switching your Sim - the little chip in the back of your phone that gives it its identity...

As David emailed: "Bagged myself a £7/month Sim deal - a massive saving on the £21.50/month I was paying. Many thanks." So do a two-min cheapest Sim check.

As an idea of what's available right now, newbies to Lebara* (uses Vodafone's signal) can get 5GB/month of data, unlimited minutes and texts for £1.99/month for five months, then £5.90/month. It's a one-month contract but averages £4.28/month over 12 months.

If you want more data, newbies to Plusnet* (uses EE's signal) can get 15GB/month of data, unlimited minutes and texts for £8/month, and you're sent a £25 prepaid Mastercard. Factor that in and it's an equivalent £5.92/month over the year's contract.

Q. What if I don't want to change signal? Just select that in the cheapest Sim tool options (it'll show you all firms using that network).

Q. Can I keep my number? Yes, just text PAC to 65075 on your existing phone, and then give the code you're sent to the new provider, and it can pretty seamlessly move your number to the new Sim.
Slash digital TV costs - save £100s a year. It can be harder here if you've bespoke channel packages you want to keep (so haggling, as we discuss below, can often beat switching).

But it's worth seeing what's out there with our broadband, phone line and TV deals comparison, though always work out what channels you really watch first, and be willing to ditch the rest. Only pay for what you watch.

If you've different providers for your broadband, line and TV, check if you can save by combining them - play each provider off against the other.

Option 2: STICK & save...
Haggle with your current provider - make it fight for your custom like it fights for new customers...

Many are happy with their current service, but unhappy with the price, especially after annual hikes. So if you're out of contract and free to move, the key here is to make your existing provider prove it wants you. It's a bit of fiscal flirting, if you like.

The likelihood is, for broadband and mobiles, that you'll struggle to match the cheapest switching deals, but you should be able to bring your price down a chunk - in fact, in our November 2021 poll, the vast majority of those who'd tried haggling with the big telecoms firms were successful...

% OF THOSE WHO TRIED HAGGLING WHO HAD SOME SUCCESS
1. Virgin Media: 83%	6. Three: 73%
2. Sky: 81%	7. Plusnet broadband: 73%
3. TalkTalk: 81%	8. BT broadband: 71%
4. Sky Mobile: 79%	9. EE broadband: 71%
5. EE mobile: 74%	10. O2: 70%

Haggling is always more art than science, but Andrea found our tips really helpful: "At the end of my BT contract, I called and used Martin's haggling tips, preparing myself with a list of comparable deals. After a lengthy call I shaved a cool £318 off my package. Just proves that by doing some prep, being patient and politely persistent, that it pays off. Thanks Martin."

Here's how you can do it too...

Step 1: Benchmark the cheapest price elsewhere. It's not accidental that we put switch savings first here. If you want to haggle, tooling yourself up on the best the competition is offering, both so you know what to ask for, and because it can be used in discussions, is the right place to start.
Step 2: Call up - and be polite and charming, especially at the moment, when call centres are busy. Remember to use chutzpah, cheek and a smile. You're asking for a discount, and your provider's as much within its rights not to give one as you are to leave. Aggression or anger won't help anyone.
Step 3: Use the phrases that pay. You may find that it only offers a small discount at first, but if you try phrases such as "I've worked out my budget and my max is £X/month, can you do that?" or "Sky / Plusnet / TalkTalk etc can do it for less, can you beat that?" If not, just say you'd like to think about it.
Step 4: If nothing's worked so far, ask to be put through to retentions. This department's the Holy Grail of haggling - where operators have serious discount-giving power.
Step 5: Don't panic if it calls your bluff and says it'll disconnect you. Some people worry and get nervous to try this in case they're disconnected. Martin's easy 'get out of jail free' card on this is the phrase: "Hold on, I'll call you back on that. I'd like to check with my wife / husband / dog / goldfish first."
Step 6: If it really won't play ball, vote with your feet. If you don't get what you want then you should seriously consider leaving. Sometimes providers can give in at this stage and offer a stonking discount.

These are the key tips, but we've more info on how to maximise your discount in broadband haggling and mobile haggling.

PS: If you're struggling to pay your bills, always speak to your provider - it may be able to put you on a repayment plan. If this is part of wider financial issues, see some other options in our energy bills help below.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

FREE £130 from First Direct as it regains no.1 customer service crown. Plus more new big bank bribes from NatWest, FREE £150, and Santander, FREE £140

Not long ago we celebrated the return of £100ish bank switching bribes after a pandemic hiatus. Now competition's firing up and bribes are getting bigger. This week, two more banks (re)enter the fray. So if your account isn't tickling your tummy on request, why not take a legal bung to move? The switching itself is easy, but do check you qualify...

You must pass a not-too-harsh credit check, then use the seven working-day switching service (over 80% of users in Martin's Twitter poll say it's mostly hassle-free). This will move all standing orders and direct debits for you, close your old account and auto-forward payments to the new one. A few banks require you to pay in a minimum amount each month and switch some direct debits - so read full eligibility info in Best bank accounts.

First Direct: FREE £130 and new no.1 for service. We closed our latest six-monthly customer service poll (see below) yesterday. In it, 90% rated First Direct* 'great', compared with just 5% 'poor' (and 5% 'OK'). This gives it a winning score of +85% ('great' minus 'poor') and sees it regain the no.1 service crown, just pipping the digital banks it's been vying with in recent polls. Though they don't pay you £130 to switch. First Direct also gives many an ongoing £250 0% overdraft.
New. Santander: FREE £140 + £40-£80/year bills cashback. Santander 123 Lite* (+44% customer service score) gives switchers £140 free cash. Plus, you pay a £2/month fee to receive cashback on most household bills paid via direct debit - for example, 3% on water, 2% on energy and 1% on council tax, phones, broadband, paid-for TV and Santander mortgages. Cashback is capped at £5/month per tier, so a total max of £15/month. We estimate someone with mid-to-high bills would get £40-£80/year after the fee.
New. NatWest: FREE £150 + up to £36/year. There's a free £150 to switch to NatWest Reward* (+34% customer service score). You can also get an extra £3/month as long as you use its mobile app and pay two direct debits out each month (that earns you £5/month but you pay a £2/month fee).
Three more bank switchers' offers. If those don't quite cut the mustard there's also HSBC's free £150, Nationwide's free £100 (or £125) if you prefer a building society, or Virgin Money's free 12 bottles of wine or £150 experience voucher.

How does YOUR bank rate for service? Over 4,200 voted in our poll - ranking their banks 'great', 'OK' or 'poor'. Here are the net rankings (% 'great' minus % 'poor') of banks which got 75+ votes. See full results.
1. First Direct: +85%	8. Santander: +44%
2. Starling Bank: +84%	9. Halifax: +41%
3. Monzo: +82%	10. NatWest: +34%
4. Nationwide: +59%	11. Barclays: +16%
5.= Lloyds Bank: +50%	12. Virgin Money: +12%
5.= Co-operative Bank: +50%	13. HSBC: +2%
7. RBS: +46%	14. TSB: -5%

Martin: 'Was the call to DO NOTHING with energy since October right, with hindsight, and is it still right today?' Doing nothing leaves most on the price cap - was that right then, and what about now? See Martin's new video briefing.

Ends Sun. Unsold de-tagged high-street coats, shoes, dresses £4.50 with a code. MSE Blagged. Surplus stock and non-branded items from high-street names (has previously included M&S, Topshop and more). Everything5pounds

Martin's Money Makeover Masterclass: 22 ways to save you £2,022 in 2022. If you missed it in last week's email, catch up on the money maestro's (well, it alliterates) makeover masterclass.

10,000 FREE pairs of (normally £20ish) Ideal Home Show London tickets. 11-27 March. Ideal Home Show

Ends 11.59pm Sun. Top one-year fix if saving £5,000+... 1.3% AND up to £75 cashback. MSE Blagged. Zenith Bank's 1.3% AER one-year fix* is only a smidge behind Zopa's 1.36% AER (min £1,000) top rate. Yet if you're new to savings marketplace Raisin and get Zenith via it (the link takes you there), you get £25 cashback if you use code MSE25 in registration step 4 by Sun and put £5,000+ in by 7 Feb. If you can put £10,000 in, Raisin newbies can claim an extra £50 cashback, so it easily beats Zopa. Full help in Raisin write-up. Both accounts have full UK £85,000 savings safety protection.

Barclaycard customer? Now REALLY don't bin post. Last week we told you some were being sent unexpected refunds, with the biggest we knew of at £300. Now we've heard from a few people due £1,200 back. See Barclaycard refunds.

'Thanks - I'm saving £800 a year interest after switching loan.' Our success of the week comes from MoneySaver Rose who followed our tips to cut existing loan costs: "Thank you so much for last week's newsletter. We've been approved [for a new loan] and will be saving £66/month, which will go towards our rising energy bill." Please send us your MoneySaving successes on this or anything else.

The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Thu, 8.30pm, ITV. Slash all debt costs to 0% (or as near as possible). Over to Martin: "Christmas credit card bills have now landed for millions, so I want to do a masterclass in cutting the cost of cards, loans and overdrafts as near to 0% as possible - meaning savings of £1,000s for some. We do also have a bid in for a Department for Work and Pensions minister to answer issues raised in last week's benefits show, so things could change. As always though there'll be the news you can use too. And remember that we're live, so watch us, and set the VideoPlus for the other side."

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- Code gets unsold high-street clothes for £4.50 Ends Sun
- Top 1.3% one-year fixed savings + £75 cashback Ends Sun
- £105 Nails Inc set for £30 delivered 2,000 available
- Republic of Cats 28 meals for £1 (normally £15) Ends 31 Mar

DID YOU MISS?

- 40+ coupons, including FREE £2 Starbucks Doubleshot
- Employee or pensioner? Check your tax code
- Martin: 'How I averaged 25,437 steps a day in 2021'
- £10-£50 London theatre tickets, including Back to the Future
- Save £100s with the cheapest way to spend abroad

Energy prices are set to rise 50% in April. It's going to be hell for many. If you'll struggle to pay, what help is available? (Spoiler: not enough)

Martin: "The cost of living crisis may crescendo on 1 April, when the energy price cap, which dictates the rates for around 3 in every 4 homes in Eng, Scot and Wales, will rise by 50%. It's an unsustainable nightmare for many who already struggle to make ends meet. Depressingly, I'm running out of tools to help; state intervention is desperately needed.

"I've called on, cajoled and begged the Government to take urgent action. This is needed both to lessen mainstream bill shock, but especially to protect the most vulnerable, including many elderly people, who will likely need up to £500 to cover this hideous rise. Without action, I truly fear some will either freeze or starve. Yet until we hear owt, the team and I have prepared a new Struggling with energy bills? guide with what help's currently available. In brief..."

Can't pay? Talk to your supplier - it can't cut you off. Under regulator Ofgem's current rules, your provider can't cut off your supply, and if you're on prepay, it can give you extra credit. It should also try to help with bills, usually by offering an affordable payment plan - see what energy suppliers should do to help.
The warm home discount - £140 off your winter bill: You should get it automatically if you're with a bigger firm and get the 'guarantee credit' element of pension credit - though one million people who qualify for this gateway benefit don't get it, so check if you're eligible for it. Even if not, you can apply for it if you're on certain benefits, but ONLY E.on, Bulb and So Energy still have applications open - see warm home discount help.

There are also the Northern Ireland Energy Payment Support and Welsh Winter Fuel Support schemes.
Cold weather payments: £25 for each week the temperature is, or is forecast to be, at or below 0°C for seven days in a row. It's usually automatic if you get pension credit or other benefits including universal credit (for some recipients), and for some who get support for mortgage interest - see cold weather payment help.
Winter fuel payment - for those born on or before 26 Sept 1955: Between £100 and £300 depending on age and who you live with, if there's someone aged 66 or older in the home - regardless of income. It should have been paid automatically by now - if not, check the full details and what to do in winter fuel payment help.
FREE energy and debt advice. All help schemes are busy right now, but it'll likely be worse come April, so make an appointment now. They can help with all the above plus accessing the big energy firms' hardship funds (including British Gas's, which uniquely helps any firm's customers, not just its own).

- Energy help and grant specialists: National Energy Action (England and Wales) gives benefits advice and helps with bills, debt and hardship fund applications. NI Energy Advice and Home Energy Scotland are similar. PS: A fortnight ago Martin announced he'd provide £100,000 to fund National Energy Action to build a webchat service.

- Wider debt and energy help: Try Citizens Advice (England, Scotland and Wales) and StepChange (UK-wide).

- Support for older people or those with disabilities: Age UK offers help on benefits and the financial support available, and guidance on bills, meters and heating your home. Scope does similar for disabled people in England and Wales.
Are you entitled to free insulation or a boiler grant to make your home more efficient? Grants to help people on certain benefits are on offer from firms under the Energy Company Obligation scheme. You need to apply, so see Free insulation and boiler grants for more.
Simple steps to use less energy. It's not a silver bullet for all - especially those who already can't afford to heat their homes - but it's worth checking everything. See our 9 energy saving tips.

Martin: 'Are you one of over 7 million eligible households missing out on state funds and benefits?' Watch Martin's new benefits video briefing.

New Tesco prepaid card scheme - is it worth it? Do points really make prizes? Read our Is it worth it? analysis.

£105 Nails Inc make-up and nails set £30 delivered. MSE Blagged. Nine-piece set includes blusher, lip balm and nail polish. 2,000 available. Nails Inc

Republic of Cats 28 meals for £1 (normally £15). MSE Blagged. Plus 50% off your second order and 25% off your third. Enter some info and it creates a recipe especially for your furry friend. Not available in Northern Ireland. Republic of Cats

Energy supplier gone bust? Tell us how your transfer to your new supplier went. Please fill in our 5-min energy survey.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Virgin Money (check eligibility / apply*) 35 months 0%, 2.94% fee (21.9% rep APR)
No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) up to 21 months 0% (20.9% rep APR) or 22mths 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR)

Top standard easy access: Cynergy Bank 0.7%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Zopa 1.36%, min £1,000

Get comparison site quotes in this order:

Cheapest, £5k-£7.5k: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 3.3% rep APR for Nectar holders, 3.4% for others
Cheapest, £7.5k-£15k: M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 2.8% rep APR

Standard (10Mb+): Plusnet '£13.14/mth'
Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£12.83/mth'
Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£12.83/mth'
Ultrafast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£18.40/mth'

New. £150 to switch, plus £3/month cashback: NatWest
£150 to switch: HSBC

4GB-9GB: Lebara '£4.28/mth' for 5GB, unlimited mins & texts
10GB+: Plusnet '£5.92/mth' for 15GB, unlimited mins & texts

THIS WEEK'S POLL

How much mobile data do you use in a month? Smartphones are an essential part of everyday life for many, with streaming, gaming, social networking and more all increasingly done on data-hungry mobiles. So we want to know how much mobile data you currently go through in a month. Vote in this week's poll.

More than half of MoneySavers have a summer holiday booked. Last week, we asked about your summer holiday plans. Nearly 4,000 people responded - 45% said they've already booked a holiday abroad, while a further 11% have booked to go away in the UK. Of those with holidays booked, a whopping 81% were confident they'll actually be able to go this year. See full summer holiday poll results.

MONEYSAVING NEWS

- Top story: Covid travel tests to be scrapped for some fully vaccinated UK arrivals
- Lloyds ordered to settle Section 75 claim involving PayPal - how you can fight for a refund too
- Tens of thousands of Three customers to lose 'free' roaming abroad as they're 'forced' on to new contracts
- MPs call state pension shortfalls for women a 'shambles' - how to check if you're owed money
- Boots launches discount scheme for Advantage card holders

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I ask my gran for a new birthday cheque? My gran very kindly gave me a cheque for £100 for my birthday, but made it out to my nickname, so the bank won't accept it. My gran is in her nineties and doesn't have a lot of money, but is always excited to give her grandchildren what she can as presents. Should I ask her for a new cheque or just leave it, and hope she doesn't notice that I didn't cash it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I ask gran for a new birthday cheque? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 26 JAN ONWARDS)

Wed 26 Jan - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm. Listen to past episodes
Thu 27 Jan - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.55am
Thu 27 Jan - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV, 8.30pm

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SOME SUBJECTS TBC)

Wed 26 Jan - BBC Radio Manchester, Mornings with Michelle Dignan, MSE Gary on the energy crisis, 9.20am
Wed 26 Jan - BBC Radio Manchester, Afternoons with Becky Want, from 4.10pm
Thu 27 Jan - Across local BBC radio stations, MSE Helen S on savings, from 4pm
Tue 1 Feb - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 12.40pm

I GAVE £20 TO HELP A FAMILY TOP UP THEIR GAS METER: YOUR MONEY-RELATED ACTS OF KINDNESS

That's all for this week, but before we go... last week we asked for your stories of money-related acts of kindness. And one MoneySaver told us of the time she gave the £20 she'd just won to a struggling family to top up their gas meter, while another overheard a student saying she couldn't afford to get to college, so gave her £5 for the fare. And one Forumite just wanted to acknowledge those who, time and time again, freely offer their expertise to help others on the MSE Forum who are struggling. Read all the heart-warming tales and add your own in the money-related acts of kindness forum discussion (or to our Twitter thread).

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

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Who is Martin Lewis?
Martin Lewis OBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography.

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