Here’s the best of Confused.com’s news and views of the week. Read on for a condensed run-down.
At the start of the week, a survey from the AA revealed that fraudulent drivers are pushing up car insurance premiums by as much as 30 per cent following a rise in the number of staged car accidents. Yet car sales overall were said to have dropped in August by 17 per cent.
If you are looking for a new car it’s unlikely you’ve considered a car auction after research found that 85 per cent of drivers find the idea ‘intimidating’. Our guide to personal contract purchases might offer some finance advice if you’re in the market for a new vehicle and information about insuring your car can be found in our ‘All you need to know about car insurance’ guide.
This week, we also took a look at electric cars to see if they’re really worth the money.
Energy
In the energy world, Ofgem – the energy regulator- launched a campaign to stamp out meter credit scams after Consumer Focus found that 85,000 homes had been sold illegal credit. This follows last week’s story that Ofgem were investigating Britain’s big energy suppliers for miselling. If you’re looking to save money on your energy bills, Confused.com’s Autumn Energy Focus shows you how and we’ve even got up to £70 cashback for dual fual switches made by midnight Wednesday 15 September 2010.
Health insurance
Health insurance also came under the spotlight this week after it was found that half of Brits are worried about paying for medical care in old age and ex smokers have been urged to review their life insurance to see if they can make savings. The Office for National Statistics also published a report saying that over 1.5 million British households are unemployed due to poor health.
In the home
Following last week’s gloomy news in the housing market, the Halifax house price index suggested that the market has stabilised and will continue to level out until the end of the year.
For homeowners, More Th>n issued a warning about locking away your garden goods to avoid becoming a victim of theft this winter. Their statistics show that washing line theft alone is up 20 per cent this year.
And finally, broadband is the luxury Brits can’t do without – a survey found it is the last thing we’d consider giving up in order to save money is a high speed internet connection.
