Top Money-Saving Tips for 2009

• Top Tips
• Published: 09 Feb 2009 in Money and General

If you want some terrific tips on how to save money on your household bills in 2009, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s not waffle… Let’s dive straight on in:

Tip 1: Your Energy

To help save money on your fuel bills, you could do worse than investing in a cunning little gizmo such as a smart meter or home energy monitor. By keeping closer tabs on how much energy you’re using, you should be able to reduce your consumption accordingly. According to statutory body Consumer Focus you could save as much as 15% on your bills.

A few energy suppliers are offering these handy items if you switch to their tariff. If you sign up with First: Utility, for example, you will have a smart meter installed which updates twice hourly. The data is sent to the supplier, and in turn you can monitor your energy use online in real time. Another option available could be to cap your energy bills until May 2010 and get a home energy monitor with E.On’s Energy Saver tariff.

Tip 2: Your Travel Insurance

As of the 1st of January, the FSA have begun their regulation of travel agents. We’ve always had the right to shop around for travel insurance to get a better price… But now travel agents are obliged to point this out, and price their insurance separately from the rest of any holiday packages. This is good news for consumers, as we no longer have to labour under the illusion that we have to accept the travel insurance slapped onto our holidays.

The upshot of this is that some travel agents no longer offer insurance. If your holiday comes with none, then you can get some great deals here. If it does, then why not get some obligation-free quotes here to see how they compare… You may be pleasantly surprised.

Tip 3: Your Car

Are you sure you need that chunky gas guzzler? Have you thought about downsizing to a car that’s more economical to run? Not only will you be shelling out less on petrol (and most likely maintenance costs), but a smaller car with a smaller engine is likely to impact much less on your tax, and on your insurance premium… Triple whammy!

Tip 4: Your Home

If your home insurance was foist upon you by your mortgage provider at the same time you took out your mortgage, there’s a good chance that you’re paying over the odds… And also a good chance that you’re not actually obliged to keep your mortgage provider’s policy. Why not check the conditions of your mortgage, and use Confused.com to compare home insurance to see if you can get a better deal. If both get the thumbs up, then it’s time to break free and get a new policy!

Tip 5: Your Mortgage

You’ve probably heard stories in the media of lenders not passing their rate cuts to their customers. Do you know if your lender is one of them? We do. Why not review your rate with Confused.com today.

Tip 6: Your Savings Account

With the bank of England slashing interest rates to 1%, the interest rates for savings accounts may follow… so it might be an idea to switch to a good rate while you still can.  Follow this link to compare savings accounts.

Tip 7: Your Current Account

You might not want to miss some of the great deals available on current accounts, including a £100 cash back offer. Follow this link to compare current accounts.

Tip 8: Your Debts

Don’t let the effects of the credit crunch overwhelm you. If you need help with your debts we can put you in touch with qualified advisors who won’t charge an upfront fee. Follow this link to find out more.

Tip 9: Your Credit Rating

If you’re looking to get a credit card, loan or mortgage, then you might want to check your credit rating first. This way you’ll see what the lender will see about you first. That way you can judge for yourself your likelihood of being accepted, and take pre-emptive steps to improve your rating if needs be. Follow this link to CreditExpert to find out more.

Tip 10: Protect Your Income

At the beginning of 2008 who would have thought that Woolworths, MFI, Adams and many other companies would have gone under, resulting in thousands of redundancies? It’s not just shop workers who are feeling the pain… in the early part of the year we have seen moves towards a merger between Lloyds and Halifax Bank of Scotland. With unemployment rising do you know how to protect your income, your family and your life style? We can help. Follow this link to protect against unemployment with Confused.com income protection today.