February 2022

Waitrose has again changed the terms and conditions of its loyalty card scheme, and this time round it will result in most shoppers no longer being able to get a free newspaper when using their myWaitrose card at the checkout from 23 February. 

Martin Lewis looks at the big question of whether households should do nothing and stay on the energy price cap or fix their tariff on the back of the unprecedented announcement that the cap will shoot up by 54% in April. Watch the latest clip from The Martin Lewis Money Show Live for the MoneySavingExpert.com founder's view on what to do below (and for an explainer on the new £200 'energy bills rebate', see Martin's two-minute new energy loan video).

In a new video, MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis analyses the extortionate new energy price cap and the introduction of a new financial support package offering an energy rebate and council tax discounts to try to ease the problems caused by a spike in the cost of living. Martin also explains what the latest increase to base rates means for households. Watch the video below.

Pret a Manger (Pret) is increasing the price of its monthly drinks subscription by 25%. New subscribers signing up from today (3 February) will be charged £25 a month, up from £20 a month. Existing subscribers will see the same increase from their first billing date on or after 16 March.

Energy bills will rise by a typical £693/year for 22 million households in April, as regulator Ofgem confirmed the steepest ever increase to the new price cap level this morning. We've been warning this huge rise was coming due to record gas prices firms are paying, and unfortunately, due to the dire state of the market, most can't save by switching right now.

Households are to get up to £350 in cash to help with their energy bills this year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced. The move comes after widespread pressure from campaigners, including MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, for the Government to step in to help households during the cost of living crisis. Here's what you need to know. 

A cross-party group of MPs has backed industry calls for the Government to include paid-for scam advertising in the forthcoming Online Safety Bill. In a report published today (2 February), the Treasury Committee urged the Government to "push harder and act faster on the growing fraud epidemic".

Masthaven Bank is to stop offering personal savings accounts and home mortgages to both new and existing customers over the next two years, it's been announced today (1 February). The provider plans to completely exit these UK markets by the end of 2023 - though there's no immediate change for savers or borrowers.   

Can't afford to repay your credit card in full? If you're paying interest you should try for a 0% balance transfer, said MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis in the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show. Watch Martin explain below, plus see our Credit Card Eligibility Calculator and Best 0% Balance Transfers guide to find the top deal, and see our Debt Problems info if you're struggling.