September 2023

You've got just days left to stock up on first-class stamps before prices rise by 14%. From Monday 2 October, the cost of a first-class stamp will be hiked to £1.25 (up 15p from £1.10) – but if you buy stamps at their current price this week, you'll still be able to use them after the price goes up.

Energy standing charges unfairly penalise households on lower incomes and those looking to cut their usage, a cross-party group of MPs have said in a new report published today. Echoing calls from MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) and its founder Martin Lewis, the report urges the Government to "revise and replace" the charges, which make up around £300 of most people's yearly bills. 

Workers aged 18 and above may benefit from a 'hidden' pay rise in future as the Government now has the power to lower the age limit to be automatically enrolled into workplace pensions from 22 to 18. It can also now lower the minimum earnings threshold at which your employer must start paying in.

If you are aged 75 or over, or have a child under two, energy suppliers will soon be permanently banned from forcibly installing a prepayment meter in your home. It comes as the energy regulator's current code of practice is to be extended, and become mandatory, in a bid to protect more households. Firms flouting the rules, which will take force from 8 November, will face fines.  

You must act NOW to get the top-paying rate on an easy-access savings account, MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis has urged. Santander's best buy account offers 5.2% interest, but it will be axed to new customers after 11.59pm tonight. Martin explains everything you need to know in his latest video. 

E.on Next has become the first big-name energy supplier to launch a fixed tariff costing less than the Price Cap that's available to both new and existing customers. It's currently the cheapest 'open market' deal, costing 2% less than the current Energy Price Cap, though the tariff will cost more than the Cap once it falls from Sunday 1 October. We've full info on whether it's worth considering below.

If you've renewed your Churchill, Direct Line or Privilege home or car insurance since 1 January 2022 you may be owed a refund. This comes after Direct Line Group, which all three brands come under, flouted rules designed to prevent loyal customers from being charged more than new users. 

The maximum amount of compensation given to households and businesses that lose electricity power as a result of severe weather has increased from £700 to £2,000, as part of a raft of new measures announced by energy regulator Ofgem.