BRITAIN’S MoneySavingExpert returned tonight as Martin Lewis took to our screens to provide crucial energy advice.
The Martin Lewis Money Show made a return as the expert offered mountains of advice ahead of the government’s scheduled energy bill increase in April.
Taking to Twitter today, Mr Lewis revealed he would be grilling the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Grant Shapps, on all the public’s burning energy questions.
During the show, Mr Lewis revealed he is “99% sure” energy bills WON’T rise this April, despite the government previously announcing they would.
If you missed any of Mr Lewis’s previous episodes you can catch up on ITVX.
Read our Cost of Living live blog below for the latest updates…
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Will the government remove standing charges?
Currently, if you use no energy at all, you will still pay up to £300 in standing charges.
Martin described these charges as “perverse.”
Grant Shapp’s refused to commit to any changes tonight.
The Martin Lewis Money Show crowd was not impressed.
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Grant Shapps is responding to people’s questions
Martin Lewis read out an email of a woman explaining how she can’t afford to put her heating on for her very sick daughter.
In response, Grant said there is no specific help, but local councils have been asked to give discretionary help to those in need.
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Can you be forced to have a smart meter?
Martin Lewis revealed tonight that you can’t be forced to have one, UNLESS your current meter is out of date.
The expert said the high-tech meters can help you save money and control your energy spending.
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Take part in Martin Lewis’ poll for tonight’s show
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£400 winter payment to end next month
The government’s £400 energy bill help will end next month.
This means the £66 you have been getting off your energy bills every month WON’T apply after April.
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Martin Lewis 99% sure energy prices WON’T go up
Martin Lewis said on his show tonight that he is “99% sure” energy bills won’t go up in April, despite the government claiming they are.
What a huge announcement from Mr Lewis!
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Grant Shapps has his say
Grant Shapps was tight-lipped on tonight’s show, but reminded Brits that the Chancellor’s budget is next week.
So, maybe we could see an update on energy prices soon?
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Why are bills going up?
If the wholesale prices are going down, why are energy bills set to rise?
Well, according to Martin Lewis, the energy price cap is actually based on OLD energy prices.
So, in November, wholesale prices were very high, and it is affecting us all these months later.
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Bills could rise by 20%
As things stand, Martin Lewis reveals, energy bills will rise by 20% in April.
However, the money expert has suggested the government could be set to u-turn on this.
Could we find out tonight?
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Here we go!
Just five minutes to go until Martin returns to our screens.
What advice are you looking to hear tonight?
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How to apply for a council tax reduction
To apply for a council tax discount simply access the Government website.
You’ll need some documents for each adult in the household which will include:
- National Insurance number
- Bank statements
- a recent payslip or a letter from the Jobcentre
- a passport or driving licence
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Six energy-saving tips that cut your bills
With energy bills set to rise by £500 for the average household in April, many are looking for ways to cut back and save some much-needed cash.
We spoke to Dominick Sandford, managing director at ElectricalDirect, who shared six top-tips that can help cut your costs by up to £426 a year.
These include:
- Households can save £156 a year by using a timed heating programme instead of manually switching their boiler on and off.
- Keeping your showers under four minutes can help slash your energy bills and bring down your water bills by £95 a year.
- Households that opt to dry their laundry on a line or clothes horse can also slash their energy bills by £70.
- Washing clothes at lower temperatures can help slash your bills.
- Households that stop leaving their devices on standby when not in use can save £65 a year.
- Leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth could set you back £31 a year.
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Just an hour to go!
Just one hour until Martin Lewis returns to our screens.
Tonight, the MoneySavingExpert will be offering advice on all things energy.
Mr Lewis will be sitting down with government minister Grant Shapps to discuss the nation’s rising energy bills.
Follow along here for live coverage of tonight’s episode.
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How to listen to The Martin Lewis Podcast
Those wanting to learn tips and tricks to help manage their finances can tune in to The Martin Lewis Podcast.
Each week, the money saving expert answers your financial questions, as well as offering valuable money-saving advice.
You can listen and subscribe via:
- BBC Sounds
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
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How do you log in to Universal Credit?
Claimants can see their Universal Credit account online by logging in at GOV.UK.
You’ll need your username and password – which are the same ones you had to set up when you first applied for benefits.
If you have forgotten your login details you can request to reset your username or password by submitting your email address.
If you have an online Universal Credit account, you can also sign in with GOV.UK Verify
If you’re still struggling, try calling the Universal Credit Helpline on 0800 328 5644 (Textphone: 0800 328 1344).
You can also get in contact via NGT text relay on 18001 then 0800 328 5644.
There’s a Welsh language helpline available on 0800 328 1744 too.
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10 ways to get free cash in the cold weather to help with energy bills
With temperatures set to drop again this week, many will be turning on the heating in a bid to tackle to cold.
It’s important that Brits, especially those who are most vulnerable, do their best to keep warm – even though everyone’s worrying about energy bills.
Luckily there is help available right now for hard-up Brits who are worried about the cold snap.
So, if you’re in need of extra help – here are some ways to get cash to help with costs and keep your bills down.
- Cold weather payments – £25 a week
- Emergency credit – worth £10
- Cash for paying rent – up to £965
- Pensioner cost of living payment – worth £300
- Household support fund – up to £500
- Energy grants – up to £1,500
- Free £150
- Fuel vouchers – worth £50
- Energy bill discount – worth £400
- Warm Home Discount – worth £150
Find out more here.
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How much can I borrow for my mortgage?
Most mortgage calculators calculate how much you can expect to borrow from the bank.
However, these are just an estimate, the actual amount will depend on the lender and circumstances.
Bear in mind that while house prices have dropped for several consecutive months, lenders are short and interest rates have increased.
Rising rates and the cost of living crisis have meant fewer people are looking to buy a home or move home – badly impacting the housing market.
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Five ways to save on train tickets
Following the rise of train fair prices over the weekend, passengers will be looking for ways to cut costs where they can.
Rail fares rose by 5.9% as of Sunday March 5.
While you won’t be able to avoid the hike completely, there are ways that you can save a bit of cash moving forward.
- Split tickets
- Buy a season ticket
- Book at least 12 weeks in advance
- Save money with a Railcard
- Use the train company’s own website
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Three ways to cook without the oven that could slash your energy bill
Households looking for ways to cut costs could slash their energy bills by simply changing the way they cook.
By switching out certain vampire appliances like the oven, households could save some much-needed cash – but what are the alternatives?
Here, we look at three cheaper cooking options.
Find out more here.
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How to know if you need Universal Credit?
Universal Credit combines a number of benefits into one monthly payment.
It replaces: Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Tax Credit.
People who are already receiving these benefits will transferred to Universal Credit between now and 2024.
The payment is made up of a standard allowance and any extra amounts that apply to you, for example if you:
- Have children
- Have a disability or health condition which prevents you from working
- Need help paying your rent
You can use a benefits calculator to see how much you could get.
Find out more about what Universal Credit is and whether you might be eligible for a claim.
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Five tips to use when asking for a pay rise
Asking for a pay raise is something everyone is likely to experience at some point in their career.
With bills rising and food prices soaring, many will need some extra cash.
If you’re planning on asking your employer for a raise, experts at webrecruit have provided some useful tips.
- Have a figure in mind
- Make sure the figure is realistic
- Gather evidence to build your case
- Be professional
- Consider the timing
- Be prepared for rejection
- Don’t give up
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Save £15 at Iceland when you spend £35 or more
Iceland is offering £15 off for online shoppers through the money-saving offer from Topcashback.
This offer is valid until March 31 to new customers that spend a minimum of £35.
To claim the offer:
- Sign up to TopCashback via this link
- Click ‘Get Cashback Now’ button on the offer page
- Shop at Iceland as normal via the TopCashback links and spend £35 or more to qualify
- The cashback will then track and appear in your TopCashback account within 7 working days of your purchase.
- When the payment is made to your TopCashback account, you will then be able to withdraw the funds to your own bank account.
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Urgent state pension update as thousands handed extra time to boost payments by £10,000s
Thousands of Brits have been handed extra time to receive a payment boost of tens of thousands.
The government has announced that more time has been given for people to plug the gaps in their National Insurance record to boost their state pension.
The scheme which allows people to fill in gaps in their National Insurance (NI) was set to end in April.
But today, this deadline has now been moved to July 31, 2023.
This scheme only applies to people who have reached (or will reach) state pension age after April 5, 2016.
Find out more here.
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The Martin Lewis Money Show Live returns tonight
Money Saving expert Martin Lewis will return to screens this evening to help viewers with all things money-related.
The expert took to Twitter this afternoon to remind viewers he will be discussing energy bills, as well as putting your questions to Grant Shapps.
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Nine ways to make money online from home in 2023
If you’re unable to work, have a full-time job or are maybe a stay at home parent, there are loads of things you can do to earn some extra money.
Here’s how you can boost your cash without even leaving your home.
- Share deals and get paid
- Earn cashback
- Get paid to watch TV
- Snap photos of receipts
- Complete easy tasks
- Fill out online surveys
- Get paid for music
- Surf the web for cash
- Install an app
Find out more about each of the above money making tips here.
