This is the cheapest I have seen without being free…Thanks for your help
James M.
Zanesville, OH
By CLINTON MANNING; JOHN HUSBAND
ENERGY
THE average family is already forking out pounds 1,048 a year on energy - and experts warn prices will continue to soar.
"We haven't seen the last of price rises this year. People should be prepared to see a further 10 per cent or pounds 105 added on to bills," says Tim Wolfenden, of price comparison website uSwitch.com, but you can still save by comparing suppliers and paying by direct debit. The Garretts, who have electricity-only, found a pounds 71-a- month deal paying direct debit to Scottish Power - but uSwitch says they could save a further pounds 38.75 a year by switching to the supplier's Discounted Energy Online account and paying by monthly direct debit.
DEBT
TWENTY-SIX million Britons owe an average pounds 2,300 on credit cards. With interest rates at around 16 per cent that's pounds 368 each in yearly interest.
Try applying for a card offering the longest interest-free period for debt transfers. Best right now is Virgin Money's, offering 15 months.
Alison does her main shop at Tesco and has chosen a Tesco credit card which she pays off in full each month. It gave her a pounds 25 voucher recently that she was able to exchange for theme park admission tickets worth pounds 125.
You could easily pay 20 per cent for a personal loan, but try lenders in our weekly Best Buy table first.
INSURANCE
The AA thinks you can save at least a third on your home and car insurance.
Its latest survey shows the average home premium is pounds 338 but bargain hunters pay pounds 191, saving pounds 147.
And shopping around for car insurance could cut the average premium from pounds 682 (fully comp) to pounds 460.
The savings are thought to be even bigger online. Alison and Chris, with a nine-year noclaims discount, pay pounds 368 fully comp on their seven seater Fiat Alhambra 1.9TD S 2000. Moneysupermarket.com found an Admiral policy for only pounds 168.50. It also discovered the pounds 228 they pay for a building and contents policy on their three-bedroomed house could be pounds 154 with the AA.
CHRIS GARRETT SAYS: Alison finds good deals for us which is great because there's never any money left. But your insurance ideas look appealing.
YOUR MONEY'S ADVICE: Log on to the money websites or check our weekly best buy tables. For advice try the AA (0800 197 6173) or for your nearest broker call British Insurance Brokers Association (0901 814 0015), for all other financial advice contact an independent financial adviser (0800 085 3250).
(c) 2008 Daily Mirror. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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