Below is a list of the best ways to save money on your household bills that we’ve come across over the last few years of helping people. We have no affiliation with any of the companies we mention - we don’t benefit from anyone using them.

We will update the list when we discover new opportunities to save money on bills, and we will continue to connect customers to as many of them as possible during our calls.

Household bills

  • Most water companies offer two types of discounts for people on low income - social tariffs which reduce bills by 50-90% and WaterSure which caps bills at around £420 if you have a medical condition that requires high water usage of you are a large family. Contact your water supplier to apply (we are also able to make applications for people to these schemes).

  • Consider a water meter. These are free to install and can reduce water bills by 9-20%.

  • Apply for free water saving gadgets from www.getwaterfit.co.uk - you will receive a bundle of gadgets such as a device to put on a shower head to reduce the amount of water flow without any noticeable difference.

  • Support for wiping debt on your water bills is available from Trust Funds and payment matching schemes offered by water companies. Contact your water supplier to find out more (we are also able to help make applications for these schemes).

WATER BILLS

ENERGY BILLS

  • Energy costs have doubled in the last two years. Some fixed deals are starting to return which provides the comfort of knowing how much you will pay each month, but the energy price cap is set to reduce during 2024 so it may be better to stay on this. For the latest info on fixed deals and the price cap click here.

  • We have dedicated a whole separate page on ways to save money on energy which you can find here.

BROADBAND

  • If you claim benefits you may well be eligible for a broadband social tariff which can reduce your bills by around 50%. Currently, only 5% of those who are eligible are claiming this discount. Contact your supplier to find out more (we are also able to help switch people to social tariffs).

  • Avoid changing provider mid contract as there are often early exit fees.

  • Make sure you are on the right speed - some providers try to encourage more expensive deals for higher speeds when in reality they will make little difference. We find that around 66 Mbps works best for most people (large families or high usage homes may need up to 100-150 Mbps)

MOBILE PHONES

  • Make sure you are buying the right amount of data - again, providers can often try to upsell this when it’s not needed. The average person in the UK uses 5 GB. You can check your actual data usage in your phone settings.

  • Avoid changing provider mid contract as there are often early exit fees.

  • Once you are out of contract, consider moving to a SIM only deal - these can be as little as £5 a month for 4BG of data.

  • Alternatively, consider buying a second hand and refurbished phone which can come with guarantees and are also better for the environment. Back Market and Envirofone are good sites.

INSURANCE

  • For car insurance there are a few things to help reduce your costs. Firstly, never auto-renew - always haggle and look around for better deals. The ideal time to start looking and talking to providers is 3-4 weeks before your contract ends. Adding an experienced driver to the policy can reduce the premium by £100s. Finally, tweaking your job description can result in large savings - us this link to find out the best way to describe your job

  • Social housing tenants often have access to low cost household insurance, such as AON’s tenant content insurance which costs 37p a week for £4,000 of household insurance. There is no excess to pay, no special locks needed and provides financial comfort for those who need it most. Contact your registered landlord to find out more.