SAVE hundreds of pounds this year without noticing.
With water bills, bus fares and broadband costs set to rise, it’s time to find savings wherever you can.
Start as you mean to go on with these ways to cut costs in 2025
1. The bus fare cap goes up from £2 to £3 this month. If you’re a regular passenger, look for saver deals or season tickets.
2. Water bills rise in April, so consider getting a meter. Sarah Coles, of finance firm Hargreaves Lansdown, says: “If you’re an average user, you should be able to save if you have the same number of bedrooms as people in the house, or have more bedrooms.”
3. You’ve got until April 5 to buy back any missing National Insurance years from 2006 to 2016, which could boost a state pension by up to £50,000. Do it now to beat the deadline.
4. Ahead of mid-contract phone and broadband price rises, look at switching provider. Uswitch broadband expert Sabrina Hoque says: “Brits can save up to £163 a year by switching.”
With the new One Touch Switch system, the new provider sorts it out.
5. Stop paying for things you don’t use. Find your subscriptions and direct debits by searching your phone settings, credit card bills and PayPal, Apple, Google and Amazon accounts. Search at least a year of bank statements.
6. Save on energy. You can save £40 by blocking draughts, £55 using a chimney draught excluder, £240 by installing loft and cavity wall insulation and £110 by using a central heating programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valve together, says Joanna O’Loan of the Energy Saving Trust.
7. Parking while you fly away on holiday can easily cost £100. Use an app like JustPark to find a space in someone’s driveway instead.
A week next July is available for £30 near Luton Airport.
8. Nearly one in six adults don’t have a will. Over 55s can make one for free during Free Wills Month in March. Book in at freewillsmonth.org.uk.
9. From September 2025, working parents of children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours of government funded childcare a week. Keep an eye on gov.uk to find out how you apply.
10. Bag a school uniform for less. Sales take place in late June and early July. Also look for supermarkets’ clothing sales, which usually include uniforms too.
11. Beat the crowds to book cheap or free school holiday childcare. Many give early booking discounts, and the cheaper schemes, like those at local leisure centres, book up early.
12. Make a meal plan and buy only what’s on your list to save 20 per cent on shopping bills, adding up to £720 a year if you’re currently spending £300 a month on food. Shop online to avoid temptation.
13. Switch to buying frozen food to save 30 per cent compared to fresh, according to a study from 2019 by Manchester Metropolitan University.
14. If you only need an item as a one-off, rent instead of buy.
Check for a local branch of libraryofthings.co.uk or use a rental tool like Fat Llama — a pressure washer is around £20 for a weekend.
15. Take advantage of the Government’s extended Help to Save scheme, now running to April 2027.
Those claiming Universal Credit earning £1 a month will be able to get 50p for every pound they save, up to a maximum bonus of £1,200.
16. Do a direct debit swap, says Sarah Coles. Switch one you don’t use anymore for a new one that will help you save. Set it for the day after you get paid.
17. Commit to a savings challenge, like the well-known 1p challenge. Alternatively, putting aside £10 a week in a regular savings account will add up to £520 by next Christmas, plus decent interest.
18. Saving money doesn’t have to feel hard, says Maddy Alexander-Grout of the Mad About Money app.
AI-powered apps like Plum or Chip analyse your spending and automatically save small amounts you won’t notice.
19. You could save up to £463 on annual car insurance premiums by shopping around, according to moneysupermarket.com, so don’t let any of your policies auto renew. Bank what you save to use for unexpected bills.
20. Love a coffee? Use your own takeaway cup to get 50p off drinks at Pret a Manger and 25p off at Starbucks.
If you visit Pret often, pay £5 a month by March 31 (£10 after) to get half-price drinks.
21. Get birthday freebies or discounts by signing up to loyalty schemes including Frankie & Benny’s, Zizzi, Greggs, Costa and The Body Shop.
22. Refill containers to top-up beauty savings. A Cussons Carex 1.25l refill pouch is £4 at Sainsbury’s, while a 250ml bottle with pump is £1.50, so using the refill would save you £3.50.
23. Use loyalty cards to your advantage. Buy books as presents at Waterstones throughout the year — spend £10 to get a stamp and collect 10 to get a £10 voucher. That will help next Christmas.
24. Look at what perks you’re already entitled to. If you’re an AA member you may get 20 per cent off at Zizzi and ASK Italian and 15 per cent off food at Greene King and Chef & Brewer pubs.
With Sky Cinema, customers get two free Vue Cinema tickets every month.
25. Cashback apps such as Quidco and TopCashback, and browser extensions like Honey, which makes saving automatic, are a no-brainer, says Maddy Alexander-Grout.
“Pair cashback with loyalty schemes for even bigger savings,” she says.
THOUSANDS of households could be in line for a £25 boost to put towards heating bills following a cold weather alert.
Those on certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit are eligible for a “cold weather payment” for each seven-day period where the temperature falls to zero degress celsius or below.
The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have both issued cold weather warnings between now and January 8.
The Department For Work And Pensions has confirmed cold weather payments have already been triggered in several postcode areas this week.
Cold Weather Payments are made between November 1 and March 31 each year. If you qualify, you should receive the cash in three weeks.
The payments will be made automatically within 14 working days of each cold snap into the same bank account you receive your qualifying benefit.
Payments show up on your bank statement as your National Insurance number followed by “DWP CWP” for those in England and Wales and “SSA” in Northern Ireland.
Find out more about eligibility on the Government’s website.
Households in Scotland aren’t eligible for Cold Weather Payments but get a one-off £58.75 Winter Heating Payment instead.
Contact the Pension Centre, JobCentre Plus or Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 if you are expecting a payment and don’t get it.
Sam Walker
ENERGY bills are set to rise again in the spring by more than expected in a blow for millions of households.
The energy price cap, which controls how much suppliers can charge per unit of energy used, will increase by three per cent in April, according to experts at analysts Cornwall Insight.
This is more than the one per cent previously predicted.
It comes as average bills already rose this month from £1,717 to £1,738 a year for the 26 million people on variable tariffs.
This is now set to increase again to £1,785 per year in April.
But many families who use more energy than a typical household will pay even more.
Regulator Ofgem will confirm April’s price cap on February 25 so it could still be higher or lower than this prediction.
Elise Melville, energy expert at comparison site Uswitch.com, said: “The sudden change from a 1 per cent to 3 per cent increase in the April price cap prediction suggests that energy prices will remain uncertain.”
Households on a variable tariff who are worried about energy prices could benefit from fixing their energy deal now.
These deals protect customers from future bill hikes if the price cap rises in future.
To find the best fixed energy deals, check price comparison websites, which compile the best offers from various suppliers.
Enter your postcode and current energy usage to receive the best deals for you.
James Flanders
