MSE’s Money Tips Jan energy bill rise, free Apple TV, cut mobile bill to £4/mth?, 7% savings & free £175, 800,000 pen

Whether you just want to cut your bill, or feel it's time to upgrade your handset, this is a sweet-spot moment to sort it. Deals after Black Friday are still white-hot and there's a raft of 'cheapest-evers' out there. We asked Martin what to call it, he said 'Carpe Dealum' (so we included it, mainly because he's our boss!).

Know what you want? Our Cheap Mobile Finder tool includes the top Sims, handsets and lots more.

Sims are the little chip that goes into your phone and dictates the network and tariff. Millions who are out of contract can simply change to a cheap Sim and pay far less than right now. And there's no need to change your number.

As MoneySaver Jane emailed: "Thanks to Martin's article on mobile Sim-only deals, I saved £48/month [£576 a year]. Incredible saving - thank you." Here's a selection of current cheap deals, all including UNLIMITED calls and texts:

6GB/month for '£3.38/month'. Ends Thursday. This no-frills MSE Blagged Lycamobile Sim (uses O2's network) costs 85p for 6 months, then £5.90/month on a one-month rolling contract - we've averaged the price over a year. Lycamobile doesn't offer Wi-Fi calling or 5G on iPhones.
This should be enough data for those who use their phone for emails, light web-browsing, social media, watching a few short videos each day and streaming the odd podcast.
15GB/month for '£4.25/month'. This iD Mobile Sim (uses Three's network) is £8/month, but you can claim a £45 Amazon, Tesco or Uber Eats voucher. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £4.25/month over the 12-month contract.
Better for those who spend quite a bit of time web-browsing, streaming videos and downloading podcasts.
A HUGE 100GB/month for '£9.87/month'. This TalkMobile Sim (uses Vodafone's network) costs £11.95/month, but you can CLAIM (don't forget) a £25 Amazon voucher. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £9.87/month over the year's contract.
This should be enough data for most people, even if you use your phone to stream a lot of videos each day or use it for tethering.

Top Sim-switching tips

1. Don't want to change network as you get a good signal? There are only four UK networks - all other providers piggyback on their signals. If you only get good signal from one, use these links to check the cheapest deals from all providers using EE, O2, Three and Vodafone's networks. This works well for most, but there are a few things to check. If you've a 5G phone, will the network work with it? And if you use Wi-Fi calling or 4G-calling, that may not be available, so do check. Our tool flags up what each offers.

2. Unlock your phone for free. If your phone's locked to a network, your existing provider must unlock it free of charge - see mobile unlocking.

3. Don't pay for more data than you need. Regulator Ofcom says the average mobile data usage is 5.6GB a month. Not sure how much you use? Our Data Calculator may help.

Sticking with your current handset and switching Sim is cheaper and greener. But if you need a new phone/or really want one (and can afford it), now's a good time, with some of the cheapest prices we've ever seen. Though if you're doing it for more storage, first check our 14 ways to boost mobile storage. Here are our top tips...

Is the latest handset really worth it? There's a big premium on the latest handsets, but cynics (like us) would note in the good old days firms would launch the Swish-5 handset, then when it improved they'd call it the Swish-5.1. These days even minor iterations jump a full number (so to Swish-6). So try these tools.

- Find me a phone lets you say what you want, then finds the cheapest handsets that fit the bill.

- Find me the best phone within my budget does just that.
The 'buy a phone & Sim separately' rule is not clear-cut. That used to be cheapest, yet over the last year or so we've seen some contract deals with a lot of data massively undercutting that. Our cheapest new handset tool includes both options across most phone models.

Cheapest deals for popular handsets All unlimited mins & texts & all MSE Blagged (as we've managed to negotiate deals undercutting the market leaders)
Cheapest iPhones
iPhone 11 (64GB) released Sept 2019	Three 100GB/month data (via Affordable Mobiles) Total £481 over two-year contract You pay £49 upfront, then £18 each month. If you bought the handset alone it'd be £439, never mind the big monthly data package.
iPhone 12 (64GB) released Oct 2020	O2 60GB/month data (via MobilePhonesDirect) Total £671 over two-year contract You pay £95 upfront, then £24/month. That's £532 cheaper over the contract than direct from O2.
iPhone 13 (128GB) released Sept 2021	Three 100GB/month data (via Affordable Mobiles) Total £735 over two-year contract You pay £39 upfront, then £29/month. If you bought the handset alone it'd be £729 - that's without the big data bundle you get here.
iPhone 14 (128GB) released Sept 2022	Three 100GB/month data (via MobilePhonesDirect) Total £943 over two-year contract You pay £79 upfront, then £36/month. That's £551 cheaper over the contract than direct from Three.
Cheapest Samsungs
Samsung S21 FE (128GB) released Jan 2022	O2 30GB/month data (via MobilePhonesDirect) Total £519 over two-year contract You pay £39 upfront, then £20/month. That's £434 cheaper over the contract than direct from O2.
Samsung S22 (128GB) released Feb 2022	Three 100GB/month data (via MobilePhonesDirect) Total £573 over two-year contract You pay £69 upfront, then £21/month. Buying the handset alone is £625 - more expensive than this contract with a huge amount of data.
Who's responsible for the phone? The resellers listed are big, and generally have good feedback. Your contract is with the network, so it's responsible for the tariff, though your handset consumer rights lie with the reseller.

Even better, why not cut the cost with a refurb phone (with warranty)? Top-grade refurbished models are often just returned by customers who have changed their mind, while firms have other 'grades' or ratings that allow you to unlock even bigger savings. These may have small signs of use but still perform like new.

Refurbs usually come with a warranty (often 12 months) but you generally just get the phone on its own, with no charger or other accessories. Savings can be huge though, for example:

- New iPhone 12: £629
- 'Pristine' quality refurb: £399
- 'Very good' refurb (signs of light use): £379
- 'Good' refurb (a few scratches): £358

To find whether your phone has decent options just opt for refurbs in our comparison filters. We don't list any rated lower than 'good'.

Whether you're choosing a new Sim, or a whole new phone, these tips may help you cut costs further:

Happy where you are? Haggle to cut costs. Mobile firms are among the easiest to haggle with - success rates for those who try are over about 70%. So use the tools above to benchmark your top deal, then see our haggling tips for how to get your provider to beat it.

As David emailed: "I contacted my provider EE as I was paying £13/month-ish for 1GB data plus unlimited calls and texts. I followed your guidelines and now pay £8 for 6GB with unlimited calls and texts. Cheers."
Add a spending cap to stop eye-watering bills. If you use up your monthly data allowance, buying extra isn't usually cheap. But if you add a spending cap to your account, you'll never spend more than you can afford. See how to set your personalised spending cap.
Members of cashback sites may be able to get deals even cheaper. These sites often give cashback on Sim-only and handset deals, and in some cases, they can undercut promotional deals elsewhere. But don't assume they're the same deal: they can be structured differently, so check carefully. See Top cashback sites for more.
Flog old mobiles - for example, £246 for an iPhone 11. If your phone is still usable there are sound financial and environmental reasons to recycle your old handset, as they can give off potentially noxious substances as they decay.

You could pop the handset on eBay, or for ease, use one of the dozen or so phone-buying companies out there. To find the best payer, there are comparison sites including Sell My Mobile*, Compare and Recycle and Compare My Mobile* - use at least a couple for the widest possible search.

Firms usually promise payment via bank transfer within one day of receiving your phone. If something goes wrong, unfortunately you've little protection, so check reviews first. More info in Sell old mobiles.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

Martin: DON'T WAIT till after Christmas to sort credit card debt
'You can shift to 34mths interest-free now - I'm worried what'll be left then. If you can't afford to clear debts, you can't afford not to check for a 0% balance transfer'

January is debt month. The time debt-counselling agencies' phones ring off the hook, appointments become (even more) scarce, and people focus on finances. Right now though, it's damage time, the tipping point when many push their finances to the brink. As prevention beats cure, examine your own situation, and if it's an issue, please take a deep-breath, and if possible, cut unnecessary spending now.

Normally the one January debt bright-spark is card firms pump out better 0% balance transfer offers. I've some doubts that'll happen this time, as UK rates are rising, and we've seen some deals pulled recently. Add in the fact if you pay interest on existing cards, shifting now means many weeks of lower interest, then speed is of the essence.

To avoid rejection, by far the best route is to spend two minutes on a 0% eligibility calculator. This shows which of the top cards YOU CAN GET, as it shows your acceptance odds for each, so you can home in on those you're least likely to be rejected from, without any impact on your ability to get credit.
If you've a choice, go for the lowest fee, within a 0% time long enough to clear your debt. Most balance transfer deals charge a one-off % fee of the debt transferred, so minimise that. UNSURE? Play safe and go long.

TOP-PICK NEW CARDHOLDER 0% BALANCE TRANSFERS
Sainsbury's Bank Check your acceptance odds via that link, or apply direct*	Longest 0% card, an 'up to', but pre-approval possible. It's an 'up to' card, so whether you get the full deal is credit score dependent. Yet if our eligibility calc shows you're PRE-APPROVED, you'll get the full 34mths & lower 2.88% fee. Key info: Up to 34 months 0% (some get just 26mths) with a 2.88% fee (some are charged 3.88%), min £3. Then 21.9% rep APR interest after 0% ends.
NatWest, RBS & Ulster Check your acceptance odds via links above, or apply: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank	Existing bank customers ONLY. Longest definite 0% and £25 cashback. If you already bank, save or borrow with these banks, then you can apply. If you're accepted it's a cracking deal, as you can get £25 cashback if you open it this month and transfer £100+. Key info: 33 months 0% with a 2.9% fee. Then 22.9% rep APR after 0% ends.
HSBC Check your acceptance odds via that link, or apply direct*	Longest definite 0% that's available to all. Normally the longest definite card is only a month or so less than the best 'up to' - right now there's a four-month gap. Though if you're not pre-approved for Sainsbury's and have good odds here, you've at least the certainty of the full 30mths 0% if accepted. Key info: 30 months 0% with a 2.99% fee (min £5). Then 23.9% rep APR after the 0% ends.
NatWest, RBS & Ulster Check your acceptance odds via links above, or apply: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank	Existing bank customers ONLY. Longest definite NO FEE 0%. Again, if you bank here, you can apply. Another corking deal, as no-fee 22mths 0% is long. Key info: 22 months 0% with NO FEE. Then 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends.
Sainsbury's Bank Check your acceptance odds via that link, or apply direct*	Longest NO FEE available to all, an 'up to', but pre-approval possible. It's an 'up to' card, so whether you get the headline deal is credit score dependent. But if our eligibility calc shows you're PRE-APPROVED, you'll get the full 19mths NO FEE, an easy winner (bar NatWest) if you can clear the debt in that time. Key info: Up to 19 months 0% (some get just 12mths) with NO FEE (some pay 1%). Then 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends.

Getting a card? ALWAYS follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules:
a) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more.
b) Clear the card (or balance-transfer again) before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR.
c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to get future credit.
d) The balance transfer must usually be done within 1-3 months to get the 0% and any cashback - check your card.

Quick Balance Transfer FAQs (click links for my answers)
Q. Is it worth applying if my eligibility odds are low? | Q. What if my credit limit isn't big enough? | Q. Can I shift debt to existing cards too? | Q. Should I try to pay off my biggest debt first? SPOILER: NO.

Full help and info, including options for poorer credit scorers, in Best balance transfers.

Free 2mth Apple TV+ or ends midnight 6mths for £2 to £7 (normally £42). There are lots of Apple TV deals on at the moment, so if you fancy it, go quick. Full info's in cheap Apple TV hacks.

Martin: Aged 66+ with income under £200/week (couple under £300/week)? You may be due £3,300/year! More than 800,000 eligible pensioners are missing out on pension credit, yet claim now and as well as increased pension income, you'll be due the second £324 cost of living payment too. Martin's just changed his rule of thumb to add pensioner couples. So please read and SPREAD WORD on Martin's pension credit blog.

New. First Direct switchers get a FREE £175, top service AND NOW 7% savings too. Newbies switching to First Direct* (88% 'great' service) get a free £175, plus from Thursday its linked regular saver will pay 7% interest on up to £300/month - you qualify even if you sign up today. Some also get a £250 0% overdraft. See full eligibility info & alternatives (including free £200 and 5% linked savings) in Best bank accounts.

Energy bills updates

Stop press. Energy prices to rise for some in January, especially those who prepay or pay on receipt of bills. The changes for most are trivial, but some could see a typical bill rise up to £50/year. See January bill changes.

And what'll happen to energy bills over the next two years? Martin's new video explainer. Recorded before the January news, it shows the bigger changes to come. Watch it now

£10 for one litre of Baileys is back. The latest in the annual battle of the Baileys (please be Drinkaware).

£33.50 Soap & Glory bodycare set (worth £77). Boots is putting this popular Soap & Glory set back on sale from Friday. Includes body wash, hand cream, shampoo and more. Soap & Glory

Are you due a share of £80m in unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes? See how to check.

Ends 11.59pm Thu. Extremely fast 264Mb Virgin broadband just '£18.40/month'. MSE Blagged. Newbies can still get this Virgin Media 264Mb broadband & line deal for £23.95/month, with an automatic £100 bill credit (so nothing to pay for four months, unless you make calls). That makes it equivalent to £18.40/month over the 18-month contract - we've never seen cheaper. Can't get Virgin in your area? Use our broadband comparison for the top deals.

On key or card prepay energy? Please do our survey about your £66/month vouchers. We want to know how you found the process of getting and redeeming them, to spot any issues. Take our 2-min survey.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 264Mb Virgin broadband & line '£18.40/month' Ends Thu
- 24 Beer52 craft beers for £29 all-in 2,000 boxes available
- £125 of Ciaté nail polish for £28 via code 2,500 available
- 33% off ALL cards online at Scribbler via code Ends Wed 7 Dec

DID YOU MISS?

- Santander's ditching 123 Lite account for 'Edge' - is it any good?
- £10 to £50 West End theatre tickets for Mastercard holders
- Get a real six-foot Ikea Christmas tree for '£15'
- Latest coupons: FREE £3 vegan chicken, FREE £2.25 gravy
- Grab one of 3,500 FREE £50 investments

Online shopping hacks, Help to Save, energy newbies & more. In the new BBC The Martin Lewis Podcast episode.

Amex £5 cashback on £15+ spends at 1,000s of LOCAL stores. We're usually unable to mention deals from smaller, local shops as our email goes out UK-wide, so we're always delighted to include this American Express Shop Small £5 off deal. It's on from Saturday, but you need to register first - and pay the card off IN FULL to avoid interest.

Ends 5pm Wed. £20 cashback on the top 25 months' 0% spending card. See top card ends info.

Is your home one of 400,000 that will be eligible for free or cheap energy efficiency improvements? The Government's ECO+ scheme launches in 2023 - see what's available & whether you qualify.

24 Beer52 craft beers for £29 all-in. MSE Blagged. 2,000 boxes available. Beer52 (please be Drinkaware).

Ciaté nail polish Advent calendar for £28 delivered (worth £125). MSE Blagged. Have it for yourself or split it up to give as gifts. 2,500 available. Ciaté nail polish

How much do Christmas lights cost to run? Many have been asking, worried if they can afford it. We've crunched the numbers in our Christmas lights analysis. Related: Energy saving checklist.

33% off ALL cards online at Scribbler. MSE Blagged. Quirky cards for Christmas and more. Scribbler

PS: Want to give this Christmas but can't donate? You can volunteer time, for example at a homeless shelter. See Crisis volunteers.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 34 months 0%, 2.88% or 3.88% fee (21.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 19 months 0%, no or 1% fee (21.9% rep APR) or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR)

£200 to switch + 5% interest for a year: Nationwide
£200 to switch + 3% savings: HSBC

Top easy access: Tandem 2.55%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Investec 4.36%, min £5,000

Try our new Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR interest
Cheapest £7.5k to £15k: M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) and HSBC (apply), both 4.9% rep APR

Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£12.91/month'
Fast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£14.16/month'
Superfast (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£18.40/month'

On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs

4GB to 9GB data: Lycamobile, '£2.40/month' for 4GB
10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.25/month' for 15GB

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Check if you can get extra energy protection through the Priority Services Register (PSR). If you're on the PSR, you can get advance notice of planned power cuts, priority support in an emergency and regular meter-reading services - plus other help. You can join it if you have reached state pension age, are disabled, have a long-term medical condition, are pregnant or have children under five - as well as other reasons. Our energy support guide has full info on who's eligible to join and how to do it.

THIS WEEK'S POLL

How much of your Christmas shopping have you done so far? There's less than a month until Christmas, and with Black Friday over, we want to know how much of your shopping you've done so far (if you've decided to give this year - see MSE's Christmas pre-NUPP for why sometimes the best present is not giving at all). So is your Christmas in the bag, or are you leaving it until the last minute? Vote in this week's poll.

Two-thirds (65%) of MoneySavers avoided spending during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year. About 3,100 people voted in last week's poll, and of the 35% that did spend, more than seven out of 10 spent £300 or less, with only 6% spending over £1,000. See the full Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Decent vision should not be an 'optional extra' and government help is needed, say campaigners
- Over a million people on tax credits to get their second cost of living payment by 30 Nov
- Got a text message from the Met Police? Don't ignore it - you may be able to help fight fraud
- Energy price cap to rise in January - but it's largely meaningless for your bill
- Train or Tube journey affected by November strikes? Your refund rights

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I still put up my Christmas lights display given the energy crisis? For many years I've been putting up a display of Christmas lights in my garden, and I invite people in to see it in return for a voluntary donation, which I give to charity. I add to the display each year, so it's quite large and well known now, but I don't know whether to do it this year, as I'm worried about the cost [see MSE's Christmas lights cost analysis] and whether it's appropriate when some people can't afford to heat their homes. But if I don't, the families who come to see it and the charity will miss out. What should I do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I still put up my Christmas lights? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

- Win Scalextric prizes
- Win In the Night Garden soft toys
- Win a £5,000 Next voucher

- Win a Freeview Play TV
- Win home furnishings and accessories
- Win vouchers, experiences and tasty treats with Spar

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 30 NOV ONWARDS)

Wed 30 Nov - Co-presenting Good Morning Britain, ITV, from 6am
Tue 6 Dec - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC)

Thu 1 Dec - BBC Radio Leicester, Mid-morning with Summaya Mughal, from 11.35am
Tue 6 Dec - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

'SKY ENDED UP PAYING ME £2.50 A MONTH' - WHAT'S YOUR BEST HAGGLING SUCCESS?

That's all for this week, but before we go... we shared MoneySaver David's £360-a-year Sky bill-haggling saving and asked for your biggest haggling win. Many reported cutting £50 to £150 a year off car insurance costs just by asking for their insurers' best price. And one homeowner told their bank that there was a better two-year mortgage deal which led to it matching the rival offer, not just for two years, but for the whole term. But TV and broadband haggling successes were the most common - and the best we heard was from one Sky customer who managed to get so many offers applied that for the first six months Sky was actually PAYING THEM £2.50 a month! Tell us your best haggling success in our Twitter and Facebook conversations.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

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MSE’s Money Tips Newsletters

MSE’s Money Tips Jan energy bill rise, free Apple TV, cut mobile bill to £4/mth?, 7% savings & free £175, 800,000 pen

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