Energy hacks, Netflix vs Prime, £400 grant for ALL

Energy bills skyrocketed for millions in April and are predicted to rise again in October. Minimise the impact of the rise as much as you can with these energy tips from The Money Edit.
The Money Edit’s guide to cutting energy costs.

If you have a big, planned upcoming expense, the good news is loan rates are close to record lows. We’ll take you through the best ways to find one, but don’t borrow on a whim as you can get burnt. Only do it for something you need, ensure it’s affordable and pay it back as quickly as possible.

We’ve listed some of the best rates below but first use the eligibility checker from our friends at GoCompare. With it, you input basic details and it checks your chances of getting accepted before you apply and doesn’t impact your credit score.

Here are some of the cheapest rates right now (links go via our eligibility checker). While loan rates are not directly linked to the Bank of England’s base rate, with interest rates going up, there is no certainty on how long these deals will be around.

Fixed monthly payments on £10,000 over 5 years
M&S Bank | 2.8% Representative APR
Santander | 2.8% Representative APR

Fixed monthly repayments on £5,000 over 5 years
Novuna Personal Finance | 3.4% Representative APR

As you can see, rates are lower on higher amounts but that’s not an excuse to overspend.

Use GoCompare’s loan eligibility checker

We explain everything you need to know about the item that took most of the headlines from the Government’s cost of living help package announced last week. Find out how and when the £400 will be paid.
See The Money Edit’s £400 energy help package explainer

As well as the energy help above, the Government is making other payments to vulnerable and low income households to help during the crisis.
See the Money Edit’s cost of living Government help package explainer

Recent research shows that 1.51m streaming services were cancelled in Great Britain in the first three months of 2022. If you’re thinking of cutting down on (rather than cutting out) your streaming subscriptions, check out T3’s guide to which offers the best value for money and may be worth holding on to.
T3’s best value streamer

Ahead of the Jubilee weekend, Amazon has cut the cost of second generation Apple AirPods by 17% – TechRadar has all the details.
TechRadar’s AirPod deals

Keeping the kids entertained over school holidays can be an expensive task, but it needn’t break the bank. Check out Good To’s guide to where kids can get a complimentary (or heavily discounted) meal this half term.
Good To’s guide to free kid’s meals