July 2020 | The Consumers Choice

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Consumers Trustpilot

Phone Number 08008477011

Month: July 2020

Why every homeowner needs boilercare

A recent study revealed that £787 million was spent on unexpected boiler breakdown bills over the last year, with some five million homes affected.

The average bill for a broken boiler was £270, quite a sum to find on top of life’s other expenses.

However, 250,000 (5%) of those five million homes faced costs of £1,250 for the repairs.

The average UK household is just not equipped to deal with such a huge, unexpected bill, highlighted even more by the recent discovery that low income families have a meagre £95 in savings should disaster strike.

If you lack an emergency fund, as most people in a debt solution will, it is imperative that you have the necessary cover to deal with such an emergency if you own your own home.

How does boilercare differ from a home emergency insurance policy?

Boilercare is a product designed to cover you in the event that your boiler breaks down, not to be confused with home emergency cover which includes protection for various different problems.

Home emergency insurance may include cover against flood and roof damage to your property, breakdown of your central heating system and pest infestations − giving a more comprehensive kind of insurance.

However, it is important to know that you can only make a claim under home emergency cover if you have a genuine emergency and not for routine repairs in non-urgent circumstances.

What is included in boilercare packages?

Boilercare usually covers repairs to your boiler, with any labour and parts included.

Be aware that there could be limitations that apply to your cover such as:

  • Restriction on the number of hours that can be used on each repair
  • A cap on the cost of each repair
  • A limit on the number of claims you can make within a single year

It’s important to read and understand the terms and conditions before committing to a boilercare policy, so check for any exclusions that could affect your ability to claim.

Often you will find that a boilercare policy comes with a waiting period, meaning you are only able to claim after several weeks of you taking out the policy, so keep your eye out for this too.

Older boilers may be excluded for cover and you should also be aware of what would happen if your boiler is deemed beyond economic repair by an engineer who has come to fix it.

If your boiler is a bit on the older side, it is likely you you’d be offered a replacement boiler or a cash payout to put towards a new one.

Where can I compare boilercare policies?

The usual suspects such as Go Compare, Compare the Market and Money Supermarket are your best bet, however you may also be able to take out cover with your energy supplier.

Whichever you choose, be sure to shop around to find the best price.

The post Why every homeowner needs boilercare appeared first on ClearDebt.

By adminGuides

Why you should never let your insurer auto renew your car insurance policy

It is the easiest way to blow a load of money unnecessarily, yet 5.2 million UK motorists fell for the car insurance auto renew trap last year – costing them a massive £1.5bn in the process.

March is one of the busiest months of the year for car insurance renewal and for a number of reasons many Brits are prepared to pay over the odds when it comes to their new annual premium.

Young drivers in particular, who potentially have the most to save, are auto renewing their insurance due to a mixture of low confidence in understanding how insurance works and misplaced loyalty to their current insurer.

Taking this route when discussing their renewal price means they are paying much more than they could if they shopped around.

Loyalty doesn’t pay

With the introduction of the first new number plate of the year, March is always a busy time in the world of car insurance as sales increase as a result.

Premiums have reached record highs and it is more important than ever to make sure you are not getting a terrible deal when you come to renew your policy.

Your insurer will offer to auto renew your cover when your policy is coming to an end, often using it as a selling point as it appears the easiest option, with the least effort required on your part.

However, what they are not so good at pointing out is that by shopping around, you could be able to find exactly the same cover for much less.

The rule of thumb when it comes to insurance is that loyalty generally doesn’t pay and the best deals pretty much always go to new customers.

How do I save on my car insurance?

Cashback deals

You can find some amazing insurance cashback offers on Topcashback and Quidco.

In fact, I would recommend you check out both these apps before buying anything, as you can earn a nice tidy sum over the year simply purchasing items you needed to buy anyway.

That being said, don’t take the first thing you see on there either, still search around on sites such as Go Compare, Compare the Market and Money Supermarket – and don’t let a cuddly meerkat toy be the deciding factor on the policy you choose!

Find the correct job title

I used to work in insurance many moons ago and there are some job titles, for one reason or another, insurers are not keen on.

For instance, if you describe your job title as ‘chef’, you will pay on average £98 more than if you choose kitchen staff as the option.

Unbelievably, construction workers pay more than builders, but bricklayers pay more than builders – maybe it’s not too hard to see why 18 – 24 year olds lack the confidence to seek out a better deal!

If your job title can be covered by more than one category, check them all out to see which one is giving you the cheapest option. For instance, music teachers pay more than teachers.

Add an experienced driver if possible

Just to be crystal clear on where the law lies with this, it is illegal to claim somebody is the main driver of the car if they are not, so don’t be tempted to step outside the law to save a few quid.

However, adding a secondary driver is perfectly legal and could save you money on the cost of your premium.

You must seek their permission first, ensure they have a clean driving license and preferably have a decent amount of no claims.

Don’t wait until the last minute

Shopping around for a new car insurance quote around three weeks before your insurance is due to expire instead of leaving it until the last day will save you over £200 on average.

Younger drivers could expect to save even more.

Shop around and do a few comparisons before accepting your current insurance providers auto renewal quote and don’t be deterred by cuddly meerkats.

Pay in full if you can

Many car insurers will charge you interest on your monthly payments if you spread the cost.

You can expect to pay anything up to £60 a year more by spreading the cost of your car insurance, so if at all possible save a bit every month over the course of the year and pay it all in one go.

Increase your excess and cut out the extras

We live in a world where we are always asked if we’d like fries with that.

Insurance companies will offer you a whole host of extras and add-ons with your main insurance policy such as breakdown cover, driver’s legal protection, excess insurance, windscreen cover, driving abroad and a courtesy car if anything happens to your vehicle.

You may also get a lot of these with your current bank account, home insurance, travel insurance or even an AA membership.

Have a quick check to make sure you don’t already receive these perks elsewhere to make sure you’re not paying twice.

Also take note of any excess charges there are on the policy and how much you would have to pay if you had to make a claim.

Generally ,he lower the excess, the higher the premium, so do your sums and work out what you could realistically afford should the worst come to the worst and you need to make a claim.

Increasing the cost of the excess by even as little as £50 – £60 could have a significant difference in the cost of your overall premium.

Haggle!

Something as Brits we almost feel embarrassed to do (I’m not one of them).

If you have called to receive your quote, the salesperson on the end of that phone will be carrying an income target and in some cases a policy target too.

Call towards the end of the month when the likelihood is the salesperson is closer to their target and could be more inclined to boost their policy target by taking a dip on their income.

I know from my own experience that a lot of insurance salespeople will sell their policies at a loss once their income target is complete and it’s just policies they need!

The post Why you should never let your insurer auto renew your car insurance policy appeared first on ClearDebt.

By adminManaging Your Money

Blue Monday: The ultimate financial hangover

It’s been given the title of most depressing day of the year. It even has its own formula to prove it.

Most of us will be feeling a little heavier, our pockets feel a bit lighter and our New Year’s Resolutions are already a distant memory. It is these factors that create the perfect mood storm.  Yes, Blue Monday is here to suck the festive cheer back out of us until next Christmas.

What is Blue Monday?

Blue Monday has been calculated using a not so scientific mathematical formula. Originally invented by a PR company, it is now as traditional an event as New Year’s Eve.

When is Blue Monday

Contrary to popular belief, Blue Monday does not always fall on the third Monday of January, it can also fall on the second, fourth and even the last Monday in January.

The first one was January 24 2005.

How can I survive Blue Monday?

First of all, STOP thinking of it as Blue Monday!

It’s just another day and, in my humble opinion, a little bit disrespectful to people who suffer with anxiety and depression all year around. The term Blue Monday needs to sling its hook!

OK, rant over, so let’s look at what you can do to survive January when money is at its tightest.

A study by uSwitch found that 52% of us will still be paying off Christmas 2016 as the tree and decorations go up ready for 2017.

If that’s you, it’s time to make a few adjustments to your finances to stop it from happening, unless you want to rob Peter to pay Paul forever more. I know you don’t, so keep reading and I’ll show you how to turn it around.

Make a budget

For the record, a budget is not there to transform you into a miserly, tight-fisted skinflint. A well thought out budget simply tells your money where to go before your feelings do.

If you have no control of where your money is going, it should hardly be a surprise when you go to the ATM one day and there is nothing left. A budget is not just for January, but it is the perfect month to start when money is in short supply.

Start by working out all your priority bills, rent/mortgage, council tax, gas, electric, TV license, Child Maintenance, etc.

I don’t care how much you love Sky TV or your iPhone 7, they’re not a priority debt and shouldn’t be treated as such.

This is where people go horribly wrong.

There is nothing left after my priority debts have been paid

If there is absolutely nothing left after you have paid all your priority debts, or worse still, you didn’t have enough to cover them in the first place, you have a problem.

Let me rephrase that, you have a massive problem, and no amount of budgeting is going to ease the pressure.

In this instance, you need help in the form of ethical, impartial debt advice. Advice you’re only going to get from a trained debt adviser, so give us a call.

Alternatively, you can speak to a free service such as Money Advice Service, but make sure you speak to someone ASAP.

I can just about pay my other bills

Great! Where some might despair in this situation, I see hope.

Why? Because if you can cover all those other bills you have, there is room for you to cut down somewhere. I’m not here to give you easy answers, sometimes it’s a dose of reality that’s needed, and January is one of those occasions.

If your TV package comes to £100 a month and you’re struggling to get from one end of the month to the other, something has got to give. How many of those channels do you realistically watch? Work out just how much use you’re getting from it and if you can cut it down then do so. Just halving that would free up £600 a year.

In the study conducted by uSwitch, it found that nine in ten would be using credit to get through January, carrying an average debt of £636 − I rest my case!

If your phone contract is coming up for renewal, take a sim only deal for a while. An average mobile contract of £55 a month can easily be reduced to around £20. Do that for a year and you’ve skimmed another £420 a year off your outgoings.

Using this example, not only could you have paid your card off in full, you are also well on your way to paying next Christmas in cash. Hold onto your hats, I’ve only scratched the surface.

Change your spending habits

The time for brand snobbery is over!

If you really have nothing left after you’ve paid your bills, you’re in no position to preach the virtues of Bisto gravy if Aldi’s Quixo is half the price.

Don’t try too much too soon or you’ll just slip back into old habits. Swap a couple of your higher priced, better known brands for a cheaper, lesser known alternative. If you’re worried you’ll end up with a pile rubbish, head over to Which? and see which products they rate the highest.

I was once the biggest brand snob of all time until I gave some of Aldi’s products a go. You’ll be no less impressed than I was, I guarantee it.

Shop using price-per-unit

“What the heck is price-per-unit?” I hear you ask!

It’s done by:

  • Working out the price of 100 units in all measurements (grams, litres, millilitres, etc.)
  • Total price – divided by total weight – multiplied by 100

For example, £2.50 – divided by 750g – multiplied by 100 = 33.3p per 100g.

I’m no Carol Vorderman and I’m sure the thought of running around a supermarket trying to work that out has made your blood run cold. Well, don’t worry because someone has done all the work for you.

Head over to mysupermarket.co.uk, choose which supermarket you shop at and search for your items. You’ll quickly discover the BOGOF, 50% extra or multi-pack deal you saw were not fantastic bargains after all.

Don’t be fooled by the Jedi mind tricks of the retailer. These guys have been studying us since the first supermarket hit the UK in 1948, from music to where things are placed, they are delving deep into the psyche of the shopper to make you spend more.

Shopping by price-per-unit will save you around 30% on your shopping bill. If you’re spending £100 per week, that’s £1,560 saved over a whole year!

Plan meals

Making a meal plan allows you to operate your kitchen like a head chef. A top chef wastes very little and you can too with a bit of planning. Meal planning saves you time, as well as saving you money.

Try to buy ingredients that can be used in a few different meals to eliminate waste. If you don’t want to do that, make sure you only buy what you need. If you only need 3 carrots for your meal and you’re not cooking anything else with them that week, don’t buy a bag only for three quarters of them to go off.

Use leftovers for lunches the next day where possible and batch cook some easy meals to lift out of the freezer at your own convenience. The freezer is your friend, make full use of it.

If you have odd bits of veg left over, throw them into a nice homemade soup. It’ll taste far better than anything you get out of a tin and you have maximised every penny in your shopping budget.

The average UK household throws away £470 worth of edible food annually. That rises to £700 for a family with children, or the equivalent of £60 per month. Thinking smarter in the kitchen will save you a fortune over the course of a year and all habits, good or bad, are hard to shake once instilled.

Give up on Lotto

The chances of winning are next to none, yet the average Brit spends a fairly hefty £416 per year playing Lotto.

Seriously? If you’ve got debt that needs clearing, your money is far better off spent tackling it in small chunks than holding out for a Lotto win. If you’ve walked into the new year with a £600+ credit card bill, that money could be paying it off and getting you back in the black.

Stop buying lunch

I’m not suggesting you go hungry, even I wouldn’t take money saving to such extremes. However, buying lunch at work really adds up over the course of the year, especially when you consider how cost effective it is to do it at home.

Using a combination of leftovers and making other lunches yourself will save you a packet. Time is usually the biggest factor when it comes to making our own, so get into the habit of preparing them the night before.

If you’re already meal planning, or you start to, it will save you the necessary time you need to make lunches too. When you consider the average Brit spends around £860 a year on lunches at work, it’s a no brainer really.

Stay out of the coffee shop

My biggest vice by far! If you have bills that need paying, spending money on takeaway coffee/tea has got to go. Let’s face it, they don’t come cheap, even in the privately-owned establishments.

The average Brit spends around £487 a year on takeaway coffee/tea. You could buy several good coffee machines for that. However, with bills outstanding it’s yet more money that you could be using towards your debt.

Final word

If you fit into every example above, you could cut £5,043 from your spending. But, even if you only fit a few, I bet there’s around £800 – £1,000 you could skim easily.

Routines become habits. This year, instead of making resolutions that never see the end of the first month, try changing routines and forming better financial habits.

If taking them all on at once is too much too soon, break the habits you want to instill this year down into achievable chunks over the year until you have ticked them all off your list.

The post Blue Monday: The ultimate financial hangover appeared first on ClearDebt.

By adminDepression and debt

Christmas Opening Hours

Here are our opening hours over Christmas and New Year. Normal opening hours and services will resume from Tuesday 3 January.

Date Opening Hours
Friday 23rd December 9am – 1pm
Monday 26th December CLOSED
Tuesday 27th December CLOSED
Wednesday 28th December 10am-6.30pm
Thursday 29th December 10am-6.30pm
Friday 30th December 9am-1pm
Monday 2nd January CLOSED

We want to take this opportunity to wish you well over the festive season and look forward to working with you in 2017.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The post Christmas Opening Hours appeared first on ClearDebt.

By adminChristmas, Inside ClearDebt

Why you should stop stressing about Christmas dinner

You’re probably already feeling the pressure of cooking the perfect Christmas dinner, seen the proposed feast from your friends on social media, because THIS year will be the best Christmas dinner EVER, blah blah blah, yada yada yada.

First of all, it’s just a roast dinner with crackers! Nothing more, nothing less, and something we do all the time, so take a deep breath and relax, you’ve got this!

OK, now we’ve got that out of the way let’s get down to the business of making this as cost-effective and stress free as possible − it’s what I’m here for after all.

Start planning your Christmas dinner now

Research by Unilever revealed 4.2 million Christmas dinners were wasted and chucked in the bin last year. That’s the equivalent of 263,000 turkeys, 7.5 million mince pies, 740,000 slices of Christmas pud, 17.2 million Brussels sprouts, 11.9 million carrots and 11.3 million roast potatoes.

Either we weren’t very hungry on the big day last year, or we bought way too much and were incredibly wasteful − I’ll let you be the judge of that, however as I write this I have my grandma’s voice in my head…

Your eyes are too big for your belly David!

Want to cut down on that cost and waste? It’s simple, plan it out and only buy what you need. Just because this particular dinner has the word Christmas in front of it, it doesn’t mean we all have to lose our heads and attempt to eat a week’s worth of food in one sitting does it?

Keeping up with the Jones’s is so 1990s.

Choose what to eat

Don’t be blinded by tradition. If barely anyone eats mince pies or Christmas pudding, then be a rebel and scrap it from the list.

Do you force yourself to eat something you don’t particularly like on any other day of the year?

Would you buy a full cake for one person on any other day, or would you make sure you picked up something loved by all? Christmas peer pressure is the worst − don’t give into it.

If you’re stuck for ideas, Google is your friend. Have a gander at the BBC Good Food page, you’ll find everything you need to inspire you.

Plus, you won’t have to sell your soul to the devil to afford it all.

Make a shopping plan

Once you know what you want to eat go and grab the shopping. Remember, a lot of those offers you will see, BOGOFs and the like, might not be necessarily be that great a deal.

Retailers aren’t stupid, they want our money and offers are usually to benefit their pocket, not ours.

Shopping using the price-per-unit method ensures you get the most bang for your buck.

Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Anybody going out for Christmas dinner this year will be eating meat that was cooked the day before − FACT!

On that basis, don’t be pressured into doing it all on the same day. If it’s good enough for paying customers, it’s good enough for the family.

Get as much of it done the day before as you possibly can to alleviate some of the stress on the big day.

Don’t bin leftovers

There is always going to be something left over. Rather than throwing it into the bin, store it properly and use it the next day. Think turkey butties, turkey curry and turkey casserole.

Good food belongs in our bellies not in our bins!

Enjoy!

The most important part of this guide. On behalf of everyone at ClearDebt may we wish you a very merry Christmas and we hope you have a fantastic new year!

The post Why you should stop stressing about Christmas dinner appeared first on ClearDebt.

By adminChristmas

What is Bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy is a formal insolvency process. You may still need to make payments for a period of 3 years and all of your assets (e.g. your property) will be included in the Bankruptcy. You can choose to request your own Bankruptcy or a creditor can petition the Court to make you Bankrupt if you have not paid them the money you owe them.

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