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The lives of almost all of us are now becoming more and more expensive, and the rising cost of living is a concern for families across the country.

The cost of living has soared at the fastest rate in the past 10 years, and the inflation rate—the rate at which prices are rising—reached 4.2% in the year to October.

As interest rates may rise sooner and set records for fuel and energy prices, which team? Experts answered 17 key questions on how to cut household expenses this winter.

You can scroll down to read the full text, or use these links to jump directly to the part that interests you most:

In recent weeks, there have been many reports of rising energy prices, supplier failures, and consumers having fewer options for tariffs. Here, Chief Energy Researcher Sarah Ingrams, Senior Sustainability Researcher Karen Lawrence, and Senior Electrical Researchers Jane Darling and Aaron West answer some of your most frequently asked questions.

Usually we would advise everyone to compare prices and switch energy suppliers or tariffs to get the best deal. But now is not a normal time, and for many people, switching is definitely not the right idea. Due to the increase in the price ceiling on October 1, suppliers did not sell cheap goods, and many of us are facing price increases.

However, it is still important to carefully review your current transactions, and what you should do depends on your situation. If you are doing low-priced fixed-term transactions, please don't give up prematurely. You are unlikely to find such a cheap thing.

If you use a recognized or default tariff (for example, if your supplier closes, or you haven't switched for a period of time), then you may be required to pay the maximum amount allowed by the price cap. This gives you some protection-Ofgem changes the level every six months (next time in April 2022)-but it may be much more expensive than your old deal. Regular transactions will provide you with price protection, but you may have to pay a premium for this.

If you switch to higher-priced transactions, you will usually see an increase in direct debit payments (for example, if your fixed tariff ends and you automatically switch to an out-of-contract price cap tariff, or your energy company goes bankrupt). If your supply The merchant notices that your energy use has increased, and your payment may also increase.

If you don’t understand why your direct debit payment will increase, please ask your supplier to explain. If you disagree (for example, if you think your current payment will cover your increased usage or higher rates of the new tariff), then you can ask your payment to stay the same.

If you can't pay higher energy bills, you can ask for help. Contact your supplier first.

Central heating is usually the most cost-effective way to heat your home, but make sure it works efficiently, and use timers, room thermostats, and thermostatic radiator valves (TRV) to control which rooms and when they are heated.

Set your thermostat to the lowest temperature that is most comfortable: lowering the temperature by 1°C will save you between 80 and 85 pounds per year.

If your central heating system does not have a separate room control, and you only need to heat one room, then a portable heater may be cost-effective. Convection heaters, including oil-filled and oil-free radiators, are most suitable for heating a room for several hours or longer, while fans or halogen heaters are more suitable for short hot air to quickly heat you. Choose a heater with a suitable thermostat and timer to avoid overheating and save money.

Electric ovens, whether they are part of the cooking utensils or built-in ovens, are more energy-efficient than gas ovens. Similarly, induction cookers are the most effective because they only supply heat to the pot, not to the kitchen; electric ceramic stoves rank second, while gas ranks third.

However, it is worth noting that since gas is cheaper than electricity, if you cook with gas, your electricity bill will be lower.

Using a slow cooker is a wise choice. Although it may last for several hours, it requires less energy to heat a small space than cooking similar foods in the oven. Microwave ovens can cook food quickly, so it is another option to reduce cooking costs.

Absolutely. Efficient appliances can help you avoid unexpected bills after purchase-check out our free "how to buy the best" guide (including how to buy the best tumble dryer and how to buy the best refrigerator), which contains the columns The cost of running popular models in searchable tables.

All our energy cost data comes from our independent laboratory testing, and each device we reviewed has been tested in actual scenarios to measure how much energy it uses. We found that there is a big difference between the seemingly identical A-level machines, and even the B-level and C-level machines. By taking this into account when buying a new appliance, you can save hundreds of pounds a year, and even more over the life of the appliance.

Although some energy efficiency upgrades require professional installation, there are other quick and cost-effective DIY methods to insulate your home. Our top five recommendations are:

Chief telecommunications researcher Yvette Fletcher and financial editor Sam Richardson gave suggestions on how to save bills.

If your contract expires, it's worth exploring-this is not only a money-saving opportunity, it also means faster connections.

If you still have standard broadband (also known as ADSL), switching is an opportunity to upgrade to fiber. The cost of fiber-optic broadband may be the same as standard broadband-or even lower-and more reliable.

In addition, based on our research, switching to a cheaper provider can save you up to £143 per year.

It is worth paying attention to your data usage to ensure that you get the most suitable mobile phone discount for you. It is becoming more and more common for providers to provide high or even unlimited data quotas, but the average British consumer only uses 4.5GB per month.

However, processing transactions with high data limits is not always more expensive, so this may not be an important factor in your choice of provider. which one? Switch Mobile allows you to set a minimum data limit and then compare transactions by price-you can use it to check whether the amount you are currently paying is reasonable, and if you want to switch, you can find a new provider.

If you are satisfied with your provider, you may be reluctant to leave in order to get a better deal. Negotiating with your provider means you can stick to the current transaction and reduce payments.

Bargaining may sound more daunting than it actually is; it’s not like randomly asking for discounts in supermarkets or high street stores—broadband providers expect customers to do this and invite them to do so. If you don’t like long calls, most providers allow you to make calls via email or live chat.

As your contract renewal approaches, please use the comparison site to see if you can get a cheaper offer than the one offered by the current insurance company. If you can, ask your insurance company if they can match or beat the best offer.

Even if you are not close to the renewal date, it is worth checking the early conversion services that your insurance company's competitors are willing to provide you. If the difference between a competitor’s offer and the price you are currently paying is greater than the cost of early cancellation (the cancellation fee is usually around £50), then doing so may be a way to save money.

It is usually cheaper to pay for insurance annually than monthly.

Check your cover level and remove any optional additional features you don’t need. Likewise, increasing your voluntary excess will lower your premiums, but please make sure you are able to pay in the event of a claim.

Young and inexperienced drivers tend to pay the most for car insurance. Adding more experienced "designated drivers" to your insurance policy can reduce premiums because their lower risk will be taken into account.

You can also consider a black box strategy. These use GPS devices or smartphone apps to track your driving style, which means that insurance companies can provide you with more tailored prices.

Senior financial and shopping editor Ele Clark, which one? Gardening editor Ceri Thomas and who? Calculation editor Kate Bevan helps you solve food and shopping problems.

You won’t be surprised to know that prices in different supermarkets vary greatly. Every month we compare the largest grocery stores in the UK to find the cheapest supermarket shopping.

Discount stores Aldi and Lidl are undoubtedly the cheapest, but if you prefer the range of larger stores and the convenience of online delivery, Asda is your best choice-it is the cheapest "Big Four" in the past two years supermarket.

No matter where you shop, you can also develop some savvy habits: always use the shopping list and avoid picking up things you don’t really need (this also helps avoid shopping when you’re hungry); double check the "special "Offers" to check if they really save you money; and consider switching from big brands to private label products. Buying less meat and fish also means cheaper food bills.

Even if you don’t have a garden, you can use flower pots and window frames to grow fruits and vegetables. You can grow herbs on the windowsill, or consider renting a piece of land in your local area.

March is the beginning of the growing season, but winter is a good time to check out our Best Buy variety of vegetables and fruits and place an order with one of our best seed and plant suppliers.

The answer to this is "it depends." There is a strong market for used and refurbished laptops, but there are some caveats. Refurbished Windows laptops are great value for money, but if you want to update to Windows 11, you need to make sure it is compatible (Windows 10 is only supported until October 2025). Our Windows 11 compatibility checker can help. If you are interested in a Chromebook, please check the device’s update policy on the Google website to see how long it will continue to receive important updates.

The support life of Apple Macs is also limited: as soon as the latest version of macOS they can use is no longer updated, Apple will stop supporting them. Second-hand Macs are more expensive because they hold their value, but when people want to upgrade, it's worth looking for a Mac that can be used for a year or two.

The second-hand mobile phone market has similar warnings. The iPhone’s support life is very long, but please make sure it’s a newer device. The updated Samsung flagship product is now supported for four years, as does OnePlus, but the cheaper model is not. Google now provides five years of support for its new Pixels (6 and 6Pro), but for older Pixels, it supports up to three years. Generally speaking, if you are considering buying a second-hand Android device, please be extra careful and use our phone support tool to check how long a model is left.

When it comes to tablets, the iPad will be updated in five or six years. Other brands are very different. Some Lenovo and Huawei tablets have been used for a little more than two years, and Amazon Fire devices have been used for more than five years. Use our tablet support tool to search for the model you are interested in.

If you buy from a manufacturer or a trusted retailer, refurbished TVs are not a bad idea: Amazon Outlet and Appliances Direct both have refurbished TVs. Panasonic also has its own eBay outlet. Be careful to buy from private sellers on eBay, although if the TV has problems that are not described in the list, you can request a refund according to eBay’s terms of service.

Use up any outstanding gift cards as soon as possible, as retailers are legally allowed to refuse these gift cards after management. If your gift certificate is rejected, please file a claim with the administrator in writing-you should be able to find out who they are on the retailer's website, and you can use our template letter to request a refund of the gift certificate from a bankrupt company.

If you need to return an item, there is no guarantee that you will get your money back-but it is worth writing to the administrator (as soon as possible) to ask for it.

For defective goods, if the company is managing but still trading, you may be able to get a replacement or refund through normal methods. If the company does not conduct a transaction, you need to file a claim with the administrator. If this is a guarantee provided by a third party or the manufacturer, you can also try to apply for an extended warranty.

If you pay by credit card, you can file a claim for unneeded or defective goods under Article 75 of the Consumer Credit Law. If you pay with a debit card, you can try to apply for a refund to your bank.

Senior automotive researcher Daljinder Nagra shared his suggestions.

No matter what car you own, driving as smoothly as possible and maintaining power will improve your overall fuel economy. Pay attention to the road ahead and slow down the braking speed, because braking wastes the energy used to accelerate the car.

If you are driving a manual transmission car, please change gears as soon as possible and do not strain the engine. Newer cars usually have an indicator on the dashboard that shows the most effective shift time. Many self-driving cars are also equipped with an "eco" driving mode, which changes when the gearbox shifts to minimize fuel consumption.

On cold days, it is best to drive gently and immediately, rather than let it warm up. Modern engines heat up very quickly, so not only will it heat up faster-reducing the likelihood of engine wear-you can also use less fuel.

Air conditioning and heated seats are big power consumers, and regular use will have a small but significant impact on your gas bill-so it’s best to use them only when necessary.

Senior author Danielle Richardson and currency editor Reena Sewraz explain your choices.

If you are struggling to pay the council tax bill, please contact your local council as soon as possible. You can spread the payment over 12 months instead of 10 months, or if you still cannot pay the balance, you may get a one-time discount.

If you are a low-income person, live alone or live with someone who does not pay municipal taxes or receive benefits, you may be eligible for municipal tax relief-but it depends on whether you meet the eligibility criteria of the local government, so please contact them To learn more.

If you are 74 or older and you or your partner receive a pension credit, you can also apply for a free TV license. This used to be free for all people over the age of 75, but now it is only granted to those who claim this benefit.

If you apply for Universal Credit and find that your payment is not enough to cover your household bill, you may be eligible for a range of plans-but their availability may depend on where you live and your circumstances. For example, cold weather payments and WaterSure bill caps can help reduce your monthly bills.

No matter what type of billing you are worried about, the first step is to talk to your provider-the sooner they know, the sooner they can make a plan with you.

First, check if you have a free overdraft. Providers that do not provide this service usually charge dizzying APRs of up to 40%, so switch accounts if needed.

If you have a good credit history and are confident that you can settle your balance in full at the end of the month, you can do this by purchasing a 0% credit card. These transactions currently provide interest-free consumption for up to 23 months. Most providers will provide a "soft search" before you apply for a transaction, so that you can see your chances of being accepted and the types of offers you might receive without compromising your credit score.

Or, if you need a cash loan of less than £3,000, a 0% remittance credit card may be more effective than a traditional loan (small loans usually have high interest rates). These transactions allow you to transfer money from your credit card to your bank account at a one-time fee (usually 4%).

Remember, with a credit card, you need to pay at least the minimum monthly payment, which is usually a percentage of your outstanding debt. The lack of a minimum payment will be recorded in your credit report, which may reduce your credit score.

If you need to borrow more money, a cheap personal loan may be a better choice. Likewise, you need a good credit history to get the best interest rate. You should also remember that you must make a fixed monthly repayment, and the credit limit is not recurring like a credit card-so you will not be able to reinvest and spend the repaid money.

A loan of £10,000 at an annual interest rate of 2.8% (the best interest rate at the time of publication) within five years will cost you £178.64 per month, and you will have to repay a total of £10,718.40.

This story was originally published on October 26. It was updated on October 28 and includes recommendations on energy-efficient cooking methods.

Category: Money, Money Saving Tips

Tagged as: Broadband Credit Card Energy Bill Food Shopping Insulation Insurance Sustainability