I’m an expert and here’s how you can get £1,100 back in refunds and compensation when things go wrong
IF your holiday's been cancelled, your banking app goes down, or you've got no power, you shouldn't be left out of pocket - and you could even get over £1,100 back in refunds and compensation.
Families can get hundreds of pounds back if they run into problems with trains, planes, banks and utilities services, money expert Sarah Coles said.
Ms Coles, a senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said applying for cash back doesn't have to involve "reams of backbreaking paperwork".
Some refunds can take just a matter of minutes to apply for.
And following her tips could get you up to £1,114 in refunds and compensation.
Ms Coles has decades of experience dishing out personal finance guidance, and her advice will come in handy as families battle against a cost of living crisis.
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Millions saw their energy bills DOUBLE to an average of £1,971 from April 1 when the new price cap - which limits how much suppliers can charge customers for energy - rolled out.
And the price of fuel, food and transport too is increasing as inflation soars.
Wages are failing to keep pace with rising prices too, and workers have seen a 1% pay cut in real terms according to latest figures.
While the cost of living crisis continues, The Sun's Squeeze Team is here to help offer advice and guidance from experts to help you protect your finances as best you can.
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If you’re worried about making ends meet, are struggling to pay off your debts or don’t know how best to manage your cash, get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Here's how to make sure you're never left out of pocket when things go wrong, and how much money you could get back.
Trains - £171
If your train is delayed or cancelled, the Delay Repay scheme means you could get your money back.
The scheme is nationwide and covers all train companies - and how much you get back depends on how long the delay is and the type of ticket you have.
Compensation ranges from 25% of the ticket price right up to 100%.
You’ll get a full refund if your train was delayed by 120 minutes or longer.
How you claim the money back will vary depending on which train company you are getting your cash back from, but you can usually apply online.
You'll usually need a picture of your ticket and information about the train you were on to claim.
"If you have a season ticket, or you’re buying an advance ticket, you may even be able to set up automatic delay repay, so you get any compensation automatically each time you’re delayed," Ms Coles said.
"The amount of cash you get back will depend on the type of ticket, the amount you paid for it, and how delayed you are."
If, for example, you had a single ticket from Manchester to London and were delayed for an hour you’d get a full refund – which, if you travelled at rush hour, could be worth £171.
Planes - up to £520
Families have been hit by travel chaos recently, with airlines cancelling hundreds of flights in recent days due to staff shortages caused by Covid.
While British Airways has left hundreds of customers without a flight to board after an IT issue has caused huge disruption to holiday plans.
But you are entitled to a full refund, to be put on the next possible flight, or to fly at an agreed date if your flight is cancelled.
That's because passengers flying from a EU airport (with an EU or non-EU airline) are protected by the Denied Boarding regulations.
But your airline doesn't have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond its control - like extreme weather.
You also won't be able to claim compensation for flights which are cancelled and then rerouted, that get you to your destination no more than two hours later than planned.
"The easiest way to complain is through the airline’s website, so search for the name of the airline and the word ‘compensation’, and it should take you to the online form," Ms Coles said.
"The amount you can claim depends on how long the flight was and how delayed you are, but compensation kicks in once you have been delayed for three hours (based on the arrival time). You’ll get between £220 and £520."
Banks - £100 or more
Banks can often suffer from technical difficulties and glitches.
Most recently, HSBC, Halifax and Lloyds Bank customers have been left unable to log onto their accounts to view their cash and make payments because of technical problems.
Nationwide customers were left unable to pay bills and reported missing wages after the bank ran into a series of issues recently.
There's no official scheme that forces banks to give out compensation, but if outages are serious enough and leave customers short, the bank may decide to give you compensation.
"This includes interest and charges on any bills that were missed, or payments that didn’t go through," Ms Coles said.
"You’ll need to keep a record of these costs and any proof."
She estimated that you could get a payment of £100 or more, depending on how badly you were affected by the crash.
Utilities - £353
You can get money back on certain bills if you suffer from service issues.
Ms Coles said you could get at least £353 by applying for refunds and compensation for the following cases:
Broadband
You could get a minimum of £48.29 if you run up against the following issues with your broadband provider, Ms Coles said:
- If your service drops and is not fully fixed in two full working days, you'll get £8.40 for each day it is not repaired - which is at least £16.80.
- Engineers miss appointment - £26.24 per appointment
- Delays to new service starting - £5.25 per missed day
Water
You could get at least £65 if your water company doesn't provide these services:
- If your supply is interrupted - £20, and £10 for every 24 hours after that
- Water pressure is too low - £25
- Engineers missed appointment - £20
Electricity
If the power goes out, then you could get the following compensation, which all together is worth a minimum of £220:
- If it's good weather, you can get £75 if it's off for 24 hours, and £35 for each additional 12 hours, capped at £300
- If it's bad weather - it depends on how extreme the conditions are, but you could get £70 if the power is off for 24 hours, after which you'll get £70 for each additional 12 hours capped at £700
- If you're cut off more than four times a year for three hours each time, you'll get £75
Gas
If your network operator doesn't give you five days notice before carrying out any planned work, you could claim £20 for your supply being turned off.
You may be able to get more if the supply is off for more than 24 hours, but this will vary and you should ask your provider for more details.
These aren't the only things you can get compensation for.
You can take legal action against your landlord under the Fitness for Human Habitation Act if you have a mouldy home - and get compensation.
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