BILL SLASHER
Thousands ‘have huge success’ slashing monthly household bills with Martin Lewis’ ‘check & challenge’ & ‘bedrooms’ rule
The simple checks cost nothing but a bit of research
THOUSANDS claim to have slashed their monthly household bills using Martin Lewis' "check and challenge" and "bedrooms" rules.
The Money Saving Expert said there are a number of ways to save money on your bills.
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Martin Lewis told viewers that English councils will be allowed to raise council tax by up to 5 per cent this April.
This could be up to £100 more per year on Band D for residents despite the cost-of-living crisis.
But the Money Saving Expert says there is one way to help with the hike in fees.
Speaking on his ITV show tonight, Lewis urged viewers to do his Council Tax band "check and challenge" - as there has been "huge success" among Brits who saved thousands.
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He said that more than 400,000 people are in the wrong council tax bands.
Look up your postcode on the government's online band checker to see which bracket you should be in.
If you are in a higher band than your neighbours, your next step should be to check how much your house was worth in 1991.
This might seem a strange thing to look up, but the government uses this information to decide which band you should be in.
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Be careful - challenging your council without doing this check might get your neighbours' bills raised without lowering yours.
But if both the online tool and the valuation check suggest you are paying too much council tax, ring up your local authority.
If it turns out you have been paying too much, you will get a back-dated payout.
Martin also said there was a way to save some money on your water bills.
He noted that water bills and meters were rising an average of 6 per cent in England and Wales with some even seeing a 20 per cent hike.
The Money Saving Expert said: "You need to check if you should be on a water meter."
Martin said that if you have more bedrooms than people, or the same number, you should consider getting a water meter to "cut down your bill".
Martin said you can also use the CCWater calculator to check how much a meter could save you.
One happy viewer said they had saved £714 per year after volunteering for a water meter.
If a meter doesn't work out for you, some firms will let you switch back within two years - but check to make sure.
Sometimes you will be told that fitting a water meter is not practical for your property.
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Should this happen, ask for an "assessed charge" revealing what your bill would be if one had been fitted.
If the assessed charge is lower than your current bill, switch over to it - and if it isn't, then don't.
How to cut down on household bills
Council Tax
People on low incomes or benefits such as Universal Credit may be able to get a discount on their council tax.
This can vary between councils, but you could be exempt from paying any council tax at all.
The schemes are means-tested, and will usually depend on your income and any children or adults living with you.
Single adults living in a property can get a 25% discount on their bill.
This is for people of all incomes and applies if they are the only adult living in the property.
The discount also applies if they live with a young person aged under 18, or someone aged 18 or 19 in full-time education.
A reduction could also be applied if there is a disabled person living in the property.
Water Bills
The average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales will rise by 6% or about £27 to £473 a year from April 1.
This is an average rise of £71 a year.
Moving to a water meter could help some save some extra cash.
One mum more than halved her water bill after getting a meter – saving over £200 a year.
Obviously, if you do use a lot of water then it makes no sense to have a meter as your bills could go UP.
The Consumer Council for Water offers a free water meter calculator that'll tell you if you can save by fitting a water meter.
According to Uswitch you could cut £70 from your energy bills and reduce your water bills too by reducing your wash time.
And leaving the water running while you brush your teeth could add £60 a year to your bills says Octopus.
Broadband and mobile
Switching contracts when yours is up is the single best way to save money on your telecom bills.
In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with what deals are available.
Sites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, speed and provider.
However, if you do not want to switch and are happy with the service you're getting under your current provider - haggle for a better deal.
You could save up to £210 a year on your bills by haggling alone.
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