What Mobile Phone Plan is Best?

Knowing how to compare mobile phone tariffs can be a tricky business. It’s tough enough trying to choose the best mobile phone from all the gleaming shop displays.

Here are a few tips that should make it easier to find and compare cheap mobile phone deals..

Pay-as-you-go vs pay-monthly

There are three main ways of paying for your mobile phone use:

• Pay-as-you-go (PAYG)
• Pay-monthly contract
• Sim-only contract

The best option for you will depend on how much you use your mobile for calls, texts and internet browsing, and how often you want to upgrade to a new handset.

To get an idea of which mobile providers offer the best value for money check out our ‘best mobile networks’ page, which includes the results of our customer satisfaction survey on mobile operators.

You can also take a look at our mobile phone reviews for expert help on choosing the best mobile handset. We put hundreds of mobiles through our tough lab tests to help you narrow down your options.

Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) mobile tariffs

With a PAYG tariff there’s no fixed monthly fee and you don’t have to sign up to a direct debit agreement.

Instead, you pay for your mobile phone use by ‘topping up’ your mobile credit in advance. You can usually get top-up vouchers in a range of high street stores, and many PAYG mobile providers let you top up online or by phone or text. Once you’ve used up all your credit, you won’t be able to make outgoing calls or texts until you top up again.

PAYG pros

• You only pay for the call minutes/texts you use. There’s no monthly contract fee to pay.
• You can only use your phone when there’s credit on it, limiting the risk of running up unexpectedly high bills.
• It’s suited to light users (less than 50 minutes of calls and 50 texts a month, say) and those under 18, as you don’t have to sign up to a mobile contract.
• No credit check.
• No contract so you can terminate your PAYG deal whenever you want to without penalty.
• Watch out for terms and conditions that fix your mobile handset to a particular mobile network unless you pay a fee to unlock it.

PAYG cons

• You’ll probably have to pay full price for a handset up front.
• Less mobile models to choose from.
• Some operators require a minimum PAYG mobile top-up to qualify for certain incentives (such as free weekend calls).
• Calls per minute and texts may cost more than pay monthly customers.
• You must top up every time your credit runs out.

PAYG credit warning

If you don’t use your PAYG mobile for a long period, your provider may assume it’s no longer in use and deactivate the number. If this happens you could lose any credit that’s on the phone.

If you have a PAYG mobile for emergencies only, we recommend making a quick call on it at least once every three months so the provider knows your phone is active.

Pay-monthly mobile contracts

With a traditional mobile contract, you pay a fixed minimum monthly fee by direct debit and get a free or subsidised mobile phone as well as a fixed number of inclusive call minutes and texts. You’ll have to commit to a 12, 18 or 24-month contract.

When you’re tying yourself in to a long mobile contract, it’s crucial that you pick a mobile operator that will deliver top-notch customer service.

Pay-monthly pros

• Customers get a wide choice of free or subsidised mobile phone handsets.
• Some of the latest handsets are available.
• Monthly fees include a fixed amount of call minutes, texts and internet usage. If you stay within your usage cap, you’ll never pay more than your minimum monthly fee.
• You’ll never be left without a mobile phone service because your credit has run out.

Pay monthly cons

• You must agree to a minimum 12, 18 or 24-month contract, which involves signing a direct debit form.
• If you want to cancel early you may be charged a lump sum to cover all of the monthly payments for the remainder of your contract.
• Your minimum payment is fixed, whether or not you use all your mobile call minutes/texts.
• If you exceed your usage cap, you’ll have to pay extra for each additional minute or text.
• Calls to some numbers ? such as international calls or calls to 0800 or 0870 numbers ? won’t be part of your inclusive minutes and will be billed on top of your minimum monthly fee.
• If you have a poor credit rating, you may have problems getting accepted for a contract, particularly if you want a high-spec handset such as the iPhone.

Sim-only mobile contracts

With a Sim-only deal you get a new mobile Sim card but not a handset. Sim-only contracts, such as O2′s Simplicity, usually tie you in for only 30 days at a time. Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone also offer Sim-only contracts.

Even if you want a new mobile handset, you might still be better off with Sim-only. When we compared a range of Sim-only mobile tariffs with equivalent pay-monthly mobile tariffs that included a free handset, we found that the monthly savings you would make from choosing the Sim-only tariff over an 18-month period would often pay for the cost of a decent mobile handset outright.

Sim-only pros

• More flexible than lengthy mobile contracts that include a free or cheap mobile phone.
• You’ll get more mobile minutes/texts for your money than with a mobile contract that includes a handset.
• You can save up to £15 a month compared with traditional pay monthly mobile tariffs with equivalent minutes and texts.

Sim-only cons

• No free or subsidised mobile phone.
• You might have to unlock an existing mobile phone with a new mobile service provider.
• If you want a top-of-the-range mobile handset, you might be better off with a traditional contract

How change your Gas and Electricity supplier

To give you the confidence to switch your gas and electricity supplier and make it go as smoothly as possible please see below for our guide and tips.

Finding the best deal on your Gas and Electricity

• Shop around , there are many suppliers to choose from and don’t discount the new low cost providers.
• Find your last few gas and electricity bills together. Just add up the amount you have spent or work out how many units of gas and units of electricity you have used.
• Important Tip – Use a winter and a summer bills so you have a good balanced average of your energy usage.
• Check how you pay, its very important to note that monthly direct debit this is the cheapest way to pay your gas and electricity bills.
• Consider the following when changing your supplier.

• Price; if you are switching energy suppliers to save money then this is fundamental of course. You want to find for a supplier that is cheaper than your current one and if possible go for the biggest savings.
• You should also research the Customer Service Ratings for your choice of energy supplier as some UK energy suppliers have better/worse customer service ratings than others. Customer service ratings are derived from aggregating the statistics collected by Consumer Focus. http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk
• If possible try to taking a Green energy product. Most of the UK’s energy suppliers have a green energy product and some areno extra cost to their normal standard products.
• Also look at Online Accounts. Most of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers have online facilities allowing you to manage your account over the Internet , submit meter readings and get paperless billing. Phone and email contact is of course available.
• Remember that prepayment meters are the most expensive type of way to pay for your gas and electricity. If you wish to change the type of payment method you will have to have your meter physically changed in your property. In most case you will need to get your current supplier to do this before you can change.
• Tip – paying by direct debit and manage your account online are the cheapest ways to pay for your gas and electricity.

Switching your Gas and Electricity supplier

Switching your gas and electricity supplier is easy. Once you have chosen who you want to supply you the following is a guide to what to do next:

• You will need you mpan and mprn numbers. Simply explained these are the numbers the new energy supplier will need to know where to send the gas and electricity to. These can be found on your bill but our web site has the software built in to find this simply from your postal address so you do not have to worry.
• If you have chosen to pay by direct debit, your new supplier will need your bank details. If you give your bank details to us over the Internet or the phone all your details are stored securely and encrypted and only passed on to your chosen new energy supplier so they can set up your new direct debits.
• If you have chosen to manage your account online a valid email address will be needed and is one that you check regularly.

What to do after you have switched Energy Supplier

Once you have completed one of our forms to change your gas and electricity supplier there are a few simple things you can do to ensure it all goes smoothly:

• First be aware of your rights to cancel and change you mind. Under UK regulation you have 7 days to change your mind from the date of your application. This is known as the “cooling off period”.
• Once you have had confirmation of the date your new supply will start, take meter readings so you can give these to your new gas and electricity suppliers.
• Make sure you pay any outstanding gas and electricity bills. If you have overpaid during your time with your current energy supply you will get this money back. If you owe your current supplier money you will have to clear this debt to allow you to move to a new energy supplier.
• Once you have had a welcome pack from your new gas and electricity supplier write to your current gas and electricity supplier to tell them you are moving to a new gas supplier and electricity supplier.

Best Of Luck , its simple and easy to do , you can start your research by clicking on the search box below.

More than half of older people are cutting back on essentials such as heating and food, and one in 10 of the poorest pensioners have been forced into debt by the rising cost of living, according to Age Concern.

With a third of those eligible still missing out on the Governments flagship benefit Pension Credit five years since its introduction, the charity is calling for urgent government action to increase take-up.

To overcome the deeply ingrained barriers to claiming benefits, Age Concern wants the Government to introduce a new system of automatic payments as soon as possible – an idea supported by seven in 10 older people – and reform the benefits system to help the poorest pensioners cope with their escalating household bills.

The report reveals that six in 10 low income pensioners are only just getting by or are finding it difficult to manage financially. Two-thirds of pensioners are cutting back on the amount of gas and electricity they are using, 52% are buying less or poorer quality food, and 49% are planning on cutting back their heating this winter.

The Government has made some efforts to improve the take-up of Pension Credit and further positive, though limited reforms to the claiming process are about to come into effect. But the charity is warning that these are nowhere near radical enough to significantly increase take-up.

Furthermore, unless take-up dramatically improves, the decision to reduce the period for which older people can claim backdated benefits to fund these reforms will penalise the very poorest.

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: It is deeply wrong that billions of pounds in benefits cash is failing to reach the poorest pensioners at a time when thousands are feeling forced to cut back on essentials such as food and fuel.

There can be no doubt that current measures to tackle the scourge of pensioner poverty are falling pitifully short of the mark. Pension Credit has the potential to lift hundreds of thousands of pensioners out of poverty, but will remain more flagging than flagship without urgent action to reform the faltering benefits system. Introducing a system of automatic benefits it is the only effective way to reach all those who need help through these difficult financial times.

Two-thirds of Britons are planning to turn down their heating this winter in a bid to have cheaper electricity and cheaper gas bills, according to Energy Helpline.

It reveals the lengths to which UK households are prepared to go to save money on fuel bills, with 57% of those surveyed also planning to put on an extra layer of clothing in an attempt to beat the cold this winter.Despite this, the survey highlights that 98% of people are unaware they could save a lot of money a year by switching energy suppliers. This is the culmination of gas and electricity bills rising sharply in recent years. In fact, gas bills have almost trebled in the past six years.

Mark Todd, director at Energy Helpline, said: With huge bills and recession, the UK is facing a heating crisis this winter the likes of which we may not have seen since the 1930s. All the major energy companies have refused to commit to any price drops this year and 18 million homes are now set to turn down their heating as they are worried that they will not be able to afford to pay their energy bills. Thats 40 million people living in colder conditions than last year or two thirds of the population.

He went on to say that people don’t seem to understand there are other options – only one in 10 are planning to take advantage of the Government insulation assistance and only 2% realise they can save a lot of money a year in a few minutes by switching suppliers to people the Utility Warehouse. This is the state we are now in, Dickensian methods like turning down the heating can save money but they also carry with them risks of cold, flu and other ailments. Switching energy suppliers doesn’t contain the same risks of cold or flu and saves customers money.

Is it just me, or have the seasons all changed?

Winters seem to start later, and end later. Almost every year now, it’s positively summery until November – witness the current warm snap – and then freezing for five solid months until May. The sad thing is that the cold weather seems to drag on longer than ever, well into what used to be spring. So start looking now at swapping your energy provider. There are many websites like www.betterbills.net and the Utility Warehouse to check out. Most households could save something, and many could save a lot more. It only takes 10 minutes to start looking, and many web sites allow you to sign up online. The better providers have no minimum contract term, so you are able to switch again if a better deal comes along.

At the same time, extreme weather is more common, whether it’s last year’s snow that brought half the country to a halt, or the floods of 2007. So now more than ever, it’s important to prepare your house for the winter. Think of our ‘house-warming’ list here as the opposite of a spring clean: it’s a late-autumn check for small things that could become big problems. And with the weather still clement, there’s no time like the present.

• Get your boiler checked. Summer is really the best time to get a boiler serviced, but if yours hasn’t had its annual check yet, there’s no time like the present – repair costs go up like a hot-air balloon in winter.
• Check the Gas Safe Register for legally registered, safe gas engineers. As well as checking for costly problems, the engineer should make sure that your heating is working efficiently, saving you money in cold weather.
• Know what to do if a pipe bursts. Find your house’s stopcock now and check everyone in the house knows how to turn it off, in order to minimize damage if a pipe does burst. If the worst does happen and a pipe bursts, turn off the stopcock, then flush the toilets and run all the taps to drain the water tank as quickly as possible. Prevention is better than cure, though. If it’s freezing outside, leave one tap in the house dripping slightly: this can prevent a burst pipe by lowering the water pressure. Insulation, insulation, insulation.
• We all know that making sure your house is properly insulated will cut heating bills. Top up your loft insulation, and install cavity wall insulation if possible. This is a big job, and a major investment: see our tips, and call your local Energy Saving Trust office on 0800 512 012 for advice. But there are lots of smaller insulation jobs that will also help.
• Walk around the house and do a draught check, then seal gaps around windows and doors. Check if there are any holes where pipes leave the house, and fill them. Lag your boiler and pipes – an easy weekend DIY job.
• Line curtains for extra insulation. Put foil behind radiators to reflect heat back into the room.

There are more useful tips (including details of how to check whether you’re entitled to any heating grants) on how to slash your heating bills. It’s also worth shopping around for the best energy tariff. Life-saving checks. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are vital. There’s never a bad time to change the batteries and test the alarms. With winter drawing in, and heaters and fires at full blast, it’s even more important.

Sweep the chimney. If you have an open fire, now is the time to get your chimney swept! Chimney-sweeping is generally cheapest in the spring – but birds can nest in chimneys during the summer, so autumn is the best time overall. If you don’t use the chimney, block it up to conserve heat – though only do it if there’s no possibility of the fire being used, otherwise it’s dangerous. The roof over your head. When was the last time you looked at your roof? Take a pair of binoculars and do a visual check for missing or cracked roof tiles. These can let damp through in the rain, and weak tiles are bad news in winter gales. On flat roofs, check for puddles. Check your chimney pots, satellite dish and TV aerial are fixed securely, too. A quick fix now could save money later.

Stamp out damp. Make sure gutters aren’t blocked with leaves. Overflowing water can weaken brickwork and even foundations, especially in old houses. Buy gutter leaf guards and ensure pipes discharge well away from the house. Make sure window-frames aren’t damp, and seal any gaps with sealant or mortar. Wooden windowsills will benefit from a coat of wood preservative. Finally, check that drip grooves underneath windowsills aren’t blocked with moss. If you suspect you might have damp, you can get a free survey from companies like Kenwood Plc or Barker Goodwin.

Trees & garden. Trim tree branches away from the house (high winds can slam branches into windows, and leaves can block gutters). Prepare your garden for winter: get rid of weeds and clear away dead annuals. Store garden furniture so it doesn’t blow away during gales, shut (and lock) tools and barbecues away to stop them rusting, and drain the lawnmower’s motor – you won’t be needing it again for a while.

Home insurance. Check that your home insurance policy covers against damage from cold weather, floods, and frozen pipes, and any restrictions. Fences and gates may not be covered, for example. It’s possible to insure heating systems, too, though if you have a home insurance policy and a cheapish boiler, it may not be necessary. Make a house first-aid kit. Include a torch, batteries, candles and matches, insulation tape, fuses, radiator key, WD-40, screwdriver, and penknife. Also include important phone numbers, like your insurance company helpline and a 24-hour plumbers