The post Energy saving tips to help you become more energy efficient appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>However, there are lots of ways in which you can keep your energy costs down to ensure you and your family can keep warm.
Here are some handy energy saving tips to help you become more energy efficient.
What’s on this page?
Use alternatives methods to dry your clothes
Switching your traditional light bulbs to modern LED’s, not only helps you save on your energy bills they’ll last longer too.
While it can be tempting to put half a load of dirty clothes in the washing machine, it’s better to wait until you have a full basket of washing, as fewer full load washes are much more energy efficient.
The same rule applies to dishwashers, it’s more energy efficient to run a dishwasher when it’s full, according to the Energy Saving Trust, reducing dishwasher use by just one run a week could save £15 annually.
While it’s a good idea to fill up your washing machine and dishwasher, it’s best not to fill your kettle, especially if you’re only making a cuppa for yourself.
By filling your kettle to just the level you need, you could save up to a third of the energy that you’ve been using.
If you have eco settings on your washing machine, dishwasher, or boiler, using that will help heat the water more slowly and therefore uses less energy, it might take a little longer, but you’ll still get the same results.
While tumble dryers can be quick and convenient, they take a lot of energy. The Energy Saving Trust has calculated that you could save £60 a year if you don’t use one.
Instead of tumble drying, you could consider using an airer, though to avoid damp it’s best to open a window when using one. In the warmer months, if you’ve got a garden or balcony, do dry your washing outside.
Microwaves are not only quick and convenient, but they also use a lot less energy than an oven or a stove.
If you have the time, a slow cooker is also a great option as they’re one of the most energy-efficient kitchen appliances.
Using less water not only reduces your water bills, but can reduce your energy bills too, because when you use less water, you usually heat less water.
One way of saving water is by taking less showers or by cutting down on the time you spend in the shower, cutting just a minute off your shower time could save you a few pounds each month.
If you don’t like the idea of showering less, another way you can save money on water is through a water saving shower head, thankfully you can purchase an eco-shower head without breaking the bank.
Your water supplier may also have some energy saving gadgets available too, so it’s worth getting in touch.
The last thing you want when you’re warming your home, is the heat escaping and the cold getting in.
You can help prevent this by closing your curtains in the evening, this will help keep the warmth in the room – but try not to drape them over radiators. However, don’t close your curtains in the day if it’s sunny, as the natural sunlight will warm your home.
It’s also best to keep your doors shut to stop any heat from escaping.
It’s a good idea to have a walk round your home and identify any window and door draughts. Decent draught-proofing could cut 2% off energy bills on average for a typical home.
Simple methods such as sausage dog draught excluder on your doors could also help!
One of the best ways you can keep the heat in and reduce your energy bills is by insulating your home.
There are lots of different insulation options available at varying costs, Energy Saving Trust has a handy guide on the options available at https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/insulating-your-home-back-to-the-basics/
If you’re able to you could also consider updating your boiler.
New boiler models are a lot more energy efficient and could make a huge difference to your monthly bills in the long run.
An energy efficient boiler will also help your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating and could make your home more attractive if you’re considering selling.
You don’t have to spend lots to improve or keep your EPC rating high, small changes like replacing your bulbs with energy efficient LEDs or insulating your hot water cylinder with an insulation jacket will help.
For more tips on improving your homes EPC rating visit https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/tips-to-improve-the-epc-rating-of-your-home/
There are many different grants and initiatives available which could help you save money on your energy bills.
To find out which grants and initiatives you could be eligible for visit https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/
If money does become tight and you’re worried about keeping up with your mortgage payments, it’s best to get in touch with your lender to discuss your payment options as soon as possible.
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]]>The post Cost of Living Crisis scams appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>Scammers are taking advantage of people affected by the current rise in living costs, pretending to be government officials or energy companies and offering bogus rebates, grants, and other support payments.
As you can imagine, this has sadly left people who are already struggling even more worse off.
To help prevent you and your loved ones from becoming a victim of Cost-of-Living scams, we’ve put together a list of current scams that fraudsters are using and the steps you can take to avoid them.
The Government have been giving cost-of-living payments to help millions of households in the UK.
The payments are sent automatically to all who were eligible, with no application necessary.
This however didn’t stop fraudsters sending texts, pretending to be from the Government or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), asking people to apply for the payment.
Some of the people who received these scam texts also received a follow-up email asking them to call a fake number where they were asked to provide even more sensitive and financial information.
These kinds of messages are commonly known as smishing scams with scammers aiming to get as much private information out of you as possible, such as banking details or passwords.
To prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a smishing attack, it’s best not to give out private information and not to reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails unless you’re sure it’s from a genuine contact.
If you believe that you’ve been targeted by a cost-of-living payment phishing scam, you can:
Scammers are pretending to be local governments and are using a recent £150 council tax rebate to ask people to apply for the money by passing on their banking details over the phone.
These kinds of phone calls are commonly known as vishing scams. Vishing is when scammers try to trick victims into giving up sensitive information like credit card numbers, bank account details and passwords, over the phone
The rebate, however, is paid automatically to those who pay their council tax by direct debit, and most of these people should have received their payment by now.
Local councils have urged households not to give out any sensitive information and advised people if they get a call which doesn’t look genuine to hang up and call their local council directly using the contact number on their website.
It’s not just governments, scammers are also pretending to be the energy regulator Ofgem texting households inviting them to apply for a £400 rebate to help them pay for their heating bills.
Ofgem will never text you to offer a rebate, so don’t respond or click on any links if you receive these types of texts.
If you think you’ve been a victim of one of these scams get in touch with Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or call the police on 101 and call your bank directly if you’ve shared any of your account details. Action Fraud also have more information on cost of living crisis scams here https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/criminals-are-using-the-cost-of-living-crisis-to-scam-the-public-dont-become-a-victimction Fraud
For more information on how to report fraud visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/reporting-a-scam/
For more information on the types of scams and how to protect yourself from fraudulent activities visit https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/
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]]>The post Managing your money through the cost of living crisis appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>To help you through the Cost-of-Living Crisis. we’ve put together some tips which could help you manage your money more effectively.
What’s on this page?
Be smarter when shopping for goods
Save on your gas and electricity bills
Help if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills.
Help managing your mortgage payments
Getting help if debt problems become serious
A budget will help keep your spending in check, help ensure that you don’t spend any money that you don’t have and help shed light on any bad spending habits.
To set up a budget you’ll first need to work out how much you spend each month on:
All this information then needs to be recorded in a budget planner.
Money Helper has a handy free budget planner which gives you a detailed breakdown of your spending https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/budget-planner
A budget planner helps show you where your money is being spent and could help identify areas you can make adjustments and save money.
To help review your finances you could keep a spending diary and note down all that you spend in a month, or you could simply look at your latest debit or credit card statement.
By having a record, you can identify any unnecessary spending, i.e., an unused gym membership or magazine subscriptions or regular takeaways or meals out.
You can then work how much you can save each month by cutting out on these costs.
From gas and electricity to mobile phones and internet, the cost of household bills has continued to rise, however there are ways to reduce your monthly bills.
For example, you can
Being smarter when shopping for goods can help you save money each month, one of the ways you can save on goods is when you do your weekly grocery shopping.
Instead of buying a branded product try a supermarkets own brand or their value brand to save money, more often than not, the only noticeable difference between these brands is the packaging!
With increasing food prices, keeping your weekly food shopping bill on budget has become a lot more difficult.
However, there are plenty of ways to help keep those costs down, from planning your meals to batch cooking, ensuring you and your family don’t have to skip meals.
For tips and advice on how you can save with your weekly food shop visit https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/save-money-food-meals.aspx
There are a few changes you can make around the house to help cut down your gas and electricity bills including switching off devices that you’re currently not using at the plug, turning down the thermostat by a degree or two and washing clothes at lower temperatures.
For some useful energy saving tips visit https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/energy-saving-advice/
Another way of saving money on your energy bills is to shop around for a cheaper energy tariff. The best way of finding cheaper tariffs is with Ofgem-accredited price comparison website such as Money Supermarket or Uswitch.
With a comparison website you’ll be able to find out what you can save by switching providers. If you find a cheaper offer elsewhere, you could also ask your current provider if they’ll match that offer.
For more information on switching energy providers visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/switching-energy-tariff-or-supplier
Uswitch also have a have a handy guide that offers advice on the ins and outs of switching energy suppliers https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/how-to-switch-gas-and-electricity/
If you’re falling behind with your energy bills and risk getting into debt, there are numerous options available to you, from contacting your supplier to get help with payments to various government schemes and grants.
Citizens Advice has a really handy guide on the help and support available for people struggling with their energy bills https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/struggling-to-pay-your-energy-bills/
It’s important to have an emergency fund in case something goes wrong, this could cover you in the event of an unexpected financial blow and could help prevent you from going into debt.
By putting some money in an easy access savings account each month where possible, you’ll have access to emergency funds when you most need it.
With rising prices, meeting monthly mortgage payments could become difficult.
If money does become tight and you’re worried about keeping up with your mortgage payments, it’s best to get in touch with your lender to discuss your payment options as soon as possible.
If the worst happens and you do unfortunately go into debt, it’s best to seek support straight away.
There is plenty of free and confidential advice out there to help you from charities such as:
Payplan – 0800 280 2816 www.payplan.com
National Debtline – 0808 808 4000 www.nationaldebtline.org
Step Change Debt Charity – 0800 138 1111 www.stepchange.org
Money Helper also has lots of useful advice and guidance on dealing with debt https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/money-troubles/dealing-with-debt
For more advice and support with managing your money please visit
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en
https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/
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]]>The post Help Managing Your Finances appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>By taking the time to manage your finances, you’ll not only be able stay on top of your bills, but you may even save money each year, money which you can put towards your pension or a holiday.
For advice on how to budget and manage your finances visit https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/beginners-guide-to-managing-your-money
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]]>The post Bereavement Support appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>Dealing with the financial affairs of a loved one you’ve recently lost is never easy, we’re here to help and support you every step of the way during this difficult time.
Letting us know
Once you’re ready to let us know, we’ll make the process of closing the accounts as smooth as possible.
How to get in touch
By phone on 01509 631960
By visiting your nearest branch or agency
By posting to our Head Office at Loughborough Building Society, 56 Woodgate, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 2TZ
How to close an account
You must inform us of the death of an account holder by providing us with the original or a certified copy of the death certificate. You can either post this to us at:
Loughborough Building Society
56 Woodgate
Loughborough
Leicester
LE11 2TZ
Or hand it to one of the staff at your nearest branch or agency office.
Copies can be certified by a UK lawyer, banker, authorised financial intermediary, FCA regulated mortgage broker, accountant, teacher, doctor, minister of religion or postmaster/sub C postmaster. The person undertaking the certification must be available for contact by the Society either by telephone or in writing. Please ensure that the appropriate contact details are stated on the identification.
When certifying a document, the following wording must be used: “I certify that this is a true copy of the original”.
Upon notification of this, if the account is a sole account, it is suspended until the necessary Statutory Declaration/Grant of Probate is received. The account is then closed, and the funds distributed accordingly.
In the case of joint accounts, the name of the deceased holder is removed from the account and it reverts to being a sole account.
For further support with closing a loved one’s account, please get in touch with our savings team on 01509 631960
Our Deceased Account Help Sheet also has useful information on what you’ll need when closing a loved one’s account with The Loughborough
For more information and advice visit:
The Citizen Advice Bureau at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/dealing-with-the-financial-affairs-of-someone-who-has-died/
The Bereavement Advice Centre at https://www.bereavementadvice.org/topics/registering-a-death-and-informing-others/informing-financial-organisations-and-asset-holders/
The British Bankers Association’s guide on ‘Helping you deal with a deceased person’s account’
For Emotional and Mental Health Support
If you require support with emotional and mental health following a bereavement the following organisations can help:
Samaritans: A confidential service available for anyone in any type of emotional distress www.samaritans.org/
Cruse Bereavement Care: Gives you the opportunity to understand and cope with grief and provide support to other bereaved people www.cruse.org.uk/
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]]>The post Power of Attorney appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>There may come a time in the future where you or a loved one may need a little extra help with the money you’ve saved.
While we hope this never happens to you, we’re here to help in case it does.
By making sure you have the right support in place in case you or a family member needs help managing an account, you could help prevent difficulties later on.
Here’s how you can make sure a loved one’s accounts are being looked after.
A Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal document that gives someone the authority to make decisions about property and finances on someone else’s behalf.
(To give your authority to trusted individuals as attorneys you must be capable of making your own decisions)
The government has a webpage with information on how to make, register and end Power of Attorneys.
The government also has a handy guide on how to make and register your lasting power of attorney.
Once the Power of Attorney has been set up it can be registered with us to open a new savings account or to start managing an existing one. We’ll need to see the original Power of Attorney document or a certified copy.
Photocopy documents can be certified by an appropriate person such as a solicitor, accountant, bank or building society official or other financial services approved person and we are provided with sufficient information to be able to contact that person.
We will need an application form for any new and existing account being registered confirming the donor and attorney details. We’ll also need identification for the attorney/s.
More useful information on being a Power of Attorney can be found on our handy help sheet.
Visit us in branch or call us on 01509 631960 to discuss your individual needs, we’ll be happy to help.
You may also find this leaflet useful as it provides guidance on managing an account for someone else.
The Office of Public Guardian at www.publicguardian.gov.uk or call 0300 456 0300
Citizens’ Advice Bureau at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/looking-after-people/managing-affairs-for-someone-else/ or call 08444 111 444
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]]>The post Money & Mental Wellbeing appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>If poor mental wellbeing is causing you difficulties with your finances, we encourage you to seek advice and support, below are some websites that can help.
For advice on dealing with money and mental wellbeing issues visit https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/money-problems-and-poor-mental-wellbeing
For mental wellbeing support visit https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/
If you’re worried about keeping up with your mortgage payments please get in touch with us on 01509 631952 to discuss your payment options.
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]]>The post Dealing with Financial Abuse appeared first on The Loughborough Building Society.
]]>Financial abuse can not only lead to money issues but has a huge impact on mental wellbeing and limits personal freedoms. No one needs to struggle alone, there are things you can do and places to go for help and support.
For advice on how to protect yourself from financial abuse visit https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/divorce-and-separation/protecting-against-financial-abuse
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