http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Up to the minute personal finance news from Moneynet.co.uk, the UK's original personal finance comparison websiteen-gbThu, 17th May 2012 02:17:36 BSTThu, 17th May 2012 02:17:36 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/News/Articles/RSSwebmaster@moneynet.co.ukhttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Gas-Electricity/'Be inventive' to make your home more energy efficient/800756016Homeowners have been advised to think outside the box when it comes to making their homes more energy efficient so they can save money on their fuel bills.Eco warrior Phillipa Forrester suggested using basic everyday items to make a difference in keeping the heat in a house and reducing the amount of energy used.She recommended making draught excluders from a pair of tights, switching off the TV instead of putting it on standby, and checking eligibility for loft insulation grants."There's all sorts of different ways if you're inventive and if you're prepared to take some time to research ways of saving energy," said Ms Forrester.She went on to say these steps could go a long way in helping to reduce energy costs, adding that "all we are seeing at the moment is rising bills".Earlier this week, Anglian Home Improvements revealed that more households are trying to cut down on their fuel bills by turning on the heating at a later date.Research found that 16 per cent of people will wait until November to put their heating on, while 89 per cent will wear more clothes to keep warm instead.© Copyright  Wed, 12th October 2011 12:05:44 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Gas-Electricity/'Be inventive' to make your home more energy efficient/800756016http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/CreditCards/Budgeting 'can help people who rely on credit cards'/800756001Households who use their credit cards to pay for their everyday essentials need to sort out their finances so they do not end up in serious deficit problems.Liz Dunscombe, director of project and partnership development at Credit Action, said making a budget was one way to alleviate monetary pressures."Examine whether money is being spent on non-essentials," she stated.Ms Dunscombe commented that looking at what is being spent over a period of time can be a "very enlightening experience".Those who are suffering a short-term loss of income and are paying for everyday expenses on their credit cards were advised to borrow money in the "cheapest form available".She went on to say households who take control and limit the damage caused by a temporary financial crisis will be able to make a quicker recovery than those who rely too much on credit and have to face the consequences of paying high interest rates.Her advice could help a number of people after Credit Action recently revealed that households in the UK have an average debt of £55,822, including mortgages.© Copyright  Wed, 12th October 2011 12:03:19 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/CreditCards/Budgeting 'can help people who rely on credit cards'/800756001http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Banking-Saving/More men in charge of household finances than women/800754683For the majority of households in the UK, men are in charge of taking care of finances.This is the finding of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks' survey, which revealed that 53 per cent of men consider themselves to be in control of household expenses.In comparison, 43 per cent of women think they take the lead when it comes to what money is spent on.Steve Reid, retail director for Clydesdale Bank, said: "It is understandable that household finances are a hot topic for many couples as it is such a bit part of cohabiting."The north-east saw the greatest disparity between sexes, with 41 per cent of men thinking they are in charge of finances, compared with 18 per cent of women.Regardless who is responsible for household finances, families continue to feel the pinch as their disposable incomes decrease.Andrew Hagger, spokesman for Moneynet.co.uk, said lack of pay rises and rising outgoings mean that there is very little left at the end of the month.© Copyright  Tue, 11th October 2011 12:04:59 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Banking-Saving/More men in charge of household finances than women/800754683http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Insurance/Young drivers could win car insurance with The Co-op/800754677The Co-op has launched a competition to allow some young drivers to win car insurance free for one year.This move comes in response to the number of motorists who have passed their driving test but cannot afford the costs of running a vehicle themselves.Grant Mitchell, head of motor insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: "Passing your test is always a memorable occasion but getting on the road for the first time comes with lots of responsibility and cost."Research showed that the expense of getting on the road typically totals £4,459.Entrants can apply for the year's worth of free car insurance by writing or sending a video in about what passing their driving test meant to them or how they intend to celebrate when they pass.Drivers who do manage to buy a car and insure it have been reminded of the dangers of operating vehicles.Director of motor underwriting at Direct Line Andy Goldby said the government's new maximum jail sentences for causing serious injury on the road is a "step in the right direction" in helping reduce the number of incidents that occur every year.© Copyright  Tue, 11th October 2011 12:03:12 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Insurance/Young drivers could win car insurance with The Co-op/800754677http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Mortgages/Scotland's FTBs are younger than UK average/800753331The typical age to buy a home for the first time in Scotland is 28, which comes in at one year younger than the UK average.According to findings from the Bank of Scotland, the oldest first-time buyers (FTBs) in the nation are 30 years old, showing that the difference between the youngest and oldest is relatively small.Nitesh Patel, housing economist at the Bank of Scotland, suggested that this is likely to be the result of lower house prices in the country, especially in areas where the youngest FTBs are recorded."In many cases this is due to house prices being typically lower both in absolute terms and in relation to earnings, helping to limit the size of the deposit needed and the time needed to build one up," said Mr Patel.Results showed that more than half of the ten regions where the average age of FTBs is lowest, properties are valued at between 13 and 25 per cent of the typical price of a house in Scotland.This comes after Katy John, press officer for PricedOut.org.uk, said big changes are needed in order to help FTBs get on the property ladder in Britain.© Copyright  Mon, 10th October 2011 12:31:36 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Mortgages/Scotland's FTBs are younger than UK average/800753331Homeowners who are looking to make their properties more energy efficient may have to spend up to £80,000 to do so.This is the opinion of Andrew Leech, director at the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), who said it could cost between £20,000 and £80,000 to introduce energy-saving installations in a typical semi-detached house in the UK.He stated that while this is a large sum of money, people might be encouraged to undertake a job of this expense as a result of rising fuel prices.Homeowners may therefore want to implement these measures in order to cut their energy bills."It is a lot of money to invest, but it will help bring down their cost of living in the long run," the NHIC director commented.Last week, Proctor & Gamble's Future Friendly consumer education programme revealed that 76 per cent of people in the UK have loft insulation and 22 per cent use an energy monitor to reduce their fuel consumption.© Copyright  Mon, 10th October 2011 12:29:36 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Loans/More people 'will seek debt advice over the year'/800751842The number of people who will look for debt advice over the next year or two is likely to increase, as more consumers take out loans and use their credit cards.This is the opinion of Una Farrell, spokeswoman of Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), who stated that more members of the public are seeking payday loans.She predicted that as a result of this, there is going to be increased demand for debt advice as they struggle to reimburse these funds."[This is] because they are so expensive for someone who could be managing several [loans]," Ms Farrell stated.She noted that these people are likely to be on low incomes, which is why they require the extra finance, and they might not be able to keep on top of repayments and interest charges."[These] could increase pretty rapidly," said the CCCS representative, leaving people in a "very difficult situation".Last week, Credit Action revealed that the average household debt is £55,822 including mortgages, and the Citizens Advice Bureau typically handles 8,910 new debt problems every day.© Copyright  Fri, 7th October 2011 12:09:03 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Loans/More people 'will seek debt advice over the year'/800751842http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Loans/Unsecured lending 'is on the rise'/800751839More people are opting to borrow money in order to be able to afford their everyday expenses, it has been said.Liz Dunscombe, director of project and partnership development at Credit Action, has stated that unsecured lending to individuals is rising.She said the annual growth rate of the number of consumers taking out unsecured loans is 2.3 per cent, a peak since May 2009.Rising prices, lack of pay increases and redundancies are the result of this, Ms Dusncombe commented.She suggested ways for people to tackle the debt problems, including creating a realistic budget with items including mortgage repayments, utility bills, food, clothing and travel costs.This comes after David Cameron praised consumers who are dealing with their debts during his conference speech earlier this week, saying households "are paying down their credit card and store card bills".However, Ms Dunscombe noted that while a lot of people seemed to be repaying their debts at the beginning of the economic crisis, a number of consumers have gone back to borrowing in order to make ends meet.© Copyright  Fri, 7th October 2011 12:07:32 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Loans/Unsecured lending 'is on the rise'/800751839http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/CreditCards/PM says public is dealing with debts/800750554David Cameron has encouraged the public to address their financial issues by sorting out their monetary deficits.In his Conservative speech yesterday (October 5th), the prime minister noted that households are working hard to address their own economic problems.He said: "The only way out of a debt crisis is to deal with your debts. That's why households are paying down their credit card and store card bills."In response to his comments, insurance provider Aviva has stated that as a result of the "multitude of financial pressures" families face, they may find it difficult to repay what they owe.The group said the typical amount held on credit cards, loans and overdrafts for a family is £5,353, while an average of £217.83 is paid by households every month to reimburse these finances.Aviva's statistics also showed that 32 per cent of families see paying off their deficits as a priority after everyday expenses, and head of protection marketing for the insurance provider Louise Colley said it is a "normal part of life" for many homes in the UK.© Copyright Thu, 6th October 2011 12:28:16 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/CreditCards/PM says public is dealing with debts/800750554http://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Mortgages/September sees fall in house prices/800750546The property market saw a decline in house values in September, which could come as good news to people looking for mortgages.According to the Halifax House Price Index, the average price for homes dropped by 0.5 per cent from the previous month.The results also showed a fall of 2.3 per cent from September 2010, which means those who purchased a house last month were able to get a lower mortgage than the year before.Housing economist at Halifax Martin Ellis stated that prices may have fallen as a result of a lower demand for properties, due to poor earnings growth, higher inflation and tax increases.While he noted that a rise in employment levels and low interest rates could help the property market, he said: "We expect little change over the remainder of the year."These results compound findings from Hometrack, which revealed that house prices dropped by 0.1 per cent between August and September, with the number of people looking for properties falling by 2.6 per cent over the month as well.© Copyright Thu, 6th October 2011 12:26:28 BSThttp://www.moneynet.co.uk/Personal-Finance-News/Articles/Mortgages/September sees fall in house prices/800750546