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Starmer says he feared postman delivering bills through letterbox growing up
Starmer says he feared postman delivering bills through letterbox growing up

The Independent

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • The Independent

Starmer says he feared postman delivering bills through letterbox growing up

Sir Keir Starmer has revealed that he was scared of the postman delivering bills through his letterbox growing up. The prime minister made the admission amid a scathing attack on Nigel Farage, where he warned Britons against the Reform UK 's leader's 'mad' economic plans. Delivering a speech in the north west of England on Thursday (29 May), Sir Keir said that unlike Mr Farage, he knows 'what it's like when your family can't pay the bills, when you fear the postman and the bills that may be brought'. On Monday (25 May), Reform UK announced it will fully reinstate winter fuel payments and scrap the two-child benefit cap. Sir Keir slammed the party for pledging 'completely unfunded' tax cuts which would trigger economic instability.

My Simple Steps for Negotiating a Better Deal With Your Internet Provider
My Simple Steps for Negotiating a Better Deal With Your Internet Provider

CNET

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • CNET

My Simple Steps for Negotiating a Better Deal With Your Internet Provider

Internet service isn't cheap, with the average monthly internet bill coming to around $78. And that often doesn't count equipment rental fees. On top of that, a recent CNET survey revealed that 63% of US adults are paying more for internet than they did last year. Yet, much of what we do -- including remote work, school, telehealth and staying connected with family -- relies on having a solid internet connection, so it's a necessary expense many of us just accept. But what happens when your bill starts creeping up and you don't qualify for low-income internet programs like Lifeline? One way to fight back is by negotiating with your provider, an old-school tactic that can still save you money. My wife is the champion negotiator and dealmaker of our household. Before we met, she'd already crushed significant life moments, including buying a house, hammering out a great deal on a new car, and getting the best possible salary offer for a new job. So when it came time to gather guidance for negotiating with your internet service provider, you'd better believe I started with her. "Kindness is key," she said. "Always be friendly and courteous." Why? Because the person on the other end of the phone (or online chat, as the case may be) is much more likely to work with you if met with decency and patience. Your customer service rep isn't doing an easy job and they want to help, so why not start on the right foot? I could fill a whole column with my wife's negotiating tips and tricks, but I've also sought professional advice from internet provider employees. As you might imagine, some gave me standard company lines about how every customer gets the same high-value offers or how each agent works tirelessly to ensure everyone gets the best possible price daily. You know the drill. Locating local internet providers We all know that's not 100% true, or providers wouldn't constantly be changing their promotions and deals. So, after sifting through the best ideas from the pros, here are five steps you should take when negotiating with your internet service provider. 1. Take the time to do your research "I think the first thing is to try to be knowledgeable before you make the call," according to EarthLink CEO Glenn Goad. From his perspective, most people aren't familiar enough with their options when contacting an ISP. That puts them at a disadvantage and can lead to getting roped into add-ons or more speed than they actually need. Here's how you can avoid pitfalls like that. Look in the mirror Spend part of your preparation building a case for yourself as a desirable customer. How long have you been with your ISP? If you're two months into a 24-month contract, you're less likely to get any traction on carving out a better deal: Providers often collect an early termination fee if you bail on your existing contract. On the other hand, if you've been with the same ISP for several years, there's a much better chance of finding a flexible attitude. In that case, the provider should be much more motivated to keep you as a subscriber because there's no financial benefit claimed from your loss. Either way, having this basic information handy will help you better make your claim. You can also do yourself a favor and set the stage for a more profitable exchange by paying your bills on time. Once you've built up months or years of steady, on-time payments, the sales agent will likely see you as a valuable customer and one worth keeping happy. Decide what you actually need Don't be an impulsive internet shopper. Before negotiating with your ISP, determine your goals for the call. Keep in mind it's not always just about cutting a deal for a lower monthly bill. Yes, knocking a few bucks off each month's bill is great, but it might not ultimately be the best approach to your household internet needs. For instance, many of us discovered that our previous internet plan was insufficient for increased work-from-home or remote schooling duties during the pandemic. To keep more people (and devices) online simultaneously, a faster internet option is the way to go. An AT&T spokesperson said she advises customers to turn to a fiber network if possible to deal with bandwidth-heavy applications. "However, when fiber isn't available, we recommend choosing the fastest option available based on the customer's need," she said. "With the average number of connected devices continuing to grow, most households would benefit from fast and more reliable speeds." Keep in mind that, according to findings from OpenVault, the average household uses more than 500Mbps a month. If you signed up for a plan with less speed than that, but you have a fair number of devices and moderate internet users in the house, you should consider an upgrade. Guidance like this CNET speed test tutorial can help determine how much internet speed you really need, so start there. Perhaps when you signed on with your provider, you chose a starter plan with 100Mbps download speed, but now your family needs much more than that. Focus on securing a faster speed -- maybe more like 300Mbps -- and aim to get more for your money and decrease your cost per Mbps. A plan with faster speeds may boost your network capabilities, and if you consider cost per Mbps, it may also be a better value. Google/CNET On the flip side, perhaps you signed up for a multi-gigabit speed plan because your ISP touted it as the fastest residential plan available. But do you and the rest of your household really use that much? You might find significant savings by downgrading to a plan that lets you do all the same activities without any discernible difference in performance. For instance, many homes won't notice much difference between a gigabit plan and 500Mbps. 2. Craving the speediest plan? Not so fast While download speed is undoubtedly essential in figuring out what type of plan best fits you, it's not the only factor. An Xfinity spokesperson said it's best to look into the total value of an internet service rather than simply stopping at speed. Can you get mobile service included? How about access to Wi-Fi hotspots? Value can come in multiple ways, not just in your download speed. The AT&T spokesperson agreed. "What discounts or special offers are available to you? There may be discount offers for qualifying customers that you should inquire about. Some providers may also offer subscriptions for streaming and other services that could make a package more enticing," she said. You can help yourself out by putting in just a little work before the call. For instance, look beyond download speed and consider your data usage. Are you paying extra for unlimited data and not using it? Or, perhaps more commonly, do you tend to exceed your data limit and incur additional charges? Consider if there's an unlimited add-on option that'll save you money in the long run. Also, gather your facts about what you're currently paying. Do you already have a promo rate? Are there any deals you're taking advantage of right now? You can check out our round-up of some of the best deals, TV bundles and mobile bundles for internet customers. Don't get caught flat-footed, or you'll risk losing a reasonable price in the hunt for a better bargain. If you're not taking advantage of any deals or offers, look up the promotional discounts offered to new customers and ask your ISP to match that. It's also worthwhile to check for online-only deals so you can ask for the equivalent for your existing account. 3. Know your options before you call Sorry to mix metaphors, but if you plan on playing hardball, don't bluff if you have no hand. Before you threaten to cancel your subscription, ensure your address is serviceable for other providers by using tools like the FCC broadband coverage map to see what internet options are available at your address. Otherwise, your ISP will know that you don't have other options. On the other hand, you can politely but squarely use this to your advantage if you do have options. At face value, you might have a cheaper plan than what you found on a competitor's site. But as you consider that alternative option, you might discover it's a fiber connection with much faster upload and download speeds. You could get a faster, better online experience at a lower cost per Mbps for just slightly more per month. But such a pivot might not be available to all. In addition to serviceability, you also have to answer another question. Is switching to another ISP even an option? For instance, if you live in an apartment complex, does your leasing company have an exclusivity agreement with your provider? My wife and I learned this the hard way. When we moved to the Charlotte area, we were excited about ditching our old ISP, but our hopes were dashed when we learned that our housing development had a contract with the same provider, so we didn't have the same range of choices as other city residents. Consider the different internet connection types available at your address. Is satellite internet an option? It's often cast as the only viable alternative for rural or suburban customers. But be aware of satellite dish installation regulations in your area, set by your homeowners association or in your lease rules. Lastly, is 5G home internet an option at your address? Verizon and T-Mobile are aggressively expanding the coverage areas for their respective services and looking to lure new customers. These services offer better download speeds than satellite and much more affordable rates. (Unlike satellite services, there are no equipment rental or purchase fees to add to your monthly costs.) Slow internet? We've got tips to speed it up Slow internet? We've got tips to speed it up Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 1:32 Loaded : 6.43% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:32 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Slow internet? We've got tips to speed it up 4. Ask for what you want before you give up You've researched, collected your facts and jotted down your goals for the call. Preparation is the key to success, but now it's time to seal the deal. To get the best deal for your budget, you need to call and ask for what you want. "Any customer has the right to seek changes to their plan if they choose to do so," the AT&T spokesperson said. "There's not really a specific time of year for deals, but customers should check ISPs' websites regularly for any new updates or offers they can take advantage of." Goad offered that moving season from May to October is a prime time to find offers, incentives and promotions. That said, it's also a time when your customer experience might not be as good as if you called during a different time. "If you think about it, if you're going to shop on Black Friday, it's a different experience than if you shop on March 12," Goad said. "So maybe you do your research in the first and second quarter of the year and do your buying in the third quarter when you're fully prepared." If you decide to make your move during the busy season, strongly consider not calling during the busiest time of the day: the lunch hour. Whenever you choose to leap, it's worth repeating: always be courteous. That is foundational to having a good call. Try to be friendly, speak of your length of time with the provider, and highlight your excellent payment history. 5. If at first you don't succeed, try again Here's another tip from my wife: If she gets an agent who doesn't seem willing to work with her or share the same courteous approach, she'll politely end the conversation and try again. If you forget the first four steps, don't get what you need and the conversation goes south, you can try again with a new customer service rep. One colleague I spoke with echoed this advice and shared a story about her customer experience. She was so frustrated with her bill increases that she decided to get on the phone and threatened to cancel. Her hope was the provider would beg her to stay and offer a new promotion. Instead, the provider canceled her service. She sheepishly called back later and spoke with a different representative. Figuring honesty was the best policy, she shared her story and ended up with a new deal and the advice to call and just ask next time. Be prepared that it might not go your way the first time, but don't give up. You might need to call a few times to find an agent willing to work with you or find the right promotions to suit your goals. If it means a lower bill or a better plan, it's well worth the effort.

Energy bills: How to make sure you find the cheapest deal
Energy bills: How to make sure you find the cheapest deal

Yahoo

time7 days ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Energy bills: How to make sure you find the cheapest deal

Regulator Ofgem confirmed the energy price cap is coming down from July with around a seven per cent drop, meaning average bills could fall by £129. While the usual reminders apply about the price cap relating to charges for units of energy, rather than maximum bills, it's still a big boost for households after April's rises in council tax and other costs. Ofgem's last increase came around the same time, which contributed to overall inflation in the UK increasing to 3.5 per cent in April. This is likely to have the knock-on effect of seeing interest rates remain higher for longer than anticipated. All the same, the impending reduction in energy bills will be welcome - and if you shop around rather than sticking with whatever your current provider immediately offers, there's a fair chance you could save more than £129 off your upcoming bills. If your deal is ending soon, your current provider will give you options to switch to their best tariffs, but they might not be the cheapest or most suitable ones for you overall. There are a number of options for you to begin your search, however, which don't take up too much time and could save you plenty in the long run. To start with, Uswitch should be your first port of call: enter your address, confirm your current provider, enter your email address and get the best options they have in their database. Uswitch has been running for 25 years and works closely with Ofgem to include everything consumers need to know - and they'll even do the switching for you if you find the right tariff on their site. Alternative options are GoCompare and Which?, while a less well-known site is WattsWatt - a new, privately run checker website which promises to find the cheapest energy tariff for you based on your postcode. One extra tip to save even more money: some browser add-ons or cashback sites like Quidco will sometimes offer you an extra percentage of your money back if you log in before buying. Right now on Uswitch, for example, you can get up to £26 back through Quidco if you complete a transaction to change your energy provider there. It's worth a look! While we'll list a few of the top deals around today, it is important to note that energy deals and available tariffs can change quickly depending on uptake, as well as news like Friday's. Discounts also tend to be measured against the current price cap, not the future one, and not every deal is available to everybody, so again, make sure you check around to find the one which suits you. That said... Outfox the Market's Fix'd Dual May25 12M v5.0 tariff is picked by several places as one standout deal to consider. It's a dual-fuel tariff, with a 12-month fix. Longer terms are also available. EDF has an Energy Simply Fixed May26v5 tariff available, which is ranked as the most popular on Uswitch at present. So Energy has several cropping up as good options right now, with their So Clove and So Chestnut tariffs in particular stacking up well. And if you only want electricity rather than a dual fuel switch, the Outfox the Market Fix'd Elec May25 12M v3.0 tariff may be one to consider. Always consider exit fees and term duration as well as energy unit costs. Ofgem present their latest price cap adjustments every three months. That means the next review will be confirmed on 27 August 2025, which will cover the period from 1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025. If your fixed-term deal isn't due to run out until later in the year, mark those dates and check back later to ensure you still get the best deal possible. Sign in to access your portfolio

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