FINANCES
We have experts inhouse, speak to one of the Financial Services team for advice on…
A mortgage review
Book an appointment with your preferred Mortgage Advisor or contact Tim Crocombe (timcrocombe@milesandbarr.co.uk)
General insurance review
Contact Ben Churchchill (benchurchill@milesandbarr.co.uk) to book a review
Your protection policy
Book an appointment with Ben Churchill (benchurchill@milesandbarr. co.uk) or your preferred Mortgage Advisor
Budgeting tips
Our expert Financial Services team will host 4 virtual Budgeting Tips workshops throughout Q4, sharing advice on reviewing and reducing outgoings, as well as credit scores. Sign up to attend a workshop via iStrive.
They are happy to help and give you professional advice on ways you might be able to save money.
We are offering you, members of staff, a special LIMITED OFFER. Miles & Barr will cover the cost of advice fees on all financial services products that we offer, valid until further notice. This means you can receive FREE OF CHARGE guidance on mortgages, loans, and protection policies.
We also understand the importance of obtaining a loan that is right for you and your circumstance. As you are now aware, our Specialist Lending Team are now on hand to arrange alternative borrowing options including Loans. Are you looking to consolidate your finances or carry out home improvements? Speak with Sam Phillips or Steven Phillips for additional assistance.
HAVE YOU USED THE FREE BUDGET PLANNER ON THE KEY? You’ll receive a full breakdown of your household spending and lots of personalised tips to help you make the most of your money.
WANT TO KEEP FIT BUT REDUCE YOUR MONTHLY GYM COSTS?
You can follow FREE ClassPass exercise videos on The Key or there are plenty of discounts under the SmartFit category for gym memberships with PureGym, Gymbox and David Lloyd Clubs, to name just a few.
ARE YOU SAVING OR EARNING CASHBACK? The Key, online and via the SmartSpending app, have lots of amazing deals with retailers and companies that can help you save or earn cashback on… Broadband & Mobile Phones, Pet Insurance & Food, Breakdown Cover, Car Insurance, and DIY.
TOP UP YOUR FINANCES!
Do you have old electricals, clothes, or toys that you’d like to sell? Earn a little extra via Vinted, eBay Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. Or, if you find you have a spare hour, then you can sign up to participate in online survey sites – YouGov and Ipsos isay - to accumulate points to redeem against cash, rewards or gift cards.
Moneysavingexpert.com have published a cost of living survival kit with 90+ ways to save money. Have a read because you may find one or many of them helpful.
FUEL
The biggest inflation busting household bill is Gas and Electricity. Have you read Citizens Advice’s helpful tips? These include, 1. Make savings on your hot water – you only need to run your immersion heater for a couple of hours a day, or less if you have an electric shower. 2. Check your water tank has an 80mm insulation jacket and your hot water pipes have foam insulation or ‘lagging’. 3. Use your tumble dryer less, if you have one. 4. Run your washing machine at 30 degrees and make sure it is a full load 5. Switch to LED or energy-efficient light bulbs 6. Close curtains or blinds in the evening to keep heat in
7. Set your fridge temperature to between 3 – 5 degrees and defrost your freezer regularly
Additional helpful tips from MoneySuperMarket 1. Turn off standby appliances. 2. Turn down your thermostat by one degree. 3. Seal cracks in floors and skirting boards, line your letterbox and block an unused chimney.
Have you considered turning down the ‘flow temperature’ on your boiler? It could save 6-8% on your gas bill (Heating and Hot Water Council). Speak to a Gas Safe heating engineer for advice on which flow rate is best for your boiler.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE SUBMITTING YOUR MILEAGE CLAIM FORMS by the 10th and 20th of each month to allow time for approval and processing. COMPANY BENEFIT REMINDER: Mileage rates • If you drive a personal car and claim for business mileage you now receive 40p per mile. • Company Car Drivers now receive 3p for every mile depending on engine size and fuel type. For those who have an EV company car, you receive 5p per mile. • Don’t forget you can… claim tax relief for all business miles if you use your own car for work (excluding mileage to and from your place of work from your home address). This must be claimed directly from HMRC using Form P87 or online via an HMRC Gov Gateway Account. For more information about how to do this visit this Gov.uk page. Before you fill up, compare Petrol and Diesel prices near you using an online comparison site such as, Go Compare, Confused.com or the Petrol Prices app. The RAC also has some helpful tips for ‘hypermiling’ to help you increase your miles per gallon (mpg). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. Have a gentle right foot. Drive as smoothly as possible – anticipate what is coming up. Reduce wind resistance – remove your roof bars and roof box. Combine journeys – a warm engine is more efficient.
SHOPPING
Are you using The Key’s SmartSpending app every time you are at the checkout? The vast majority of supermarkets offer between 3% to 7% savings or cashback. Load your reloadable card on payday – it helps to budget food costs for the month.
Cook savvy to lower costs: Did you know switching from an oven to a slow cooker, air fryer or a microwave will save you money on your energy bill because they draw less electricity kw per hour. There are 100s of HelloFresh recipes on The Key that you can try out.
Looking to purchase an ‘electricity friendly’ kitchen appliance? Check out The Key because you can save up to 10% or earn up to 3% cashback when you shop at Currys, Argos, AO.com, to name but a few.
Make your ingredients go further… Tesco’s have a Recipe Finder online tool to give you recipe ideas for ingredients that you need to use up. Not only will you reduce food waste but you’ll do your bit for the environment too.
HOW CAN YOU HELP US?
Like you, businesses too are feeling the impact of inflation and soaring energy costs. Please help us to keep costs manageable:
• Switch off lights when you leave a room.
• Some offices have TVs, switch them off when not in use.
• Turn your monitor and computer off at the plug at the end of the day. • Switch off air con in rooms when not being used and at the end of the day too. • Only boil the water that you need.
• Turn the printer and shredding machines off at the end of every day • Fill the washing bowl up to clean your mugs – don’t clean under a running tap • Only put the dishwasher on when it is full
• Please keep all radiators and heaters clear of objects to help the area get warmer quicker.