Bills, bills, bills

I won't go on and on about energy prices, but if you're worried about projected 50 to 70% rises in gas and electricity bills over the next few months, you could do worse than think about a capped tarrif. You pay up to 10% more right now, but if the forecasted changes do happen then you won't end up with socking winter bills that you struggle to pay.

Should you decide to move to capped bills, make sure you know how long the tarrif runs for, and what penalties exist if you want to get out of your contract at a later date.

If you're switching, do it sooner rather than later as all the good deals are being snapped up. Also go via a service such as Energyhelpline as you'll also get cashback (in my case, the cashback was enough to cover the extra cost of the capped tarrif).

Rises on the continent are estimated at around 10%, which makes you wonder why we're going to get hit so hard. Look out for your elderly relatives if you think they're going to struggle as the weather gets colder.