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10 of the best energy deals

  

Anger over sky-high gas and electricity charges has reached boiling point, with many suppliers stubbornly refusing to pass on reduced wholesale gas prices to their customers.

Last week there was some good news as British Gas announced that it was cutting its prices by 7 per cent. But, so far, none of its competitors have followed its lead.

Once again, it seems, consumers keen not to pay over the odds will have to do all the hard work for themselves. That means shopping around for the best deal and then switching as fast as you can.

If you need some help take a look at Times Money's reader guide How to switch energy supplier. The best deal for you will depend on your individual circumstances: where you live; how much you use; how you like to pay.

Below, with the help of Uswitch, the price comparison website, we have listed the ten best deals under different scenarios. They will not be right for everyone so you should still make a comparison based on your own circumstances. However, they can help point you in the right direction.

e-Poll: Do you trust Royal Mail with your post?

Times Money editor Andrew Ellson’s column from Saturday has sparked furious debate after he wrote that Royal Mail can no longer be trusted. He concluded that the postal service is simply unreliable after seven letters in a sample of 100 sent by Times Money did not arrive or had items stolen from them. Several readers jumped to the defence of Royal Mail arguing that because the envelopes were unsealed it was inviting theft. We want to know what you think. Vote in our e-Poll below and have your say in the comments field below that.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Win £25: How can we create trusts for our grandchildren overseas?

 
 
    
Each Saturday, as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week Ed Sweeny wrote wrote to us. He says: "We want to create trusts for our grandchildren, aged 4, 6 and 8, but because they live abroad the current financial rules won't allow it. Two grandchildren are in Norway and the other is in Tanzania but will attend school in this country and stay at our address for short periods. Any ideas how we can get around this problem?"

Ten Valentine gifts for her - and ten for him

There's only 10 days to go until Valentines Day - but if you are struggling to find the perfect present for that special someone, help is at hand. Brag It Up, a site that scours the web for discounts, has compiled this list of twenty Valentine gifts.

 

 

How does your salary compare? The 10 highest paying jobs (and the 10 lowest)

 

The annual average wage for full-time employees rose by 2.6 per cent to £25,800 in 2009, according to The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

The data, which covers the average pay for full-time workers covering nearly 300 trades and professions, also found that public sector workers enjoyed average rises of 2.8 per cent last year.

In contrast, employees in the private sector received pay rises of just 0.8 per cent.

Here is the full list of the ten best paid job categories and the ten worst paid. The annual figure is the mean average of all workers’ salaries included in the job categories as defined by the ONS.

Win £25: Can I get away with not buying a TV licence?

   
 

 
Each Saturday, as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week William Locke wrote wrote to us. He says: "I have just moved into a block of flats. I keep getting letters from the TV licensing company, but it seems unlikely that it will ever discover that I don't have a TV licence. Should I bother buying one?"

ePoll: Where do you plan to invest your Isa?

 

With analysts divided about the outlook for the world economy, investors face some tricky choices when deciding where to invest their Isa allowance this year.

 

Most savers can currently invest £7,200 in an Isa before the end of the tax year on April 5. However, the allowance increased for the over-50s to £10,200 last October.

 

The whole amount can be placed in a stocks-and-shares Isa. Alternatively, the over-50s can put £5,100 into a cash Isa this tax year whereas the limit for other savers is £3,600. From April, all ages can enjoy the bigger allowances.

 

Whether you fancy the hotly tipped emerging markets or fancy a punt on the Japanese stock market let us know where you are planning to invest your money this year. It doesn't matter whether you intend to invest directly in a market or through a collective fund. And if you have any questions you would like answered send your queries to our Isa surgery.

Submit your questions to our Isa surgery

 

Times Money is opening a surgery to deal with readers' questions about Individual Savings Accounts. We will have top financial experts available to deal with your enquiries.

Whatever your question, whether it's about income funds, emerging markets, or simply a request to know how to open an Isa account, you are very welcome to contact us.

Please send your questions to: mark.atherton@thetimes.co.uk 

Alternatively you can post your questions below.

We will publish answers to a selection of your questions each week in Saturday's Times Money.

And don't forget to vote in our Isa poll.

   

Are you having problems filing your self-assessment tax return?

This weekend tens of thousands of people will be rushing to file their self-assessment tax returns before the midnight deadline on Sunday Jan 31. Strange then that HM Revenue & Customs has decided to conduct maintenance to its telephone systems this weekend. In previous years, taxpayers have also been left frustrated after the self-assessment website crashed under the weight of last minute applications. This year we want to know if you suffer any problems submitting your application either by phone or email. Post your comments below or email: Helen.Nugent@TheTimes.co.uk

More from Money Central

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Ten ways to get fit on the cheap in 2010

The 20 most expensive streets in England and Wales

Ten celebrities who died penniless

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Q&A: Boiler scrappage scheme

On January 5 the Government introduced its boiler scrappage scheme, giving homeowners £400 towards a new boiler when replacing one which is G-Rated. However, confusion still reigns over how the scheme works, so we've teamed up with npower to answer your questions.

The top 10 boy-racer hotspots

The boy racer stereotype is rooted in fact, according to research from Moneysupermarket.com. The website's data indicates that more than half of motorists with speeding convictions in certain areas are young men. See below for the top ten areas with the highest proportions of male offenders aged 17 to 21

ePoll: Has your recession ended?

Official statistics published today show that the UK has finally emerged from recession. But while the economy may be marginally bigger now than it was three months ago, the many people and businesses still struggling to cope might find the recovery hard to believe. And with tax rises, higher interest rates and growing unemployment still to come, many people’s finances will get worse before they get better.

We want to know what you think and to hear your stories about how the recession has affected you and your area. Vote in our e-Poll below and leave your stories in the field below that.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Mark Mobius' ten top emerging markets

Shanghai - the epicentre of the Chinese boom 

Emerging markets remain one of the most exciting areas in which to invest. But which offer the most attractive prospects? Who better to ask than Mark Mobius, manager of Templeton Emerging Markets investment trust, which doubled investors’ money last year? Here are Dr Mobius’ ten emerging markets to follow.

Win £25: My tenants are growing cannabis, what should I do?

   
 
 
Each Saturday, as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week wrote Paul Cowley wrote to us. He says: "I'm a landlord and have had a very reliable, middle-class couple living in my property for the past five years. They take good care of it and always pay rent on time. However, I suspect that they have started growing cannabis in the flat. Should I alert the authorities or turn a blind eye?"

e-Poll: Do you support Barack Obama’s crackdown on the banks?

Last night Barack Obama declared war on Wall Street by unveiling a series of measures aimed at checking the behaviour of banks and clamping down on risky deals. The plans could see the end of proprietary trading where banks risk huge sums gambling on the markets and could limit the size of institutions. We want to know whether you support his proposals as long overdue? Or do you consider them little more than political posturing that will unnecessarily harm financial services? Vote in our two e-Polls below and have your say the comment field below that.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

The top 20 dream jobs of the future

What do you think you, your children or perhaps your grandchildren will be doing in 20 years time? If you are worried you (or they) may be stuck in a dead end office job with few prospects and little excitement, think again.

 

Fast Future, which makes a living from predicting what might be about to happen, has come up with 20 new careers that it expects to emerge over the next two decades. Read on to find out what your next career move might be.

The Money Surgery: this week we focus on your investments, 3pm

Hollywood's 10 highest-earning couples

Even the Beckhams are suffering the effects of the recession, bless, they have fallen to fifth place in the list of Hollywood's richest couples, earning a meagre £28 million between them last year (just £3,200 an hour). In 2008 they were third on the list with £35million.

 Here's is Forbes's breakdown of the highest-earning celeb couples living in LA LA land.

ePoll: Which is your favourite airline?

Going nowhere? BA cabin crew are to vote on strike action

With the news that British Airways cabin crew are again to vote for a strike action, potentially over the Easter period, the company’s slogan The world’s favourite airline, looks more absurd than ever. But is British Airways really that bad? And more to the point, are any other airlines any better? We want to know which airline you think offers the best all round customer service. To keep things simple we have limited the list to the 10 biggest scheduled airlines in terms of number of international passengers carried. Vote in our e-Poll below and have your say in the comment field below that.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Win £25: What should I do with my inheritence?

 

 
Each Saturday, as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week Caroline Allee wrote to us. She says: "I am due to inherit £200,000 and would like to know the best way to invest it to help my pension pot. I am 56, with my own house and a work pension. Any ideas?"

The 10 biggest celebrity divorce payouts

January is the peak season to start divorce proceedings and, as we reported last Saturday, separating couples are battling even harder than ever for their share of the family wealth. 

However, if (like Dolly Parton) you've got D.I.V.O.R.C.E. on your mind, think how much worse it could be if you were a celebrity. Not only would you have the world's media plotting every twist and turn of your breakup, you would also have to battle with your soon to be ex-spouse over ooddles of cash. (It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it).

Marco Pierre White is the latest "celeb"  to see his divorce splashed over the newspages. However, whatever financial agreement he makes with his estranged wife Mati their deal is unlikely to make it into the list of biggest celebrity divorce payouts. As you can see below, the amounts at stake can be truly astronomical.