James Flanders

I have bylines across a variety of local and national publications which highlight my skills as both a reporter and commentator. I am available for commissions so get in touch.

The Sun •

Exact date you must claim to get £150 energy bill help this winter

MILLIONS of households should launch claims for benefits now to guarantee their eligibility for energy bill help this winter. Those on certain benefits will be able to get an energy bill discount through the Warm Home Discount scheme. Those eligible for the scheme will get £150 off their energy bills this winter. In previous years, households received a £140 discount. You no longer need to apply for the discount directly, as you'll automatically qualify if you are getting certain benefits. H
The Sun •

Millions of homeowners are being warned about a mortgage 'ticking timebomb'

MILLIONS of homeowners are being warned about a mortgage 'ticking timebomb' which is set to explode as fixed rate deals come to an end. Yesterday, the Bank of England hiked interest rates to 1.75% and those on variable and tracker mortgages can expect to pay £888 more. But experts have warned that millions on fixed deals which expire in the next 12 months are sitting on a knife edge, as mortgage rates are already thousands of pounds higher. Figures from Rightmove also show that average rates
The Sun •

I'm a debt expert - the easy methods to pay off debt

STRUGGLING with debt can be incredibly stressful, but there are a number of methods you can use to get you on the way to paying it off. With energy bills forecasted to hit £3,612 this winter and inflation running rampant, paying off your debts can be difficult. However, there are tactics you can use - and extra help available - that could help you become debt free. From snowballing to paying off your highest interest debt first, we explain how to approach wiping your finances clean. The Sun
The Sun •

Urgent bank note warning as £13BILLION about to expire - do you have one?

BILLIONS of old-style £20 and £50 paper notes need to be deposited urgently. If you've still got some of the old notes hanging around, now is the time to cash them in. The Post Office has exclusively told The Sun that over £13 billion worth of these paper notes are lying around in people's homes. People have less than a month to deposit these old banknotes before they lose legal tender next month. After September 30, paper £20 and £50 notes will no longer be accepted as a form of payment. Y
The Sun •

Hard-up Brits will be hit by year-long recession as interest rates hit 1.75%

HOUSEHOLDS were told yesterday to prepare for a 15-month recession and the highest inflation rate in 42 years. In what was dubbed a Black Thursday for the economy, the Bank of England raised interest rates by 0.5 per cent — the biggest increase since 1995. Amid an almighty cost of living crisis, it warned of more hardship to come, with inflation expected to hit 13.1 per cent later this year — far outstripping wage growth. It came as rocketing energy bills are set to reach £3,500 a year in Oct
The Sun •

The three areas giving out EXTRA free cash for cost of living - how to claim

MILLIONS of households across England are eligible for bill support to help with the cost of living crisis. The money comes from local authorities through the Household Support Fund. Some councils are now increasing the financial support as part of this scheme. In April, local councils in England were given funding to the tune of £400 million to help families who are most in need. Households on the lowest incomes are eligible to receive free cash or food vouchers to help with the cost of liv
The Sun •

Energy firms pull exclusive fixed deals as fears of £3,600 energy bills loom

ENERGY firms including British Gas and EDF are ditching exclusive market-leading fixed tariffs as wholesale prices rocket. Yesterday, analysts predicted that bills will rise to £3,616 this winter. Experts at Cornwall Insight have said that bills are now likely to rise to £3,358 from October and £3,616 from January. Energy bills have been sky-rocketing since last year, but some energy firms have been offering their own customers the chance to fix their bills. Fixed rate energy tariffs give cu
The Sun •

Best and worst supermarket loyalty schemes - and you'll pay MORE without one

SUPERMARKET shopping costs are going up - but you could stand to save money by using their loyalty schemes. From Asda to Tesco, we reveal how the latest reward programmes compare. Asda is the latest supermarket to promise shoppers extra perks. The supermarket giant is trialling the scheme across 300 stores, so you might not be able to get it just yet where you are. The move brings the retailer in line with its competitors - Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Here we explain the pe
The Sun •

I got £9,400 back from HMRC with easy tax code trick - here's how you can too

TAXPAYERS are being urged by Martin Lewis to check that they're on the right tax code. If your code is wrong you may be paying thousands more than you need to and you'll likely be owed money back. Your tax code determines how much income tax you pay on your earnings - so it's important you're on the right one. Michele emailed MoneySavingExpert.com to say she'd been in the wrong tax code and was overpaying. She featured in the site's recent weekly email and said: "I checked my tax code and di
The Sun •

Thousands of mobile customers to be charged more within DAYS

LOW-COST mobile carrier Giffgaff is upping its prices and the changes will affect all customers. The budget carrier is hiking the costs associated with using your mobile abroad. The changes will come into force in a matter of days. From August 9, Giffgaff members will be able to use up to 5GB of their "goodybag" allowance in the EU and selected destinations at no extra cost. Once customers use all this allowance, they'll be charged 10p per mb to continue roaming abroad. Previously there was
The Sun •

Cutting VAT on mobile and broadband bills could save customers £120 a year

MILLIONS of households could save £120 a year if VAT was cut on telephone, mobile and broadband bills, according to Which?. Over six million households are struggling to pay their bills due to the cost of living crisis, the consumer group warned. Households, including those on cheaper social tariffs for low-incomes, currently pay 20 percent VAT on bills. Which? says that by cutting the VAT rate from 20 percent to 5 percent would see bills drop by an average of £120 a year. It would also brin
The Sun •

Full list of supermarkets slashing petrol prices including Sainsbury's and Tesco

WITH supermarkets cutting prices at the pumps, a new price war has commenced. We reveal how much each supermarket has cut pump prices across the UK. Asda was the first supermarket to slash the price of fuel - and it's now 12p cheaper than the national average. Drivers are now paying an average of 174p for unleaded and 185p for diesel at the pumps — slashing £5 off a tank, according to the AA. Last week the AA said that after wholesale petrol price falls it could knock £10 of the cost of fill
The Sun •

Millions of prepayment energy meter customers must act NOW to get £400 discount

MILLIONS of households across the country are set to receive a £400 discount off their energy bills. Nearly 30 million households will be eligible and in most cases, the amount will be automatically deducted from people's monthly energy bills. Worth £400, the discount was first announced in in the former Chancellor's mini cost of living budget back in May. Last week the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed that payments will begin in October. However, households
The Sun •

I save £6,000 a year on my bills - here's how you can too

A MONEY-SAVVY mum-of-one said sticking to strict spending rules has helped her save more than £6,000 a year - but insists she still treats herself to little luxuries. Ami Pilkington, 29, said putting a ban on impulse purchases and buying second hand where possible had helped her save tens of thousands of pounds over the years. Self-employed Ami, said her money-savvy ways had even helped her buy her first home with her partner Sam, 35, in Bristol when she was just 23. Ami said: "I juggled four
The Sun •

Martin Lewis issues warning over email that could end up costing you THOUSANDS

THE Money Saving Expert issued an urgent warning to broadband customers with certain email addresses. Martin Lewis gave out the advice when fielding calls from viewers on ITV's This Morning. Martin warned against having an email address with your internet service provider. Caller, Pauline, rang in to ask the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com for advice on her email associated with her Virgin Media account. The caller said she wanted to switch to a new broadband supplier but was told by her cu
The Sun •

Best student bank accounts 2022: HSBC, Barclays and NatWest compared

SCHOOL leavers are set to get their exam results this month and now is the time to start thinking about opening up a student account. University is round the corner and banks are working hard to lure students in by offering a whole host of freebies so we assess who's offering what. We explain all you need to know about how to apply for a student account, and what the best deals on the market are at the moment. If you have a place to study at a university in the UK, you'll be able to apply for
The Sun •

I'm a banking expert - here's how to find market-leading savings rates

MILLIONS of homeowners have seen their mortgage repayments increase since the Bank of England started hiking interest rates last year - but savers aren't getting the same treatment. The base rate has risen five times over the last few months, from a low of 0.1% to 1.25% today. But the increases have affected savers and mortgage holders in different ways. While banks typically pass on any rate hikes to mortgage holders immediately - pushing up their monthly repayments - many are moving a lot s
The Sun •

Millions of broadband, mobile and mortgage customers overpaying by up to £1,144

MILLIONS of people across the country are overpaying on their bills by staying loyal with their mortgage and utility providers. According to data released by Citizens Advice, one in seven are still paying the loyalty premium across the broadband, mobile and mortgage markets. The charity has uncovered that nearly 10 million people across the UK are overpaying these bills by more than £1,000 a year, on average. People are paying an extra £61 for broadband, £83 for mobile and £1,000 more on thei
The Sun •

Major pension scheme shake-up from TODAY - how it affects your money

A BRAND new pension scheme is rolling out from today - here's five ways it will affect you and your money. Known as the Collective Defined Contribution (CDC), some employees may have another workplace pension option to choose from. From today, companies across the UK can start actively offering the new scheme. CDC pension schemes work by employer and member contributions are pooled together into a collective fund and invested. Workers then get a specified pension income once they retire. Pr
The Sun •

Millions urged to claim NOW for benefits to get free winter energy bill cash

HOUSEHOLDS have more time to qualify for £150 off their energy bill this winter after the government changed the eligibility deadline. The Warm Home Discount scheme is available every winter to help those on the lowest incomes struggling with the cost of living. In previous years you could apply to your energy supplier for the bill discount if they offered it. But a change to the scheme means it's now automatic. You can't apply directly, but you can qualify if you are getting certain benefit
Load More Articles