Manage bills online

Steps to saving money online

1. Find the best product for you, at the lowest cost

Comparison sites can be helpful tools for reducing costs. They help you compare products and services from many providers all in one place. We have a lesson to help you get started using them.

2. Know exactly what you’re spending

Tools like smart meters and online accounts can help you see what you’re spending, and where you can save money.

For example, if you saw you were spending more on electricity on certain days of the week, you could ask yourself:

• What do I do on that day to cause the extra cost?
• Is it avoidable?
• If yes, how soon can I start reducing my use?

3. Check and make payments when it suits you

Going online means being able to check your utility accounts and make payments anytime, anywhere. Having this access can help with your money worries. For example, by checking your payments have gone through, and planning for any upcoming payments. This means you’re less likely to miss payments that could cause you issues or extra costs.

Review your current payments

On your bank account, you can check to see what you’re paying for each month. Ask yourself: are there any services or products I don’t need any more? Be realistic and honest about which payments could stop. You can save money by cutting out things you don't need or use any more.

The bills and services you can manage online

As you saw in the last section, there are lots of ways you can save time and money online. In this next chapter, we’ll go through some common bills/utilities and show you how to start managing them online. We’ll also discuss the benefits of managing them online too.

Council tax

You pay council tax to your local council. It pays for local services like social care and waste collection. Depending on your local council, you may be able to pay your bill online. This means you can check and change your payments whenever you want. Every council will offer different online services.

Doing this online means you can:

• View past and future bills.
• Pay online using your bank card.
• Check if you can apply for a discount.

Manage your landline and/or mobile phone bills

To manage your phone bill online, you need to create an account on the company’s website. Some companies also have an app you can download from your device’s app store.

Doing this online means you can:

• Track your usage.
• Pay upcoming bills and view past bills.
• Manage your allowances.
• Upgrade or change your contact.
• See deals you can benefit from.

Internet/broadband

You can create an account on your internet provider’s website. Some companies also have an app you can download from your device’s app store.

Doing this online means you can:

• Track your usage - So you don’t go over your limit.
• Stay up to date with payments.
• Easily access and view your agreement.

Gas and Electricity

To manage your gas or electricity bill online, first you need to create an account on their website. Some services also have an app you can download from your device’s app store.

Doing this online means you can:

• Input meter readings.
• View your energy usage.
• Get payment reminders to avoid missing payments.
• Instantly access past bills.
• Keep an eye on your rate - So you know when to renew your contract, or when to look for better deals elsewhere.

Water

How you manage your water bill online depends on where you live. In most parts of the UK, you’ll pay a water company directly.

When you move into a new home, find out who your water company is. You can go online and find your supplier here. Once you know your supplier, you can use a search engine to look for their website. Most companies will have some kind of online service.

In some areas of the UK (mainly Scotland), you pay for your water through the local council – sometimes as part of your council tax. Again, you should find this out when you move into your property.

Doing this online means you can:

• Keep an eye on your bills.
• Change your payment date.
• Pay your bill.

Insurance

Most insurance companies have a website where you can apply for insurance and manage your account and policy. You might even be able to save money on your insurance by using a comparison site.

If you’d like to know more about using the internet to save money on insurance products, go to our lesson, ‘Compare insurance for better value’.

Entertainment bills

With lots of subscription services available, costs can quickly add up. Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple Music … Even just two of these subscriptions can add up to £20 a month – that’s £240 a year!

Doing this online means you can:

• Cancel, pause or check on your subscriptions.
• See how much you’re spending.
• Find places where you can cut back.

Want to learn more?

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