| Following the Christmas splurge, New Year is the | | | | that you are in the wrong band (for example, are |
| perfect time to overhaul your finances and see | | | | your neighbours in a different band?), you can ask |
| where you could make savings. A money makeover | | | | the council to reassess your home. |
| doesn't even have to be about cutting back; it could | | | | 4. Water costs. It could be worth finding out |
| just be about making sure that you're not | | | | whether you could cut your water bills by installing a |
| unnecessarily wasting money and that you are | | | | water meter instead of receiving bills based on the |
| receiving any money that you're entitled to. | | | | value and size of your property. Water bills don't |
| Follow these five steps to instantly improve your | | | | take into account how much water you actually use; |
| finances for the New Year. These changes are fairly | | | | water meters do. Water companies will be able to tell |
| painless too! | | | | you accurately which system would be cheaper for |
| 1. Know what you spend. As the year draws to a | | | | you and there are also online calculators which will |
| close, it's worth assessing just where it is that your | | | | give you a general idea. |
| money goes. If you're consistently spending more | | | | 5. Are you insured? Consider whether you're |
| that you earn and racking up debts, it's important to | | | | prepared, as far as you can be, for the unexpected. |
| find areas where you can cut down. | | | | Investing in insurance such as private health insurance |
| 2. Are you getting the best deal on utilities and | | | | can save you money in the long run and give you |
| household services? It is worth using price | | | | peace of mind. Long NHS waiting times can mean |
| comparison sites online to see whether you could be | | | | ongoing complaints take a long time to be sorted out. |
| getting a better deal on services such as gas, | | | | Private medical insurance will mean that you are |
| electricity, telephone and broadband. | | | | treated more quickly and with more choice about |
| 3. Are you paying too much council tax? Thousands | | | | where. |
| of householders in the UK have checked their council | | | | Don't forget contents insurance too in case of |
| tax bill and found that they are in the wrong band. | | | | burglary or damage - imagine how much it would cost |
| Property bands range from A to H and are based on | | | | to replace everything without insurance. |
| a valuation of your property in 1991. If you suspect | | | | |