Index Financial

Energy provider E.ON, formerly known as Powergen, is joining the ranks of other fuel providers who have raised energy costs in the last few months. E.ON was slated to raise prices starting February 8th and customers could begin to see higher energy bills very soon, as predicted by a price comparison Web site.
Dual fuel customers of E.ON may see their average household bills rise from an average of £913 to £1,063, according to uSwitch.com.
Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, noted that all but one of the major suppliers has increased rates in recent months. Scottish & Southern Energy has pulled away from immediate price increases, and stated that it will delay any hikes until late March.
“With savings of up to £325 to be made, now is the time for consumers to really start making competition work for themselves,” Ms. Robinson offered. Placing additional financial strain on consumers during these tough economic times comes as an unwelcomed burden; so shopping prices could put some pressure on providers to remain as reasonable as possible.
As the cost of living and running households continues to increase, Britons may be inspired to take out debt consolidation loans this year, as noted in a recent Observer report.

Consumers this year are being warned about hidden costs they may find when using their credit cards abroad.
“Couples who are planning to go abroad for a romantic getaway this Valentine’s Day should be aware of the hidden charges that most card providers impose, which are both costly and unnecessary,” asserted Jeremy Wood, Divisional Director at Nationwide.
Nationwide’s research found that last February’s travellers saw credit card users loose upwards of a whopping £27 million in unnecessary charges. This year consumers are advised to utilize debit cards where possible and avoid being scalped by providers that charge unnecessary foreign usage fees.
When making purchases abroad use Dynamic Currency Conversion wisely. Under this type of conversion, the customer is able to pay either in sterling or local currency. However, cardholders should also be aware that retailers are able to determine the rate of conversion.
Debt consolidation loans have been suggested for those who have lingering repayments and financial woes, as cited by Iain Wrenshall, Director of Debt Help UK.