Millions of households will be celebrating Christmas this year, but many families will be wondering how on earth they can begin to pay for even half of what they enjoyed last year. Confused.com offers some helpful tips on how to enjoy the credit crunch Christmas.
Gareth Kloet, energy expert at Confused.com, says: "Christmas lights and decorations are always great fun to put up with the family. While we don&39;t want to spoil this fun, the utilities bill which drops through the letterbox in the New Year might.
This year, why not consider reducing that bill by investing in twinkly Christmas lights, and consider using a timer to switch off lights when you and others are not around to enjoy them; twinkly lights that go on and off can use up to half the energy of ordinary fairy lights, if they are off as much as they are on!
"In addition, it is important to remember that it is never too late to switch. Customers who switched suppliers for gas and electricity through Confused.com, since the start of the year, saved on average &163;284.60 which shows that Christmas shopping doesn&39;t have to always drain your pockets of money."
Protect your pricey presents Darren Black, home insurance expert at Confused.com, says:
"If expensive presents are bought for Christmas, households must make sure that these items are adequately covered by home insurance. Many insurers will automatically increase their premiums at Christmas to cover newly bought presents, but this cover won&39;t last for ever. High-value items, such as laptops or iPods, will need to be added to contents policies to ensure that they are adequately covered in the long-term. As with energy bills, home insurance costs can easily be reduced just by shopping around for a better deal."
Head off for a winter break Steve Williams, travel expert at Confused.com, says:
"When travelling over the Christmas period, it is important to ensure that customers have the right travel insurance before they fly, or they might find themselves in financial difficulty should anything go wrong. Paying for trips with credit cards is advisable as these cards provide consumers with financial protection. Some Visa debit cards offer protection if consumers spend more than &163;100, but it is important to check this with the card provider. Despite this, there is still a chance that the customer may have problems when it comes to claiming their money back, which is why it is advisable to hedge their bets by taking out the appropriate insurance.
"Confused.com would certainly suggest shopping around to find the most suitable policy on the market, while also bearing in mind added-extras, such as scheduled airline failure cover. While finding a cheap price is important, choosing a policy with suitable cover and benefits is advised."
*At least 20% of customers who visited us between January and June 2008 saved &163;284.60
For further information please contact:
Press Office
http:///Confused.com
02920 434393/398
Joanna Harte/ Elizabeth Leach
Polhill Communications
020 7655 0550
Notes to editors
About Confused.com:
Confused.com is one of the UK&39;s biggest and most popular price comparison services.
Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.
Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com&39;s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.
Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.
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