00:00The cost of energy going up just means that UK households do need to prepare more.
00:05I think there are a lot of services that can be of use to customers in the UK,
00:11so if you do need support it's definitely worth reaching out.
00:14So where to go to help, such as Citizen Advice, they can provide
00:19free advice and direct you to emergency grants.
00:22You know, you have consumer helplines as well,
00:25where it'll direct you to the right website there.
00:28We also have a lot of really good charities in the UK, like Turn to Us,
00:33where they'll help individuals in financial difficulty.
00:37But I think for the average household it's just being smart and planning ahead as well,
00:41just making sure that you're aware of what's going up and managing your finances.
00:46So taking that 10 minutes to actually budget in the increased energy costs,
00:52because obviously on top of everything else, you know, increased supermarket costs,
00:57fuel, everything else, it is worth definitely spending that time to look over your household
01:02finances and what that means going into the colder winter months.
01:07And while we are sitting down to look at our finances, according to your advice,
01:11should consumers be considering switching to a fixed tariff?
01:15What factors should we keep in mind when making our decision?
01:17So really for customers deciding what tariffs to be on for their energy,
01:22they really need to look at their circumstances and what they can afford.
01:26So really a fixed term, if they already know that they have those funds,
01:29whether they've saved them, that might be something to consider.
01:33Actually, going on a variable tariff might be something where
01:36actually if you need that flexibility or can't commit to a fixed term,
01:40that might still be in your best interest.
01:42So it's really per household that you need to kind of look what works.
01:46If you can manage fixed and you're comfortable with those payments,
01:50then of course that might be a way down for your household.
01:54But it's really just seeing if actually those payments work
01:57for kind of those months for yourself.
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