Martin's deals: Switch and save on prepay energy

Thursday 26 February at 12:07pm

You can switch and save if you’re on prepay energy, vouchers round-up including Aldi £5 off £40, Laura Ashley 37% off and more, free £8ish Lancôme beauty sample, plus Orange/EE 2for1 extended at Vue cinemas and Pizza Express. These are our Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis’ Deals of the Week.

Remember, deals can change quickly, even while I’m on the programme. So always double-check the terms and conditions before spending. Plus, while I hope these deals will save you cash, don’t spend if you can’t afford it, don’t need it, or won’t use it.

Web exclusive: H&M 10% off and free delivery

Enter the code 2938 online at clothing retailer H&M by Sunday 1 March to get 10% off both full-price and sale items. Delivery's usually £3.90, but is free when you enter the code.

Your total spend must be at least £6 after the discount has been applied. Can't be used with other offers, on designer collaborations or in stores.

‘I switched prepay energy and saved £140/year’

Last week I explained how much the majority of people were throwing away by overpaying on energy bills. On the back of it many people contacted me to ask: “I’m on a key or card prepayment meter can I save too?” The simple answer is yes, but let me run you through it.

No spiel - switching prepay tariffs isn't as lucrative as it is for other energy users - yet many can save. As Kate tweeted: "Didn't think I could switch as on prepay meter but switched this AM saving £140 a year plus cashback."

It only takes five minutes to do this, just plug in where you live and your usage into a comparison website. To do this you can use Martin’s Cheap Energy Club. It also gives £30 dual fuel (£15 electricity only) cashback if you switch via it, and then monitors your tariff to check you’re still on a cheap deal. Alternatively go via any Ofgem approved comparison site. If you’re in energy debt (many are switched to prepay due to debts) you can still switch as long as it’s under £500, though of course you’ll still have to pay it off.

As your comparison will show, finally there's a bit more choice for those on prepay. Fixes let you lock in at a set rate, ensuring no price hikes. Though of course, if you use more, you’ll pay more.

It is also worth considering if you can change to a normal billed meter – the type most people have, where usage is measured, and you're billed after. While some prefer prepay for budgeting, pay a billed meter by direct debit on the cheapest tariff, and you could pay nearer £900 a year, not £1,200. Not everyone's allowed to change though, and some suppliers charge for changing – so do investigate this first.

Vouchers round-up

- Aldi £5 off £40: If you buy a copy of theDaily Mirror (55p) TODAY (Thursday 26 February) you'll get a voucher for £5 off when you spend £40 or more in Aldi by Thursday 5 March. There's a maximum one voucher per transaction.

- Laura Ashley 30% off plus extra 10% off: From 9am-9pm TODAY only, you can go to your nearest Laura Ashley store and get 30% off almost all items, plus an extra 10% off (extra discount off the 30% off price). Both discounts will be applied automatically at the till. It doesn't include items from the Laura Ashley Outlets, sale items, Guardsman protector, design service fee, licensed products, gift cards and delivery charges. Can't be used with other offers.

- Topman 15% off everything: Get the code from VoucherCodes and enter it online at Topman by 11.59pm on Sunday 1 March to get 15% off both full-price and sale items. Delivery's £4 or collect from a store for free. VoucherCodes confirmed it’s valid across all stock so there aren’t any exclusions.

Martin’s quickies

- Free £8ish Lancôme beauty sample: Head to your nearest Lancôme counter (available in many department stores, Boots and some pharmacies) and just ask for a 5ml sample of either Genifique serum or Visionnaire serum - you'll only get one at a time. Based on the full-sized 30ml versions, these freebies are worth about £8. There are 500,000 samples available so go quick if you want one. You can also get a free 15-minute face pampering session. Of course they may be swamped, and will almost certainly try and upsell you other products too.

- Orange/EE Wednesdays 2for1 extended: For years the Orange/EE Wednesday promotion has offered 2for1 cinema tickets and 2for1 mains at PizzaExpress to its customers on Wednesdays. This ended yesterday, but Vue Cinemas is offering 2for1 cinema tickets for Orange/EE mobile or broadband customers every Wednesday in March. It’s also been extended to everyone (not just Orange/EE mobile or broadband customers) at PizzaExpress until Wednesday 18 March.

For the cinema deal, either text ‘2for1′ and your email address to 51055, or go online to Vueand fill in your details. You’ll be sent a unique code to use when buying tickets online or at the cinema box office. Texts will cost your standard network rate. For PizzaExpress, just fill in your details online at PizzaExpress to get a code which will get you 2for1 main courses (the cheapest will be free) and 2for1 dough balls. You can use the code in restaurants and on takeaways, but not when you order online with click and collect.