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It's estimated UK households put a staggering £180bn extra aside in savings during the pandemic, as many of those who could work from home had far lower costs. Yet rock-bottom interest rates meant they were hardly rewarded for it.

Now the cost of living crisis means the rainy day saved for has arrived for some, as they may need to use those savings. Peeking through all these clouds is what appears to be a ray of light, as top savings rates have recently jumped to their highest levels since July 2019 - and they're more than double those from this time last year...

Yet the true picture is still gloomy, as 30yr high inflation at 7% means interest from even top-paying savings is easily gobbled up by price rises. That means upping savings interest is even more important though, as it's not about helping 'em grow, it's about reducing the rapid erosion of inflation.

For some, investing is a better bet, especially if you can put money away for the longer term. Just be aware that to try for faster growth, you must accept a risk to your capital. I'm going to stick with savings here though - not as a judgement call, just because that's our core expertise.

If you've not switched savings account in the last couple of years, you're likely earning just 0.1% or less. Do check now... I'll wait...

Even if you opened a decent account a few months ago, as rates have increased, you're still likely earning little more than half of what today's top accounts pay. Though of course you know that, as you've already checked... sorry for going on about it.

The TOP easy-access account - 1.5%. These are the bog-standard savings accounts, where you can add and withdraw money whenever you want - no strings - so the top payer here is the minimum you should be earning.

The standout is giant US bank JP Morgan's new UK Chase savings* paying 1.5% AER variable (min £1). To get it, just open its free app-based current account (you don't need to switch bank to get it), then just open the savings in the app.

We've been raving about it, as the current account debit card also gives 1% cashback for 12 months and cheap spending abroad.

On the back of that, Jo emailed: "I moved all of my savings to Chase as my circumstances require instant access to my money. This will make an extra £480 interest for me this year, plus approx £70 cashback from monthly spending. This means a great deal to me. I am a pensioner and every penny counts. Thank you so, so much."

If you're un(h)appy with app banking, Cynergy Bank (min £1) pays the next best rate at 1.2% AER variable (0.9% of it is a fixed bonus lasting a year). Full options in Top savings.

Are your savings protected?

All accounts we list here & in our guides have the full UK savings safety protection, so in the unlikely event the bank went bust, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme would cover the first £85,000 per person, per financial institution.

Got more? Spread it in max £85,000 lumps about different institutions to keep as much protected as possible (unless the cash's from a life event, when up to £1m's protected for 6mths).

Do note it's per 'institution', not per account, nor even per bank, because some bank brands share protection. This gets complex, eg, while RBS, NatWest and Ulster is one banking group, RBS counts as a separate institution, while NatWest and Ulster count as one together. To check yours, use our...

TOOL: Which banks share the same safe savings protection?

MSE's Top savings accounts guide lists the best fixed-rate accounts Top fixed-rate savings, also known as savings bonds, pay higher interest than easy access and give rate certainty (easy-access rates are 'variable', meaning they can and do change, so keep your eye on them). However, you must be willing to lock your savings away without being able to access your money.

As the graph above shows though, easy-access rates have recently started to catch fixes up, so the differential has shrunk. Though if you've some cash you definitely won't need access to, the higher rate means it's worth it (you can have lots of accounts, so don't be afraid to mix easy access and fixes)...

Top rates change rapidly, so links go via our guide for the latest info:
- Top 1yr fixes. Shawbrook & PCF 1.96% AER (both min £1,000).
- Top 2yr fix. SmartSave pays 2.21% AER (min £10,000).
- Top 3yr fix. SmartSave pays 2.29% AER (also min £10,000).

As you can see, the premium for fixing for three years over two is tiny. So beware, with UK interest rates predicted to rise further, the longer you lock into a savings fix, the longer you forgo the ability to ditch it and move money elsewhere if rates improve.

My best guess is one or two-year fixes seem safer (though in these uncertain times, of course things could always reverse, and if rates drop, you could regret not locking in longer).

Got debt, incl mortgages? Overpaying oft beats saving

If you've got debt, especially costly debt, clearing it is often better than saving. After all, a grand in top savings pays £20/yr, while the same owed on a 20% credit card costs £200/yr. Clear the debt with the savings and you're £180+ better off (& in emergencies, you can always borrow back on the card). Full pros & cons in Repay debts or save?

It's similar, but for a few buts, with mortgages...

Mortgage rates tend to be lower than other debt rates, so first ask yourself: 'Is my mortgage rate higher than the highest rate I can earn in savings?'

If it is, it's likely to be worth overpaying the mortgage rather than saving, providing you can do so without penalties. Though I'd always put cash to pay 3-6mths of bills aside in savings first, as an emergency fund.

For full guidance, see Overpay my mortgage with my savings?, and to find out what you'll gain, use the Mortgage Overpayment Calc.

A cash ISA is just a savings account you're allowed to put up to £20,000 per tax year in, and the interest is always tax-free. And as the new tax year started this month, unless you were super quick, your allowance is unused.

Yet since 2016, the personal savings allowance means few savers actually pay tax on interest, as all basic 20% rate taxpayers can earn up to £1,000 interest in savings before it's taxed (higher 40% taxpayers £500).

Fewer than one in 20 people get close to that, so for everyone else there's no practical cash ISA benefit. Instead the interest rate is what counts, and cash ISAs usually pay less than normal savings...

- Top easy-access cash ISA: Cynergy is the top payer at 1.05% AER variable, but the top normal savings above is 1.5%.
- Top fixed-rate cash ISA: Shawbrook & Secure Trust both pay 1.4% AER for 1yr and Close Brothers 1.75% AER for 2yrs. Both are around 0.5% points below the top equivalent normal savings.

If you do pay tax on savings, you can both open a new ISA for this year and do cash ISA transfers to move existing cash ISAs to the higher rate. Yet for most people, it's better to consider ditching cash ISAs and moving the money to higher interest normal savings - with two caveats:

- If you're near the limit where you'll earn enough interest to pay tax on interest, money in cash ISAs now could protect you from future tax.

- If you're happy to lock cash away but may need to access it, fixed cash ISAs must let you withdraw money (for a big interest penalty).

Some people can earn much more, here's my quick checklist...

Low income & claiming universal credit/tax credits? Get a 50% savings boost. For those who qualify, Help to Save is unbeatable - it adds a 50% bonus on the highest amount of savings you have in it over 2 years. Many who are eligible rave about it.
Saving for a first home? Get a free £1,000/yr from the state. If you're aged 18 to 39, open a top Lifetime ISA, which gives a 25% boost on up to £4,000 saved a year (so a max £1,000/yr boost).

Are Premium Bonds worth it?

The prize fund rate is 1% - substantially less than even the top easy-access savings, never mind the fact that with typical luck you won't win even the 1%. So for most they're not a good bet. For a detailed analysis, read our Are Premium Bonds worth it? guide, and use the Premium Bonds win calculator to see what you're likely to get.

Earn 3%+ with easy(ish) access if you save monthly. As the name suggests, regular savers are for putting money aside each month. They pay higher interest, but generally only on small sums.

Saffron BS 2% AER 1yr fixed regular saver is available to anyone, and you can put in up to £50/mth. However, for those who have a current account with them, NatWest/RBS's linked regular saver pays more, 3.3% AER variable, on up to £150/mth. Some existing customers of Cambridge BS can earn up to 5%.
Children's savings accounts can pay far more than grown-up ones. Children's savings are a whole category of their own, and often pay far higher rates. Our Top children's savings guide runs you through it.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

MEGAFAST 108Mb broadband & line just '£17/month' all-in with Virgin - we've not seen cheaper

Many pay more than double that for far s-l-o-w-e-r speeds

This cheap, megafast deal from Virgin was popular when we first told you about it in March, so we asked Virgin to bring it back - and it agreed. If you're one of the seven million households out of contract, and you're paying more than £20 a month for broadband and line, you're paying too much. We've the cheapest deals at each speed below, or you can use our Broadband Unbundled tool to see all deals. (On universal credit or similar benefits? See discounted social broadband tariffs - they're not in our main comparison.)

TOP NEWBIES' HOME BROADBAND & LINE DEALS All postcode-dependent - links go via our broadband comparison to check your eligibility
*HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY NOW?* For most, it's *£30 to £45 a month*	Out of contract? Even if you don't want to switch, use the prices below to haggle.
Ends Thu 28 Apr Virgin Media MSE Blagged - 108Mb megafast fibre and line '£17.40/month' 18-month contract Only available to 55% of homes - you're told if yours qualifies when applying.	Cheapest megafast fibre and phone line. Apply via this Virgin Media 108Mb link and you'll pay £22.95/month, but you automatically get £100 bill credit - which means in practice you don't pay for the first four months (unless you make calls). Factor that in over the 18-month contract and it's equivalent to £17.40/month. Virgin just dipped down into the 'poor' category in our last customer service poll - so there may be a trade-off between price and service.
Shell Energy MSE Blagged - 63Mb superfast fibre and line '£16.91/month' 12-month contract	Cheapest superfast fibre and line. Apply via this Shell 63Mb link and you'll pay £23.99/month, but you automatically get £85 bill credit. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £16.91/month over the 12-month contract. Shell was rated 'OK' in our last service poll. This superfast deal is only a few pence per month more than the cheapest standard fibre deal (also from Shell) on equivalent cost, so we've not included deals at this 30-55Mb speed (though you can see them in our tool).
Ends 11.59pm Wed 20 Apr Plusnet MSE Blagged - 10Mb standard speed and line '£12.74/month' 12-month contract	Cheapest broadband and phone line - and it's from BT-owned Plusnet. Apply via this Plusnet 10Mb link by 11.59pm TODAY (Wed) and you'll pay £18.99/month, but you automatically get sent a £75 prepaid Mastercard. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £12.74/month over the 12-month contract. Plusnet was rated 'good' in our last service poll.
To compare, we use 'equivalent costs' - adding all costs, deducting promo credits and averaging over the contract. All prices are before any call costs.

Slow broadband? Test your speed - is it the Wi-Fi or the connection? It's always worth a broadband speed check first when using your Wi-Fi, and then plugging your laptop or computer into the router (if you can). If the speed is substantially slower over Wi-Fi, you may need to put your router higher up or nearer, and ensure it's not hidden in a cupboard or by walls. For more, see eight speed-boosters.
At least 50% of customers must get the advertised speeds at peak times. All providers above tell you the estimated max speed you're likely to get before you sign up too.
Switching usually only means about two hours' downtime. You're told the switch time and most don't need an engineer to set it up - though about 40% switching to Virgin will (you're told before applying, and it'll usually cost £30). A few leaving Virgin may need an Openreach engineer.
Be warned - most firms hike prices a little during your contract. If your contract warns you, you're stuck with the rise - Shell and Plusnet's do, so you'll see an increase in spring 2023. If it's not in your contract, most providers - including Virgin - let you leave penalty-free within 30 days if they raise prices.
Diarise when your contract ends so you're ready to pounce on short-lived promo deals then. Monthly costs usually rise when you're out of contract, so make a note to check in 12 or 18 months to see if you can save by switching.
Members of cashback sites can sometimes undercut deals. In some cases, the cashback can mean these sites undercut promos elsewhere, though sometimes the deal differs - so check carefully. More in Top cashback sites.

As the war in Ukraine continues, here's how you can donate money or help.

Feeling the cost of living crunch? 90 ways to keep afloat. A reminder: we've a checklist to help in our recently launched Cost of living survival guide. Related: Help if you're struggling to pay energy bills.

£10 off £30 at Amazon - do you qualify? How to check, plus another 33 Amazon tricks.

THREE hot bank-switching deals pay a minimum of £150 - for FREE. Six banks now pay for your custom - but these three pay the most. HSBC Advance's FREE £175* pays the highest upfront cash (via that link), First Direct gives a FREE £150* and is top rated for service, and until 5pm Thursday RBS Reward pays a FREE £150*, and you can get £3/month cashback on top if you meet certain criteria. See full reviews and whether you'll qualify in Best bank accounts.

Warning. Beware £150 council-tax energy rebate scam - NEVER give bank details over the phone. See what to watch out for (and what to do if you've been scammed).

Six months' Disney+ for £8 in Clubcard vouchers. You can usually swap £8 of vouchers for three months' Disney+, but until 29 April that'll get you a six-month subscription (which'd cost £48 if you paid cash). Cheap Disney+

A YEAR's unlimited 2for1s to 390 UK gardens (including Kew, Warwick Castle) with £7.50 mag. Always hugely popular. Just one visit often saves you the cover price. Plus £14 of free seeds (not Northern Ireland). Gardens galore

Half-price train tickets sale - can you find 'em? Get 50% off selected cheap 'advance' fares for journeys across England, Wales and parts of Scotland, for travel 25 April to 27 May. Full info in Great British Rail Sale

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 12GB Sim with unlimited mins/texts '£5/month' Ends 30 Apr
- 90% off one month's 'tailored' dog food Ends 30 Jun

DID YOU MISS?

- 40+ supermarket coupons, including free £1 pork scratchings
- Warning. Councils report £150 energy rebate delays
- Extra 750,000 qualify for warm home discount - do you?
- B&Q £5 off £30 spend
- Martin: 'What happened to my pledge to give £10m to charity'

New. Longest 0% for spending card - if you need to borrow, you can do it for TWO YEARS interest-free

Credit cards are the cheapest way to borrow, but also one of the most dangerous. Yet if it's used well, a long 0% spending credit card is unbeatable. These cards give you interest-free borrowing on things you buy on them within the 0% period - provided you stick within the credit limit. With a new longest recently launched, here's what you need to know...

Only borrow if it's planned and affordable. Done right, and with a decent credit limit, these cards allow long-term borrowing at no cost. While useful, only get one for a needed, budgeted for, one-off purchase (for example, replacing a broken washing machine). Do not use it willy-nilly.

Of course, with the cost of living crisis, it can be tempting to get one to fill gaps in your income. That's a mistake, as the need to repay it will just add to your future costs, and make life more difficult (though we know many are doing it anyway, in which case borrowing at 0% is better than paying interest - but again, far, far better to avoid). Do read our Debt help guide.

LONGEST 0% SPENDING CREDIT CARDS FOR NEWBIES RECOMMENDED: Use our 0% Cards Eligibility Calculator first to see the cards you're most likely to get
Card	Key details	How good is it?
New. M&S Bank Best: check acceptance odds (pre-approval available), or apply* direct.	- 24 months 0% - M&S points on spending - After the 0%, it's 21.9% rep APR	Longest DEFINITE 0% card. Here ALL ACCEPTED get the full 24 months at 0%. So it's a straightforward top pick if the eligibility calculator shows you've decent odds.
Sainsbury's Bank Best: check acceptance odds (pre-approval available), or apply* direct.	- Up to 24 months 0% - Up to £25 intro Nectar bonus - Nectar points on spending - After the 0%, it's 21.9% rep APR	Joint-longest, but an 'up to'. If our eligibility calculator shows you're pre-approved, you'll definitely get the full 24 months at 0%. If not, you could be accepted and offered just 16 months at 0%. So it's best if you've low odds for the M&S card, or if you're a keen Nectar collector. As well as the normal Nectar points on spending, you also get 500 bonus points (worth £2.50) per £35+ Sainsbury's spend in the first two months (max 5,000 bonus points).
Barclaycard Best: check acceptance odds, or apply* direct.	- Up to 24 months 0% - After the 0%, it's 21.9% rep APR	Joint-longest 0%, but another 'up to'. Some poorer credit scorers could be accepted and offered just 12 months at 0%. Yet it's another long 0% option if your odds are low for the cards above.

Follow the 0% Card Golden Rules. Full info in 0% credit cards (APR examples), but in brief...
a) Always pay at least the set monthly minimum and stick within the credit limit, or you can lose the 0% offer.
b) These cards are usually only top picks for spending - avoid cash withdrawals or shifting debt to them.
c) Plan to clear the card (or balance-transfer away) before the 0% period ends, or the rates jump to the rep APR.

'Wow - my council tax bill was HALVED after I used your benefits checker.' Our success of the week comes from MoneySaver Lincoln, who used our 10-minute benefit checker tool to see if he was entitled to anything. He said: "Big thanks to Martin. Why? I used your calculator to see if I was entitled to pension credit, and it told me I wasn't. However, it said I was paying too much council tax, so I applied and got it reduced from £1,333 a year to £642. WOW." If we've helped you save, please send us your MoneySaving successes on this or owt else.

Halfords £10 off £20 and more. Lots of discounts and deals available at the moment - see Halfords discounts.

12GB mobile Sim with unlimited minutes & texts for just '£5/month'. MSE Blagged. Newbies to Lebara* (uses Vodafone's signal) get 12GB/month data and unlimited calls & texts for £1.99/month for the first 5 months. It's then £6.90/month - which averages to £4.86/month over a year. But it's actually a one-month rolling contract, so you can cancel at any time. Need more/less data? Use our Cheap Mobile Finder tool.

15 MoneySaving tips for renters, including how to slash bills by £100s and nab FREE furniture. In case you missed it last week, read our top tips on how to keep the cost of renting down.

90% off one month's 'tailored' dog food (so £25's worth for just £2.50). MSE Blagged. Plus 30% off the second month. Add info about your dog and it creates a recipe especially for your four-legged friend. Newbies only. Tails dog food

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Virgin Money (check eligibility / apply*) - 34 months 0%, 2.7% fee (21.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: Santander (check eligibility / apply*) - 21 months 0% (20.9% rep APR) or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR)

Standard (10Mb+): Plusnet '£12.74/month'
Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.58/month'
Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.91/month'
Megafast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£17.40/month'

Top easy-access: Chase 1.5%, no min
Top one-year fix: Shawbrook Bank 1.96%, min £1,000

Try our new MSE Car Insurance Multi-Compare tool

Cheapest, £5k-£7.5k: MBNA (check eligibility / apply*) - 3.4% rep APR interest
Cheapest, £7.5k-£15k: M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 2.8% rep APR interest

£175 to switch: HSBC
£150 to switch + TOP service: First Direct

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, £3.90/month for 1GB, unlimited mins & texts
4GB-9GB data: Virgin Mobile, '£3.92/month' for 5GB, unlimited mins & texts
10GB+ data: Lebara, '£4.86/month' for 12GB, unlimited mins & texts

THIS WEEK'S POLL

When did you last move your savings? With top-pick rates at their highest level in over two years, it's important to check your savings are earning as much interest as they can - and if not, move them (see Martin's savings briefing above). Yet we know switching savings isn't everyone's top priority, so when did you last move your cash into a higher-paying account?

Nearly a third of MoneySavers in credit with their energy supplier have had direct debits DOUBLED. Last week, we asked if your energy direct debit had been increased in the last two months - more than 22,000 people responded. Overall, 92% said they'd seen their payments go up - perhaps unsurprising given the average 54% hike to the price cap this month. Yet many reported payments rising even more, with almost one in three (32%) of those in credit with their provider seeing the amount they pay doubled or more. Yet if you're in debt, it's even more likely you've seen payments double, with 46% saying it'd happened to them. See full energy direct debit poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Sky and Now launch cheaper broadband for households on benefits
- Provident confirms payouts for borrowers - but they'll get back less than 10% of what they're owed
- Vodafone's Voxi brand extends £10/month mobile Sim deal to millions more households on benefits
- Thousands of former Thomas Cook customers urged to claim refunds for cancelled holidays

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I leave different amounts to my grandchildren in my will? I'm making a will, and I am considering leaving one pair of my grandchildren more than the other pair because their parents have different levels of wealth. But my head tells me one thing and my heart another - what should I do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I leave different amounts to my grandchildren in my will? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MSE TEAM BLOG

- Freebies, flasks & finger puppets - last week's MSE Forum highlights

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 20 APR ONWARDS)

Wed 20 Apr - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.55am
Wed 20 Apr - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm. Listen to past episodes

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC)

Tue 26 Apr - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 12.40pm

PRICE ITEMS AT DOUBLE WHAT YOU WANT & AVOID THE 'VULTURES'... YOUR CAR BOOT SELLING TIPS

That's all for this week, but before we go... do you have any tips for a first-time car boot seller? One MSE Forumite was looking to boost their coffers amid rising prices, so asked the ever-helpful denizens of the MSE Forum for advice. Their suggestions included pinning jewellery to an apron and wearing it, pricing nicer items for double what you really want to allow room for haggling, watching out for the 'vultures' who'll try to take advantage while you're setting up, and taking your own snacks so you don't blow your profits at the burger van. Got your own tips? Add them in the car boot advice MSE Forum discussion, or on the MSE Facebook page.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

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