Warning. British Gas hikes prices AGAIN... but don't get angry, get even
Ditch and switch to save a typical £350+/yr. Do nothing and most WILL be ripped off - as loyalty doesn't pay

Grrrr. The 3m+ on a British Gas standard tariff face an avg 3.8% rise in Oct, its 2nd hike in 2018. But turn anger into action and many can save big amounts by ditching expensive standard variable tariffs (SVTs) - whether with BG or others. Dyann did: "I switched from British Gas using MSE, saving £450/yr." Here's how...

• British Gas customer? Save £100s/yr by giving it the boot. While anyone on a fix isn't hit, those with typical use on BG's SVT will pay an avg £1,205/yr after the hike, yet the best deals from rivals start at £853/yr. It's the same for the Sa insbury's standard tariff, as it's supplied by BG. So check if you can save now via a full market comparison on our Cheap Energy Club. We know many worry about switching, so we've more help:
  
  - Nervous about switching to a firm you've not heard of? This is the biggest turn-off for many, so we've a 'Big Name Supplier' filter which removes all firms bar the Big 6, Co-op, First Utility & Ovo. Moving to the cheapest big name from a British Gas SVT typically saves £265/yr, incl MSE cashback.  
  
  - Want to avoid poor service firms? We've filters for that too. Use our 'good' or 'superb' service filters to weed out the flops. Switching to the cheapest good service firm from a British Gas SVT typically saves £305/yr, incl MSE cashback.
  
  - Still determined to stick with BG? We'd urge you to check if you'll save by switching as it's easy. It's the same gas, elec and pipes. Your supply remains throughout and only service and price change. But if you're determined to stay, BG has a tariff that freezes today's price for a small saving vs post-hike prices - see our 'My Current Supplier' filter.
  
  
• Other energy giants hiking too - millions overpay on standard tariffs. E.on's raising prices on Thu, EDF on 31 Aug. Like BG, it'll be their 2nd this year. And the other Big 6 trio - Npower, SSE & Scottish Power - have hiked once in 2018 with a 2nd likely. Many smaller suppliers have hoicked costs too. SVTs are expensive. After the hikes, the avg Big 6 SVT on typical use will be £360/yr more than the cheapest deal. So the steps above apply to anyone. See our Cheap Energy Club for full help.

As yet another big credit card bonus is slashed, how to still earn 5% cashback, £100 Amazon/M&S vchs, 25,000 Avios points etc

Lloyds is the latest to cut rewards. In the coming months it'll slash the number of Avios points - BA's frequent flyer miles - you earn on its Avios Reward card and cull flight upgrades. Rewards elsewhere have dropped in recent years too, as fees shops pay banks - which fund 'em - are now capped. But you can still get PAID for everyday spending to turn your plastic into a perk powerhouse. We've picked out the best below - good if you're a disgruntled Lloyds customer or just want to start earning.

Yet don't just apply. First use our eligibility calculator to find cards you've best odds of getting. But ONLY do it if you're debt-free and you'll pay IN FULL each month (preferably by direct debit) or interest dwarfs the gain. Never bust your limit, and while you'll earn more moving all affordable spending to your card, it's not an excuse to overspend.

• Want cash? Get up to 5%. Here, it's paid into your card account. The top picks are:
  
  - The fee-free Amex Platinum Everyday (eligibility calc / apply*) gives 5% back for the first 3mths (max £100), up to 1% after. Cashback's paid annually, but you need to spend £3k+/yr to get anything (22.9% rep APR).
  - The best non-Amex - so accepted more widely - is the Tandem Mastercard (eligibility calc / apply*) which pays 0.5% monthly (18.9% rep APR). 
  See Cashback Credit Cards (APR Examples) for lots more help and options.
  
  
• Either £100 shopping vch OR 20,000 Avios/Virgin points. The Amex Rewards Gold (eligibility calc / apply*) gives 20k 'Membership Rewards' points if you spend £2k+ in the first 3mths. You can swap them for a £100 vch for big stores, eg, Amzn/M&S; 20k airline points and more. You also get two free airport lounge passes and 1pt per £1 spent. It's fee-free in y r 1, £140/yr after, so cancel if you don't want it then (57.6% rep APR). See full Amex Gold help.
  
  
• Want airline miles? Up to 25,000 Avios or 15,000 Virgin miles + 'free' companion ticket. Top picks are:
  
  - British Airways flyer? The fee-free BA Amex offers 5k bonus Avios + 1 per £1 spent. Or for £195/yr the BA Premium Plus has a 25k bonus + 1.5 Avios per £1. Both require you hit a min spend in 3mths for the bonus.
  - Virgin Atlantic flyer? Its Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard gives 5k bonus miles, plus 0.75 pts per £1. Or the £160/yr Virgin Atlantic Reward+ pays 15k pts plus 1.5 pts per £1. Both just require a spend of any sort for the bonus.
  - All come with a 'companion voucher' where you can take a 2nd person for zero points if you pay in points, but you both pay taxes - see the links for full help. More info in Top Airline Cards, incl how many points are needed for a flight.

Full info and more options, incl Sainsbury's, Tesco, M&S and Amazon cards, in Credit Card Rewards (APR Examples).