A DAD has revealed how a five-minute money hack slashed more than £1,000 off his household bills and paid for his dream holiday.
Like millions of Brits, Rob Lock, 29, from Shrewsbury, had been paying his monthly bills without giving them a second thought.
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His broadband, mobile and energy costs were ticking along on autopilot, even though some of his contracts had quietly expired.
But when he landed a new job, a perk from his employer gave him access to Nous, a bill-cutting service that uses AI to find cheaper deals.
Within minutes, the tool flagged up where he was overspending and with a few simple switches, Rob saved £1,029 a year.
The biggest saving came from his mobile phone contract.
Read more on saving money
Rob had paid off his iPhone and Apple Watch months earlier, but was still being charged the full monthly rate, which is a common trap known as “double paying”.
By switching to a SIM-only plan, he slashed £750 off his yearly bill.
His broadband was another eye-opener.
Rob had originally signed up to BT on a new customer deal costing around £50 a month.
But when that deal expired, the cost crept up, without him realising. Nous found a Virgin Media package for £22 a month with the same speeds, saving him another £336 a year.
Finally, he cut his energy bill down to £126 a month, adding to the overall total.
He explained: “I was using the BT broadband until Nous told me that they had found a cheaper rate for me with Virgin Media.
“They had even checked the connection and download speeds to make sure I wasn’t going to lose out just for a better price.
“The deal with Virgin was only £22 a month which is a massive saving when compared to the £50 odd I was paying to BT.”
Once he realised he had saved over £1,000, Rob knew exactly how to spend it.
“We booked a trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights – something we’ve always dreamed of. It really was the holiday of a lifetime.”
“We just thought it’s not every day that you’ll save over a grand so might as well use it for something we really want.”
Rob admitted he used to be “a bit laid-back” about bills, but says the experience has transformed how he manages his money.
He added: “I never really analysed whether I was getting a good deal or not.
“I actually wish that Nous had come into my life sooner as they’re brilliant at monitoring everything and continually checking to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
“It’s very relaxed and Nous give some really sound financial advice on what you can save by switching and when.”
Switch around your subscriptions
You could save £800 a year by simply switching around your streaming subscriptions.
Research by AJ Bell found that running six of the most popular TV streaming services – Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Apple One and YouTube Premium – for a year would now cost a family around £1,000.
But households could save £829 – 80% of that cost – by swapping the services throughout the year instead of running them all together.
Here’s the full run down of calculations.
Costly mistakes
Consumer reporter, Lucy Andrews, has warned that thousands of households are making the same mistakes without even realising.
She said: “Think you’re good with money? I bet you’re making some silly mistakes that could be costing you hundreds – just like I did.”
Lucy explained that she too had fallen into the “double paying” trap after forgetting that her 24-month mobile contract had ended.
“I logged into my mobile app and saw loads of upgrade offers,” she said.
“I thought it was weird, because I was still in contract, but when I checked, my deal had actually ended a month earlier.”
She had missed an email warning her that the contract was ending.
As a result, she was still paying £34.58 a month, even though the handset was already paid off.
“I was kicking myself,” she said.
I could have switched to a SIM-only deal and saved a fortune.”
After acting quickly, she moved to a £7 SIM-only plan, saving £27.58 a month or £330.96 a year.
According to Uswitch, five million mobile customers are at risk of overpaying like this, with providers pocketing an extra £1.6 billion a year as a result.
To check if you’re one of them, simply text INFO to 85075. This free service will tell you whether you’re still in contract, and if you’ll face an exit fee.
Lucy also discovered she was paying £4.99 a month for a streaming subscription she’d forgotten about, which was a reality TV channel she hadn’t used in months.
“That was £15 down the drain,” she said. “I cancelled it straight away and saved another £60 a year.”
She now recommends doing a “direct debit spring clean” twice a year, by checking your bank app for forgotten subscriptions.
Research by HSBC found that 48% of people admit to paying for services longer than they should, wasting £61 a year on average.
Lucy said: “These things are easy to miss, but if you don’t keep an eye on them, you’re just handing money away.”
Even small, simple switches can lead to big savings and even fund a holiday.
And as Lucy’s warnings show, millions of Brits are still overpaying on old phone contracts and unused subscriptions.
Whether it’s AI tools like Nous, free services like 85075, or just a quick look at your bank app, the key is to take a few minutes to check what you’re paying and act before it’s too late.
It’s not every day you save over a grand, but it could be if you catch the same mistakes.
