Honest Mobile vs Smarty compared for 2026: prices, the Three network, roaming, perks and referral offers, so UK buyers pick the right SIM-only deal.
June 7, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Honest Mobile vs Smarty: Which SIM Wins in 2026?
May 30, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Energy Price Cap July 2026: 13% Rise and What you can do
Last updated: 30 May 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
The energy price cap July 2026 is going up by 13% from 1 July, and for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit that means an annual bill of £1,862, which is £221 more than today. In other words, you have roughly five weeks to do something about it before the new rates land. Here is the good bit, though: for most people this rise is voluntary, because a fixed deal below the cap can sidestep it entirely.
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Energy Price Cap Update: 13% increase from 1 July
A typical dual-fuel bill rises from £1,641 to £1,862 a year, about £18 a month more.
You have until 30 June to fix.
13%
cap increase
cap increase
£1,862
new annual cap
new annual cap
£221
extra per year
extra per year
Energy prices, tariffs, and the Ofgem price cap change quarterly. This post reflects the Q3 2026 cap announced 27 May 2026. Always verify current rates with your supplier or at ofgem.gov.uk.
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May 25, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How Much Does Grubby Cost? UK Pricing Breakdown 2026
Last updated: 25 May 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
The number one question people ask about Grubby is simple: how much does Grubby cost? The number two question, naturally, is whether it is actually worth it. So here is the full pricing breakdown, the maths we have done on our own weekly spend, and the portion trick that quietly changes the whole value equation.
We have a referral partnership with Grubby. Our opinions and pricing analysis are independent, and we have been paying for and cooking Grubby meals for over a year.
Want money off your first Grubby box?
Before you price anything up, our Grubby discount page keeps the current welcome offer and codes up to date.
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May 10, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How To Read Your Energy Bill UK: 2026 Plain English Guide
Last updated: 10 May 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Your energy bill arrives every month. You glance at the total, wince, and close it. Most of us have no clue whether the number is right, whether we're overpaying, or what any of the line items actually mean. So here's how to read energy bill statements properly, in about five minutes flat.
Honestly, we stared at our own bills for nearly three years before any of it clicked. The numbers looked made up. The terminology was designed by people who hate clarity. Once you understand the four or five lines that actually matter, you can immediately tell if you're overpaying, if your tariff is competitive, and whether switching would save you money. This is the guide we wish we'd had back then.
Energy prices, tariffs, and government support schemes change regularly. All figures in this post are verified as of May 2026. Always check your supplier's website or Ofgem for the latest information.
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May 7, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How to Switch Business Energy UK: A Small Business Guide (2026)
Last updated: 13 April 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
If you run a small business in the UK and you want to switch business energy, you're in the right place. Most business owners never actively choose their energy supplier. They just inherit whoever supplied the premises and carry on paying whatever lands in the inbox. That's an expensive way to run things, and once you understand why, the fix is surprisingly simple.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute business or financial advice. Energy prices change frequently. Always verify current rates directly with suppliers.
Business energy is a different world to domestic. There's no price cap protecting you, the VAT is higher, and the market is full of brokers trying to lock you into long contracts. Several of us on the CoolCuration team are freelancers or run small businesses, so we've been through this process ourselves. Here's what we learned.
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May 5, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Mortgage Overpayment Savings: How Much Could You Save? (2026)
Last updated: 9 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've been using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, making £100 monthly overpayments through the app. This post is based on over four years of real use and real numbers.
Most people know they should overpay their mortgage. Almost nobody knows by how much, or what it actually saves them. So we built a free mortgage overpayment calculator to find out. Then we ran our own numbers through it. The mortgage overpayment savings took us by surprise. We've since added a compare-to-savings toggle so you can see whether overpaying or saving the same money comes out ahead at your specific rates.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or mortgage advice. Mortgage products, rates, and overpayment terms vary by lender. Always check your lender's overpayment policy before making extra payments. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
See your own overpayment savings
Our free calculator shows what your overpayments could save, and whether saving the cash instead would beat them.
Open the overpayment calculator
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April 29, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Sprive vs Plum vs Chip: Honest Comparison (2026)
Last updated: 10 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've been using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, making £100 monthly overpayments through the app. This comparison is based on over four years of real use alongside Chip and Plum.
Sprive vs Plum vs Chip is the question that keeps coming up whenever anyone in the UK talks about saving money automatically. All three apps promise to do the hard bit for you. But they are not the same thing, and picking the wrong one means you are either missing features you need or paying for ones you do not. Here is how they actually compare after months of using all three.
Between the team, we run all three. Sprive handles mortgage overpayments. Chip is our primary auto-saver. Plum runs alongside Chip so we can see how the two compare in real life. Each has earned its place on someone's home screen, but for very different reasons.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Some apps in this comparison offer investing features, which carry risk including the possible loss of capital. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Sprive's current sign-up offer
If Sprive ends up being your pick of the three, the latest welcome bonus is always on our referral page.
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April 22, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Best Apps to Save Money UK 2026: The Ones We Actually Use
Last updated: 10 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
There are hundreds of money-saving apps in the UK app stores. Most of them are rubbish. The best apps to save money are the ones we've tested over the past few years, narrowed down and kept on our phones because they actually work. No fluff, no apps we downloaded once and forgot about. Just the ones that earned a permanent spot.
Between the team we've got about 12 money apps installed. Half of them we actually use. The other half sit there judging us. We tried about 20 apps before settling on this list. Some were too fiddly. Some had great ideas but terrible execution. A couple were brilliant but shut down. These are the survivors.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Some apps in this list offer savings and investment features. Your capital may be at risk. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Our top money-saving pick
If you only set up one, make it Chip: it is the app that has quietly saved us the most by moving money before we miss it.
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April 21, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Best Refurbished Laptops UK 2026: Top Picks and Where to Buy
Last updated: 21 April 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
A brand new MacBook Air costs over £1,000. A refurbished laptop with the same specs, a 12-month warranty, and a 30-day returns policy costs under £750. Same laptop. Same performance. Just without the new-box smell. If you have been wondering whether refurbished laptops UK buyers can actually rely on are any good, the answer is yes. We know because we buy them. Here is how to buy refurbished laptops in the UK without getting burned.
Two of us are typing this on refurbished MacBooks right now. One came from Back Market, the other from the Apple Refurbished Store. Both arrived looking and performing like new. The Back Market one was about 30% cheaper than buying new.
This post contains referral links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the site. As always, our recommendations are based on genuine experience, not commissions.
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April 16, 2026Comments are off for this post.
When Should You Remortgage UK? Timing, Tips and What to Watch For (2026)
Last updated: 9 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've been remortgaging and overpaying my own Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, using Sprive to make £100 monthly overpayments. This guide draws on that real experience alongside verified market data.
Knowing when to remortgage UK is one of the most valuable financial moves you can make as a homeowner. Get it right and you could save thousands over the life of your deal. Get it wrong and you risk haemorrhaging money to your lender's standard variable rate while you scramble to sort a new deal. A surprising number of homeowners either leave it too late or jump too early and pay penalties they did not need to. Several of us on the CoolCuration team have remortgaged in the last couple of years, so this guide draws on real experience alongside verified market data.
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Important: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or mortgage advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide regulated mortgage advice. Always consult a qualified mortgage adviser before making decisions about your mortgage. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Sprive welcome offer
Once the new deal is sorted and you turn to overpaying, the latest sign-up bonus is kept up to date on our referral page.
Check the current Sprive bonus
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