Services Archives - Page 2 of 11

April 6, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Octopus vs Ovo Energy 2026: Which UK Supplier Is Better?

Last updated: 6 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

If you're weighing up Octopus vs Ovo for your next energy switch, you're not alone. Both are major UK suppliers, both talk a big game on green energy, and both want your direct debit. So which one actually delivers? In this head-to-head comparison, we break down pricing, customer service, green credentials, smart tariffs, and everything else that matters when choosing between Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy in 2026.

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

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.

Published by Stiv in Energy, Money saving, Services

Tags: energy comparison, energy switching, green energy, octopus energy, Ovo Energy, price cap, smart tariffs, UK energy supplier

April 5, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Banking App UK 2026: Which One Should You Use?

Last updated: 10 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Always check the latest details directly with each provider before opening an account or making any financial decision. If you are unsure, consider speaking to an independent financial adviser.

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.

Finding the best banking app UK in 2026 is genuinely difficult. Every challenger bank promises slick budgeting tools, market-leading rates and cashback on everything. Meanwhile, the traditional banks have finally woken up and started building apps that actually work. So which ones are worth your time, and which are all sizzle and no steak?

We use all five of the banks in this guide as part of a multi-account setup that has evolved over several years of hands-on testing. This is not a surface-level comparison based on press releases. It is a practical breakdown of what each app actually does well, where it falls short and how to combine them for maximum benefit.

Published by Stiv in Banking, Comparison, Comparisons, Personal finance, Services

Tags: banking app UK, best banking app, challenger bank, chase, digital banking, FSCS, Lloyds, mobile banking, monzo, personal finance, UK current account, Zopa Biscuit

April 4, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Runlimited Gait Analysis Review – Borough Yards London

Last updated: 31 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

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.

Cool Factor: 4/5 - Stone Cold

I had been putting off buying new running shoes for months, partly because the choice is overwhelming, and partly because I have a mild pre-existing lower back injury and really didn't want to make it worse with the wrong pair. After reading advice from sports science and medical experts that the best way to buy running shoes is to get a proper gait analysis in London first, I booked a session at Runlimited's Borough Yards store on Dirty Lane in SE1. For £5 paid upfront at booking, it was one of the best running-related decisions I've made.

Published by Stiv in London, Reviews, Self-care Champion, Services, Sport fanatics

Tags: Borough Yards, gait analysis, Hoka, london, Runlimited, running, running gear, running shoes, shoe fitting

April 2, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Mobbin New Apps (April 2026): Polestar, Paramount+ and AI Agents

Last updated: 2 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.

Tracking Mobbin new apps each month is one of the fastest ways to spot where real product UX is heading without scrolling app stores for sport. April's batch has a clear theme: AI agents are moving out of chatbot demos and into real products people actually use every day.

If you are new to Mobbin, start here first: Mobbin review: is it worth it? If you already know you want it and just want the cheaper route: Mobbin promo code.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Designers, Services

Tags: ai ux, connected product ux, content discovery, mobbin, mobbin new apps, product design, ui patterns, ux design

April 1, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Mortgage Overpayment Apps UK: Tested and Compared (2026)

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I have a Nationwide mortgage and have been testing mortgage overpayment tools since 2021, including Sprive alongside manual standing orders and savings apps.

Disclosure: 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.

Not financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article is for information only. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

After the Sprive bonus?

Sprive leads the comparison below, and the sign-up offer it currently runs is covered on our referral page.

Grab the Sprive offer

Looking for the best mortgage overpayment apps in the UK? Whether you want an app that automates everything, a savings tool that builds your overpayment pot, or a budgeting app that finds spare cash you didn't know you had, there are more options in 2026 than ever. I've tested and compared the main contenders so you can find the right one for how you actually manage money.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Mortgage, Saving, Services

Tags: best mortgage apps UK, cashback apps UK, Chip, chip app, Emma, mortgage apps UK, mortgage overpayment, mortgage overpayment apps UK, mortgage overpayments, Open Banking, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance uk, Plum, Plum app, savings apps, Sprive, Sprive app

March 28, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Monzo Sign Up Bonus: The £100 Boost Has Ended (Now Up to £50)

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

The £100 Monzo sign up bonus boost has ended. During that limited promotion, new customers could land a mystery reward of up to £100, but the offer has now returned to its standard level: a randomly selected reward of up to £50 when you join through a referral link and make your first card payment. Smaller amounts are more common than the £50 top end, so it pays to know what to expect before you sign up.

This article is general information, not financial advice.

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.

Head to our Monzo referral page for the current live link and full step-by-step instructions.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Personal finance, Services

Tags: bank referral UK, digital banking, free money UK, monzo, Monzo referral, Monzo sign up bonus, personal finance uk

March 28, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Is Octopus Energy safe?

Last updated: 28 March 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.

Yes — Octopus Energy is regulated and licensed by Ofgem, meaning it must meet the same legal, financial and consumer protection standards as other major UK energy suppliers.

Quick answer

Octopus holds an Ofgem supply licence.
Default tariffs are covered by the Ofgem price cap.
Customers are protected under Supplier of Last Resort rules.
Complaints can escalate to the Energy Ombudsman.

If you're comparing switching options, you can see how joining works here: Octopus Energy switch process.

Published by Stiv in Discount, Energy, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: consumer protection, energy supplier safety, octopus energy, Ofgem, switching energy, UK energy regulation

March 27, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Lightyear Vaults explained: rates, risks and how they work (2026)

Last updated: 10 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Not financial advice. This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. It also 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 have been looking at Lightyear and wondering what Lightyear Vaults actually are, you are not alone. Vaults are one of the platform's standout features, yet the name does not immediately explain what they do. In short, Lightyear Vaults let you earn interest on cash through low-risk money market funds. So, here is a clear guide to how they work, the current rates by currency, the fees, the risks, and how they compare to a savings account.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Investing, Personal finance, Services

Tags: BlackRock MMF, cash ISA, interest on cash, Investing apps UK, Lightyear, Lightyear Vaults, money market funds, savings vs investing

March 25, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

April 2026 Energy Price Cap: What the £117 Drop Means for Your Bills

Last updated: 29 March 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.

The April 2026 energy price cap has been confirmed by Ofgem at £1,641 per year for a typical dual-fuel household, down £117 (6.6%) from the Q1 level of £1,758. That is a genuine saving. However, the relief looks set to be short-lived. Cornwall Insight now forecasts the July cap could rise to £1,973, an increase of £332 in a single quarter. So the next few weeks are a critical window for reviewing your tariff.

Thinking of fixing before July?

The current Octopus switching credit and how to claim it are on our referral page.

Grab the Octopus switch credit

Published by Stiv in Carbon conscious, Energy, Money saving, Saving, Services

Tags: April 2026, energy bills, energy price cap, fixed tariff, octopus energy, Ofgem

March 22, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Easiest Mortgage Broker UK: 4 Brokers Compared (2026)

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

For context: I hold a Nationwide mortgage myself and have put £100 a month through Sprive since October 2021, so the broker notes below sit on more than four years of hands-on mortgage admin.

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.

Want the Better.co.uk voucher offer?

The £100 Amazon voucher offer from Better.co.uk featured below, and the steps to claim it, live on our refer-a-friend page.

Get the Better.co.uk offer

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

CoolCuration is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide financial advice. The information below is for general informational purposes only. Always seek advice from an FCA-regulated broker or adviser before making mortgage decisions.

Trying to find the easiest mortgage broker in the UK? I used four different brokers for quotes on the same remortgage and compared them purely on how painless the process was. Spoiler: the rates that came back were almost identical. So if the deals are basically the same, the only thing that really matters is how much of your life gets eaten up by the process. That's even more true right now, as UK mortgage rates have climbed sharply following the Middle East conflict and lenders are repricing fast.

Here's how Habito, Better.co.uk, Sprive and Charles Cameron & Associates stacked up, ranked from smoothest to most old-school.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Money, Money saving, Personal finance, Services

Tags: Better.co.uk, Charles Cameron, ease of use, first-time buyer, Habito, mortgage, mortgage broker, remortgage, Sprive