UK Made Archives - Page 2 of 4

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

Is Octopus Energy safe?

Last updated: 17 September 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.

Want the rest of the Octopus picture? Tariffs, exit fees and the referral credit are all in my Octopus Energy guides hub.

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 18, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Octopus Agile vs Tracker: Which Smart Tariff Saves More? (2026)

Last updated: 27 August 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.

Choosing between Octopus Agile vs Tracker comes down to how much pricing volatility you're willing to accept and how actively you want to manage your energy usage. Both tariffs follow wholesale markets, but they work very differently. Tracker changes your unit rate once per day. Agile changes it every 30 minutes. And while Tracker covers both gas and electricity, Agile is electricity-only.

Quick comparison

Tracker: daily rate, covers gas and electricity, moderate volatility.
Agile: half-hourly rate, electricity only, high volatility but negative pricing possible.
Both require a SMETS2 smart meter (or certain SMETS1 models).
Both have no exit fees.
Both include Price Cap Protect at 100p/kWh for electricity.

If you're exploring Octopus more broadly, keep switching and referral details centralised here: Octopus Energy referral guide.

Decided on a smart tariff?

Whichever you pick, the current Octopus sign-up credit and steps are on my referral page.

Claim the Octopus sign-up credit

Still deciding whether Octopus is right for you? Switching, leaving and the referral credit are all covered in my Octopus Energy guides hub.

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

Tags: Agile tariff, dynamic pricing, octopus energy, Ofgem price cap, smart energy tariffs, Tracker tariff, UK energy bills

March 12, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Sprive Cashback Explained: Gift Cards, Rates and Real-World Tips (2026)

Last updated: 19 July 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I have used Shop with Sprive for my weekly shops since October 2021, alongside £100 monthly overpayments on my Nationwide mortgage, so everything below comes from over four years of buying gift cards at real checkouts.

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. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and this is not financial advice.

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

Get the Sprive bonus first

Before we get into the mechanics, the current welcome offer and how to claim it are detailed on our referral page.

Claim the Sprive bonus

"Cashback towards your mortgage" sounds brilliant, until you hit the fine print: gift cards, checkout friction, and that one purchase that never tracked. This Sprive cashback explained guide covers how Shop with Sprive actually works in practice, which retailers are worth the effort, and a simple test for whether it's a genuine time-saver or just another app you'll forget about.

Getting more from Sprive cashback? The mechanics are below. For every other Sprive guide in one place, see our Sprive guides hub, updated as the app changes.

Published by Stiv in Cashback, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: cashback, cashback apps UK, cashback towards mortgage, gift card cashback, gift cards, mortgage overpayments, Open Banking, personal finance, personal finance uk, Shop with Sprive, Sprive, Sprive app, Sprive cashback, UK mortgages

March 9, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Is Octopus Energy Regulated by Ofgem? UK Licensing and Consumer Protection (2026)

Last updated: 27 August 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 by Ofgem, the UK's independent energy regulator. That means Octopus must follow the same consumer protection rules, pricing regulations and licensing requirements as every other domestic energy supplier in Great Britain. In practical terms, this covers everything from how you're billed to how quickly you can switch and what happens if things go wrong.

Quick answer

Octopus Energy holds both gas and electricity supply licences from Ofgem.
Default tariffs are subject to the Ofgem price cap.
Switching, billing and complaint handling rules all apply.
Customers can escalate unresolved complaints to the Energy Ombudsman.
If Octopus ever failed, the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) process would protect your supply and credit balance.

If you're reviewing suppliers and want to see how switching works in practice, start here: Octopus Energy switch process.

Reassured and ready to switch?

The current Octopus new-customer credit is listed on my referral page, kept up to date.

See the live Octopus credit

Checking Octopus out before you switch? My Octopus Energy guides hub collects the safety, tariff and referral guides in one place.

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

Tags: consumer protection, energy switching, octopus energy, Ofgem, price cap, UK energy regulation

March 7, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Freetrade Review UK: Honest Pros, Cons and Verdict (2026)

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

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

Cool Factor: 4/5

This Freetrade review UK covers everything you need to know before opening an account: plans, fees, what you can invest in, what real users say on Trustpilot, and where the app falls short. Freetrade has grown into one of the UK's most popular investing apps since the company was founded in 2016. However, popularity and quality are not always the same thing. This review is based on my own experience using the app, and I have dug into the plans, fees and real user feedback so you don't have to.

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.

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.

Want a free share with Freetrade?

Freetrade's refer-a-friend deal gives a free share when you join, subject to qualifying conditions. The current offer and full terms are kept up to date on our referral page.

Get a free share with Freetrade

Published by Stiv in Finance, Investing, Reviews, Services, Tech News, UK Made

Tags: commission-free investing, Freetrade app, Freetrade pros cons, Freetrade review, Freetrade SIPP, Freetrade vs Trading 212, stocks and shares isa, UK investing apps

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

Sprive vs Manual Overpaying: Which Method Pays Your Mortgage Off Faster?

Last updated: 19 July 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I have been overpaying my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, using Sprive's auto-save alongside manual payments, so this comparison is based on living with both approaches over four years.

If you are trying to pay your mortgage off faster, you have got two realistic routes: use an app like Sprive to automate overpayments, or just do it yourself with a standing order. This guide compares Sprive vs manual overpaying honestly. It is not here to sell you on either option. It is here to help you pick the approach you will actually stick with, because consistency is what moves the numbers.

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. This is information, not financial advice, and CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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

Trying Sprive anyway?

If the app route wins you over, the live sign-up offer and the claim steps are listed on our referral page.

See the Sprive sign-up offer

App or standing order? The comparison is below. For every Sprive guide in one place, see our Sprive guides hub, kept current as the app changes.

Published by Stiv in Reviews, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: mortgage overpayments, mortgage savings, Open Banking, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance, personal finance uk, remortgaging, Sprive, Sprive app, Sprive vs manual overpaying, UK mortgages

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

Octopus Tracker Tariff Explained: Daily Pricing, Risks and Savings (2026)

Last updated: 27 August 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 Octopus Tracker tariff explained: it's a smart energy deal where your unit rate changes daily based on wholesale market prices. Unlike standard variable tariffs capped by Ofgem, Tracker follows the market more closely. As a result, it can dip below the price cap when wholesale costs are low, but it can also climb higher during volatile periods.

Quick summary

Unit rates change daily based on wholesale costs.
Standing charges stay fixed (reviewed every three months).
Price Cap Protect limits: 100p/kWh electricity, 30p/kWh gas.
No exit fees, but you can't rejoin for 9 months if you leave early.
Requires a SMETS2 smart meter (or certain SMETS1 models).

If you're comparing Octopus switching routes and want the current sign-up credit, keep referral details centralised here: Octopus Energy referral guide.

Tempted by Tracker?

My Octopus referral page keeps the current new-customer credit and joining steps in one place.

Get the Octopus credit

Comparing Tracker with the rest of the Octopus range? Agile, fixed deals, exit fees and the referral credit are all collected in my Octopus Energy guides hub.

Published by Stiv in Energy, Services, UK Made

Tags: energy bills UK, octopus energy, Ofgem price cap, smart energy tariffs, switching energy, Tracker tariff

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

Wype sale: stack bundle discounts with an extra £5 off

Last checked: 28 February 2026 (prices and promos can change).

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’ve been waiting for a good moment to try Wype, the Wype sale is it. Wype is running live bundle discounts (often up to around 25% off, and sometimes higher on specific sets), and you can stack that with an extra £5 off via our referral link when you spend £10+.

Quick win: pick a discounted bundle, then use our referral link to take an extra £5 off your first £10+ order.

Get an extra £5 off via our Wype referral link

What’s discounted right now?

On Wype’s sale page, bundles are showing reduced prices (for example, the Starter Bundle is listed at £22.99 down from £33, and the Discovery Set is listed at £32.99 down from £49.99). Exact percentages vary by bundle, so always trust the live checkout total.

Check Wype’s current sale bundles

How to stack the sale discount with the extra £5 off

Open Wype’s sale page and choose your bundle.
Make sure your basket is £10+ (most bundles are).
Click through our Wype referral link so the extra £5 off applies for new customers.
At checkout, confirm you see the sale price plus the referral saving (promos can change).

Best starting point: the Starter Bundle is usually the easiest first purchase because it gives you the core setup plus on-the-go minis, and it often appears in Wype’s bundle promos.

Published by Stiv in Carbon conscious, Discount, UK Made

Tags: bathroom essentials, discount stacking, eco alternatives, shopping tips, sustainable swaps, uk deals, wype, wype sale

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

Ofgem Price Cap UK: How It Works, 2026 Rates and What’s Next

Ofgem, energy price cap, UK energy bills, switching energy, Octopus Energy, British Gas, E.ON Next, cost of living

Published by Stiv in Finance, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: british gas, E.ON Next, energy price cap, octopus energy, Ofgem, switching energy, UK energy bills

February 15, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Zopa Biscuit vs Chase cashback, interest, fees & referral bonuses

Last updated: 22 August 2026

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 a sign-up bonus while you decide?

Chase pays a £50 refer-a-friend bonus when you join and pay in £1,000 within 30 days; the full claim steps are on our referral page.

Get the Chase £50 bonus

If you're comparing Zopa Biscuit vs Chase, you're in good company. Both are free, app-only UK bank accounts with cashback, savings perks and sign-up bonuses. However, they're built for slightly different people. This guide breaks down cashback, interest rates, fees, FSCS protection, referral offers and app experience so you can pick the right one (or grab both).

Published by Stiv in Android apps, Apple apps, Apps, Finance, Investing, Reviews, Services, UK Made

Tags: bank referrals, cashback banking, chase uk, digital banks, lloyds referral, monzo comparison, UK Current Accounts, Zopa Biscuit