Martin Lewis saves £312 on household bill thanks to his 'haggling' advice

A Martin Lewis fan has shared how they saved £312 by following his "haggling" tip. Penny wrote into BBC Sounds presenter Mr Lewis' latest Money Saving Expert newsletter where she thanked him for his advice after her money saving success.

Penny wrote to ITV star Martin and explained she haggled with her provider when their mobile phone bill went up to £40 a month. Penny explained how she managed to cut her phone bill to just £14 a month, which would save her £312 over the year.

Penny's message read: "I'm a big fan of yours. I have ADHD, you've probably heard of the 'ADHD tax' where we can waste money by not sorting our finances. My mobile bill had risen to £40/mth and I barely phone anyone. I kept getting images of you looking at me disapprovingly, and finally now it's down to £14/mth.

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"A huge saving for me thanks to your mobile haggling tips & all the amazing people at MSE." Online, MSE has a 'haggling' guide and explains: "Broadband providers increase prices pretty much annually these days, despite the rising cost of living.

"But if your deal's ending, switching isn't the only way to cut costs. We're flooded with stories from existing customers who have slashed £100s off their bills by using a method that dates back to the dawn of civilisation... haggling."

Another reader, Stuart, said: "After reading your articles on haggling to renew TV and broadband contracts, I contacted Sky to renew mine. Sky wanted to put my contract up from £103 to £140 a month. I rang customer services but got no joy, so I asked to be put through to cancellations. I spoke to a very helpful person who managed to get my bill down from £140 to £96 [saving £44 a month, or £528 a year], which included Netflix which I didn't have before.

"Thanks MSE for your advice. It pays to be cheerful and polite on the phone – after all, they're only doing their job."