Money Save · for small businesses and their households
Pay less for the things you already buy.
Eight bills worth reviewing, what to check on each, and where to compare independently. For sole traders, micro-businesses and the households behind them, where the business and home bills are often tangled together.
General information only. Prices and deals change all the time — always check the provider's own terms before you switch or sign.
1
Gather three months of statementsBank and card, business and personal. Every regular payment is on them.
2
Check one bill at a timeStart with whichever renews soonest.
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Compare independentlyUse the regulators and free consumer sites linked below.
Why cutting a cost beats claiming it
Claiming an allowable business expense only saves you the tax on it. For a sole trader whose profits fall in the basic-rate band (£12,571 to £50,270 in 2026/27), that's roughly 20p of Income Tax plus 6p of Class 4 National Insurance in each pound. Higher-rate taxpayers save a little more; if your profits are below the personal allowance, you may save nothing at all. A cost you don't pay at all saves you the whole pound, whatever your tax position.
So claim everything you're entitled to — see the allowable expenses guide — but first, make sure you're not paying more than you need to.
Eight bills to check
What to look at, bill by bill
Each area lists the checks that most often save money, plus links to the official rules and independent places to compare.
1
Energy at home
Gas and electricity for your home — and for most people who work from home.
Find your tariff and its end date on your latest bill or app. If a fixed deal has ended, you are probably on a standard variable tariff — the one Ofgem's price cap limits.
The cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not your total bill. It rose 4% for a typical household from 1 October 2026. Ofgem announces the January to March 2027 level by 25 November 2026.
Compare the whole market before you decide whether to fix. A fix gives you predictable bills; it saves money only if it costs less than you'd pay on the cap. Compare standing charges and exit fees as well as unit rates.
Send regular meter readings (or use a smart meter) so you are not paying on estimates.
Warm Home Discount: £150 off your electricity bill this winter if you qualify — for example, if you or your partner got Pension Credit, Universal Credit or certain other means-tested benefits on 23 August 2026, and the electricity account with a supplier in the scheme is in your name or your partner's. Most people in England and Wales get it automatically; the rules differ in Scotland.
Work from home? You are usually a household energy customer, so the household rules and protections apply.
A unit, workshop, shop or office with its own business energy supply.
Business energy is not covered by the household price cap. Your contract sets the price.
Diarise your contract end date. If it ends without a new deal, you can move to out-of-contract or deemed rates — usually the most expensive way to buy energy.
Moved into new premises? Until you agree a contract you are on a deemed contract. Arrange one straight away.
Using a broker? Ask what commission is built into your price. Suppliers must tell microbusinesses about broker commission in their contract information.
There is no cooling-off period. A business energy contract is binding as soon as you agree it — even over the phone. Get the principal terms (price, length, end date, any commission) before you say yes.
Check whether you count as a microbusiness — if so, you have extra protections when you switch or renew.
Landline, broadband, mobile contracts and SIMs — at home and for the business.
Find each contract end date. Out of contract, you often pay more for the same service. Your provider should tell you before the contract ends and show you its best deals.
Price rises: for contracts taken out since 17 January 2025, any rise during the contract must be set out in pounds and pence when you sign up. Check what yours says.
Check what you actually use. Many people pay for more data, minutes or speed than they need. If you own your phone, a SIM-only deal is often much cheaper.
Social tariffs: if you get Universal Credit or certain other benefits, most big providers offer cheaper broadband, typically about £10 to £20 a month. Ask your provider.
Home, car and van, and business cover such as public liability, tools and professional indemnity.
Home and car insurance you buy as a private customer: since 1 January 2022, your renewal price cannot be higher than an equivalent new customer would pay through the same channel. Shopping around can still find cheaper cover.
Insurance bought for your business may not be covered by that rule — public liability, tools and professional indemnity, and often commercial van policies. Get quotes a few weeks before renewal.
Compare like with like: the cover, the excess and the exclusions, not just the price. For example, are tools covered in the van overnight?
Look for double cover — breakdown, gadget or travel cover you already get through a bank account or another policy.
Paying monthly often costs more than paying annually. Check the total you will pay.
Business accounts, card readers, online payment services and overdrafts.
Add up a year of account fees — the monthly fee plus per-transaction charges — and compare them with other business accounts.
Card readers and payment links: compare a percentage-only plan with a monthly-fee plan, using your real takings rather than the provider's example.
Overdraft, unpaid-item and late-payment charges are often the most expensive money you pay for. If they keep happening, talk to your bank early.
Get paid sooner: invoice the day the job is done and chase what is overdue. If another business pays you late, you can usually claim interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed recovery fee. The Small Business Commissioner can help with late-payment disputes.
Software, apps, memberships, streaming and anything else that renews automatically.
List every regular payment on three months of bank and card statements — business and personal.
Cancel what you don't use, and step down from plans with features you don't need.
Annual billing is often cheaper if you will keep the service all year. Watch for free trials that roll into paid plans.
Bookkeeping software: if Making Tax Digital applies to you, you need compatible software. HMRC's software finder lets you compare products, including any free options.
Property costs set by your local council. These rules are for England — Wales and Scotland have their own.
Small business rate relief: if your business uses one property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less, you pay no business rates on it. Relief tapers away between £12,000 and £15,000. Ask your council if it is not on your bill.
Even without relief, properties with a rateable value under £51,000 are charged at the lower small business rate.
Check your rateable value is right using the government's valuation service.
Announced, not yet law: the 28 October 2026 Budget said qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure properties will get full relief up to £18,000 (tapering to £21,000) from 1 April 2027.
Council Tax: if you are the only adult in your home, you can usually get 25% off. Council Tax Reduction can help if your income is low.
Making sure you get what you are entitled to, and free help with debts.
Check your entitlement to benefits. The Turn2us calculator works for self-employed people too.
Build a simple budget for home and business, so you can see where the money goes each month.
Business debts such as tax, rates or suppliers: Business Debtline gives free, confidential advice to self-employed people and small businesses — 0800 197 6026.
Can't pay a tax bill in full? Contact HMRC early. You may be able to set up a payment plan.
Avoid paying for debt help. Good free advice is available — see the links below.
None of these organisations is connected with MRS Bookkeeping, and none of them reviews or endorses this guide.
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MoneySavingExpert
A free consumer website with comparisons and guides on energy, broadband, insurance and more. Its comparisons may earn it commission; it explains how on its own site.
No commission from this guideMRS Bookkeeping earns nothing from any link on this page. You can use everything here without ever contacting us.
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A separate interest, declaredMartin is also a Utility Warehouse Partner, which is a separate business. This guide does not recommend any supplier. Any Utility Warehouse information will only ever appear on its own clearly labelled page.
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Checked against official sourcesFacts and rules checked 10 November 2026. Announced changes are marked as not yet law.
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Spotted something out of date?Let Martin know — prices and rules change often.
