The sun - literally spunking money at us

In the week when doomsayers predicted that the cost of gas and electricity would shortly rise to a level where it would be cheaper to have liquid platinum piped into your house instead, the government have launched a solar power initiative that could save the lives of millions of penguins and make you some hard cash.

From 1^st April, the government will pay new users of solar power for the electricity they generate, even if they use all of it themselves. Obviously, you’ll need an initial outlay for the photovolatiac (PV) solar panels (between £10k-£12k) and a south-facing, obstruction-free roof.

But after that, you’ll be paid 41.3p per kilowatt hour generated, which the government reckon will earn you as much as £900 in payouts, not to mention a saving on your regular bills of about £140. Better still, the payments will be guaranteed for the next 25 years and will be linked to inflation.

Early adopters who have already installed PV panels will also be rewarded, but at a lower rate. As the clever man in The Guardian who we’ve sourced the story from says: “If the government offered to pay you £1,000 a year for the next 25 years, in return for an up-front investment of £12,500, you’d snap it up in a second.” And that, in a nutshell, subject to many, many boxes that you’ll need to tick first, is what you could be getting.

It seems the sun has got his hat on. Hip hip hip hooray! Or something.

Happy New Year, reader! It’s true, 2010 is already massively disappointing in its lack of anti-gravity boots and jetpack-assisted travel, but never fear – here’s another method for taking to the skies and saving a few quid in the process.

Avid Bitterwallet reader Emma has been in touch with tales of using Ryanair gift vouchers to avoid credit card fees – the hot topic of conversation of the Office of Fair Trading right now.

Emma says:

My friend Tom told me about his recent booking of a Ryanair flight. He saved himself a few quid by using Ryanair gift vouchers, instead of paying with his credit card at the checkout.As far as I can see, the credit card charge for booking a return flight is £10 per person, unless you are using a pre-paid Mastercard, which very few people have. However, if you buy some Ryanair gift vouchers first, then use these gift vouchers to pay for your trip, you won’t have to pay the credit card fee.

There are a few things to consider: there is a £5 admin fee to buy the vouchers, plus any unused amount in the voucher is considered void. The vouchers come in denominations of £25, so you need to work out if it will be a benefit to you or not.

For example, Tom’s flight for 2 people was totalling about £96. It would have been £116 with the credit card fees. Instead, he paid £105 for £100 worth of gift vouchers, used them on the flight, and therefore saved £11 for a few minutes work. He lost £4 in the value of the gift voucher, but still made a saving. It also depends on the cost of your flights to start with – but you should be able to work out the best option.

Two further points to add – the vouchers are worthless after six months so only buy them when you’re ready to book your flights. Also, the vouchers are dispatched by email; if, for whatever reason (and there are plenty) you don’t receive the voucher, you have to phone a premium rate number for assistance.

It’s hardly worth the effort if you’re travelling alone, but if you’re considering a family holiday for larger groups or even a city break for two of you, then spending a few quid on gift vouchers to avoid multiple credit card fees may be the way to go.

Lifehacker are running their top ten lists of 2009 and through them we unearthed this corking gem of a hack from The Washington Post, with some advice on what to do should you drop your mobile down the toilet, as several of you invariably will while pissed up at the Christmas party:

My friend told me to leave it turned off overnight in a bowl of uncooked rice.

Rice, he explained, sucks out moisture. After sleeping in a bed of rice, my BlackBerry functioned well on Sunday, except for the time function, which froze.

It was flimsy on Monday, fading in and out, but sprang back to life on Tuesday, after another night in the rice bowl.

The health benefits of rice will probably only extend a mobile’s life for so long after a swim, so it’s probably best to concentrate on the job in hand in the first place.

[Washington Post] via [Lifehacker]

Sugru is like plasticine, except it contains Methyltris (methylethylketoxime) silane and Gamma-Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane and is a malleable, silicone based material that bonds to nearly any other material and begins to cure and harden after half an hour. So nothing much like plasticine at all. What the hell does all that mean, then? Well, you can use it to repair stuff, improve stuff or – essentially, hack stuff.

It comes in five colours and costs £7 a pack (although they’ve already sold out of their first order) – and is something else to stick in that kitchen drawer that’s full of crap along with the envelopes, unopened ball of string, coasters and expired prescriptions – except you might actually get some use out of this:

Want your computer without the operating system bundled in with it? Easy – don’t use the OS and demand the manufacturer refund the cost of it. Well, it’s not that easy, but it’s a cracking precedent that’s been set.

The Register tells the story of Graeme Cobbett who was paid £70 by Dell, after he bought a Studio 1555 notebook and installed Ubuntu-based Linux Mint – instead of using the pre-loaded Windows Vista complete with a free upgrade to Windows 7.

The Microsoft Windows End User License Agreement means accepting terms of use as soon as you fire up Windows, but a clause in the EULA states:

“By using the software, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the software. Instead, return it to the retailer for a refund or credit. If you cannot obtain a refund there, contact Microsoft or the Microsoft affiliate serving your country for information about Microsoft’s refund policies.”

Cobbett got around the problem by booting up the notebook from the new operating system on CD. Because he didn’t open up Windows, he didn’t accept the terms. It only took two months and 14 email exchanges with Dell but eventually he was paid his refund for rejecting Windows.

[The Register] thanks to Bitterwallet reader Mark Pearson

Good news for Amazon shoppers (courtesy of HotUKDeals member pheonix322) – the online retailer have dropped their £5 minimum spend that allowed customers to qualify for free Super Saver Delivery.

The days of faffing about trying to find a suitable filler item in order to qualify for free shipping are over. As of RIGHT NOW, you can spend any amount, however small and piffling and as long as you select the Super Saver Delivery, you won’t have to fork out for shipping.

Don’t forget though, the free delivery isn’t automatic as it is with other online retailers – you’ll still have to select it from the delivery options before you pay for your order.

Remember when the minimum for Super Saver was a hefty £15? Or when Amazon didn’t even have Super Saver? Honestly, it was like living behind the Iron Curtain or something. Horrible times…

Worryingly-named Bitterwallet reader ‘Bedlam’ has written to us with this little nugget of joy…

“Easyjet charge you £2.95 when you pay with a debit card, but there is a loophole.

Choose Visa Electron (which has no charge for use) from the drop-down menu,then input your Visa Debit Card details.

The Easyjet system can’t tell the difference between a Debit and an Electroncard number, so you don’t get charged the £2.95.”

Sounds ace. Anyone else tried it? Can you vouch for it or is Bedlam blowing smoke up the ass of the Bitterwallet community? Maybe it’s common knowledge already – if it is, we don’t care actually because if it helps just ONE person out there to save £2.95 then we’ve done our job.

God, you’re all so critical…

New York City is a class act, even for the frugal. Despite the common misconception, you don’t need to whore your tuppence for coin in order to afford a trip. If you’re planning a visit, here are 8 ways to save money and make the most of your time in the greatest city on Earth, after Ipswich:

Get ahead at US Immigrations
How long it takes to clear US Immigration at JFK varies between five minutes on a good day, and 90 minutes on a bad one. It’s improved massively in the past five years, but if there are only a handful of desks open and other flights arriving, you’ll be in for a very long wait.

To cut down your waiting time, simply get to the front of the queue. The walk between the plane and the immigration hall takes several minutes, so walk with purpose all the way and you’ll cut ahead of others who are ambling along. Even if you’re at the back of the plane, there’s no reason why you can’t be in amongst the first few dozen through immigration. Sounds like common sense but JFK gets insanely busy, and if you arrive just behind other flights you will be screwed.

How to get from JFK to your hotel
Wherever you’re staying in New York City, you’ve three options for travelling between the airport and your accommodation; taxi, shuttle bus and subway. Choose your transport according to the number of people in your party and the amount of luggage you have, and you could save yourself both time and money.

• First off, there’s a yellow cab from outside the terminal. It’s a fixed rate to Manhattan of $45 plus tolls plus a tip, so $50 to $55 in total. A ride to central Manhattan usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic (if anybody in the terminal asks if you need a taxi, ignore them – they’re illegal cabbies that won’t be any cheaper)

• A shuttle bus can be arranged before you fly or you can arrange one when you land; it usually costs about $20 per person. Transfer time depends on where the other passengers are travelling to – Manhattan has plenty of traffic, so it can take up to 90 minutes to reach your destination.

• As for the subway, there’s no stop at JFK but there is the Airtrain which links the airport to the subway. It costs $5 per person and you pay at the end of the ride. The subway is currently $2.25 per ride (there are no zones on the NYC subway) but if you’re buying an unlimited ticket for your trip, you can buy it immediately so in essence you’ll only pay the $5 for the Airtrain. Bargain. The Airtrain takes 15 minutes to reach the subway, then it’s around a 35 minutes transfer into Manhattan, so some days it’s quicker than a cab.

Which one is right for you?

If there are 3 or 4 of you with large cases – take a cab. It’ll work out at $13 – $18 each (so a lot cheaper than a shuttle) and you’ll get straight to your hotel without the need for heavy lifting.

If you’re by yourself with a heavy case – take the shuttle. It’ll take longer but it’s less then half the price of a cab.

If you’re alone or in a group with only hand luggage (or cabin suitcases) consider the Airtrain and subway. It can be quicker than the other two options, plus it’ll cost far less. The only drawback is you may have a walk a couple of blocks at the far end to reach your hotel – alternatively you could hail a cab and spend a few dollars getting there; cabs are far cheaper in NYC than London so it’ll still be cheaper than the other two options.

Buy your 7 day unlimited Metrocard early in the day
If you’re in the city for a week or longer, a 7 day unlimited Metrocard for the subway is a godsend. They cost $27 (around £17) for unlimited rides on any route (and the Roosevelt Island tramway) for seven days. Almost.

The 7 day expiry is a little too literal; your card isn’t valid for 168 hours, but on seven consecutive days. In other words, if you buy your card at 10pm on a Monday, it’ll expire at midnight on Sunday – so after 6 days and two hours. Gah. To get the best value for your money, it’s sometimes worth spending money on a couple of single fares, then buying your Metrocard after midnight, or early the next morning. (more…)

You’ve just booked up your uber-cheap hotel room from Lastminute.com. Now – to dinner! We once had a discussion in the office about what you could realistically cook using standard hotel amenities; here, George Egg attempts to find out. We wouldn’t suggest stuffing a kettle full of beans or stir-fry, but pasta seems to be perfectly acceptable:

To be honest, while it’s good to know you can sack off the extortionate room service prices and still eat well, you already know you’d make do with a Ginster’s pasty and a Snickers. You simply couldn’t be arsed, and neither could we.

[Consumerist]

We’ve delved into Lastminute.com’s Top Secret Hotels before on Bitterwallet – when one deal in particular was better off left a secret. However there are plenty of tips and tricks to figure out exactly what you’ll get for your money – guest author Emma Kelly has a few pearls of wisdoms for you, so stop slouching at the back and pay attention:

What are Top Secret Hotels?
“Top Secret Hotels” are exclusive cheap hotel deals, booked through Lastminute.com. Before booking, you know the price you will pay, the star rating and the rough area of your cheap hotel room, but you do not know the exact name of the hotel. Lastminute state you can find cheap hotels and get up to a 45% discount when booking your budget rooms in this fashion.

How do I book a top secret hotel deal?
It’s pretty simple. Just go to Lastminute.com, do a search for cheap hotel rooms in the city you are interested in, and the top secret hotels will show up in the search results, the same as with a normal search. It’s possible to use their filter options to show you only the secret hotels in the search results.

How do I figure out which hotel it is?
Google it baby. Once you have seen the cheap hotel prices on Lastminute, it’s time for a bit of detective work. Grab some of the details off the Lastminute hotel’s page, and fire them into the search engine of your choice. Hopefully you will see some results that give you the bargain hotel’s name. Be sure to check through at least the first page of results, and try a few different keyword searches during this process. Search for text from the hotel’s title, the description, even the amenities.

I have found that Lastminute don’t often copy and paste the exact description from the cheap hotel room, but you can usually work it out from the list of amenities. For example, the “Traditional hotel with brilliant offer – 4* – Reykjavik” lists that the hotel has a gym and an indoor pool, which can all be seen in the facilities on the Loftleidir hotel. You can also compare the style of restaurant, as Lastminute often lists “Chinese restaurant” or “Italian restaurant” as a feature.

This doesn’t work for every city, but if the hotel search has the option to sort by “closest to” you can use this to help figure out which secret hotel they are offering. Simply sort the list by “closest to” a certain well-known landmark. The list then shows in that order, with a figure at the top right, stating “distance from…”

For example, I did a search for cheap London hotel rooms, I sorted by “closest to” Buckingham Palace, and the list of top secret hotels shows me the distance from that landmark. From that point, you take the hotel name from the research which you have previously carried out, and try and verify the distances to see if the secret hotel room is where you think it is. You could use Google maps – enter the hotel name and the landmark and note the distance between. You can also use the tourist information on the hotel’s own website. (more…)

UPDATE 12/08: Orange has now scrapped the ToS change following consumer upset and cancellations. Read full update and official statement here.

So this whole Orange cancellation thing then – here’s the latest.

A couple of weeks ago, we revealed that Orange customers had a cast-iron way to get out of their pay monthly contracts after the company had increased some of their call charges.

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Orange customers took advantage, word got around and the whole thing began to snowball. A few questions about how to cancel arose, and so Paul came up with a troubleshooting guide. Our comments sections began to swell as you followed the instructions and gave us feedback on how it was working for you.

The days rolled by and more and more tales of successful cancellation followed and all was good. Then, towards then end of last week, things changed dramatically. Orange have started to reject some customers’ requests to cancel, saying that their legal team have told them they’re not eligible, because they don’t go over their monthly minutes allowance and they don’t make 0870 calls, the areas where the price changes are being actioned.

They’re also telling customers to make a complaint to Ofcom if they’re not happy, which sounds like fobbing off in the extreme. A case of telling you to make a noise somewhere else, through a procedure that’s trickier and more daunting than just picking up your phone, calling Orange and quoting a contract before getting your PAC number.

To us, this new approach from Orange sounds like complete and utter bollocks. Just because you haven’t encroached beyond your minutes or made an 0870 call YET doesn’t mean that you won’t in the future. Orange are deviating from the contractual agreement you both made when you signed up with them and now they’re trying to tell you that you have to just shut up, sit still and swallow a price rise whether you like it or not.

We’ll be spending the day trying to get a reaction to Orange’s shift in tactics from cleverer people than ourselves and hopefully the picture will become clearer over the next 24 hours. Either way, we’re certain that this isn’t over yet, and if you’re a disgruntled Orange customer looking for way out of your contract, we’ll do everything we can to help you make it happen.

Keep watching the skies, people.

Here’s today’s Apple news. Jailbreak your iPhone and Apple reckon you’re opening the floodgates to cyber-attacking hackers, drug dealers, rampaging crackheads, illegal immigrants, headshrinkers, shapeshifters, gay wizards, The Swine Flu, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, OJ Simpson, the handlebar mustache, another musical by Eric Idle and the abolition of the fifth gear in the motor car.

Actually, it’s just the cyber-attacking hackers and drug dealers but such is the rabid, random and paranoid madness that fills Apple’s latest statement on jailbreaking that you’d think using easily-found software to make your phone better was akin to opening Pandora’s Box.

Bunch of pricks.

In Part 1 of our Gym Membership Guide, we discussed various ways to minimize your losses from the small print in gym contracts. In this part, rather than going into nitty gritty of long term membership contracts, here are some options to save you the hassle through signing up via shorter term memberships at popular gyms.

For example, Fitness First has a 3 month minimum contract.  But bear in mind that Fitness First requires one full months notice of termination.  Reader Jase also advises you hold onto your contract, as when he went to cancel a shorter contract, discovered that the gym insists there are no contracts shorter than 12 months (until he provided evidence and they ‘let him off’). Also, you need to sign a “Departure Request Form” or write a letter by recorded delivery to ensure notice of cancellation is received.  Unfortunately, if you are within the minimum contract period, notice may be given to coincide with the end of that contract period.  You can try short term membership with Fitness First to check their services such as a free 1 day guest membership or their 2 week club membership with no long term commitment from £27.

What about David Lloyd, where according to their T&C agreements requiring three month’s written notice? In fact, various members and ex-members have had problems finalizing their cancellations. But rather than feeling ripped off, try the gym’s three month membership this summer, or their 4 week trial. Note: this offer expires 2nd August 2009.

LA Fitness also offers a free 5 day pass promotion or their no commitment 2 months gym membership and no starter fee from £79.  Also, check out the HUKD for LA Fitness deal for short term no commitment gym membership.

Reader Ian also pointed out that for those fortunate enough to be living near Guildford, Hounslow, Vauxhall, Liverpool or Manchester, The Gym Group offers no fixed contract at only £15 a month, and is open 24 hours a day.  Some only require 30 days notice, while others have no contract at all!

Lastly, if you are looking to save big money on a gym membership, then this is the deal for you: Health insurance provider Pru Health will actually pay towards your gym membership, if you commit to their vitality programme and attend the gym on average twice a week in the first three months. In theory, you could be paying as little as £20 for health insurance, with the added benefit of potentially free gym membership at your local gym, saving you over £200 a year. BUPA provides similar deals and are worth checking out.

Last week, we gathered your thoughts, opinions, and experiences on cancelling your gym memberships. We’ve since compiled your best stories, tips and tricks with ours into this general guide on how to cancel gym memberships. Here are a few things to bear in mind, starting with the most obvious:

1.  Read your contract. As a couple of readers pointed out in our non-randomised single blind control survey, we often don’t have an exit strategy before we sign on the dotted line. But it is important to know that these contracts are essentially credit agreements (you can read more here about credit agreements and how they apply to all kinds of paperwork you sign). So before you even sign the contract in the first place, make sure your read its T&Cs.

Having said that, there are certain terms and conditions and extenuating circumstances in which you can cancel, which we will cover generally below. Gyms are also legally obligated to show you your contract upon request, so if you don’t have a copy, feel free to ask for one. Just cancelling the direct debit is not only risky, but perfectly entitles the company involved to sue you in court for the money, and leave you with a CCJ to ruin your credit rating.

2. Shorter contracts. It should be pointed out that not all gyms run 6 month or year long contracts with 3 month cancellation policies. So shop around like the savvy consumer that you are, and join a gym with a shorter contract duration with better terms. You can also check out our previous guides (as pointed out by BW reader Acecatcher) to cheaper gym memberships and home gyms. We cover some of these gyms in part 2 of the guide and the deals they offer.

3. Check. Most of us join a gym for the sake of joining a gym, only to find ourselves attending no more than 1.5 visits a month. For those of us slightly more diligent, check your bank statements to ensure you are getting charged appropriately. Reader Chris was in for a bigger surprise when after 18 months after cancelling his membership, he discovered that he was being charged at £30 a month, amounting to a hefty £540 lesson. I personally had a similar situation after freezing our gym membership on holiday, only to find out months later that we had been direct debited for months on end at the full rate. Buyer beware.

4. Complain. If within the contract period, the gym fails to provide a satisfactory quality service, you might be able to cancel without penalty and void your contract by showing that it’s illegal or unfair under your local law or by showing, under your local law, that you were misled when you joined. Also, if you join online or by phone – and people do – then you have the right to a seven day cooling-offer period during which you can cancel your membership without any penalty.

5. Relocate. If you are moving, and the distance to the gym is impossible, some gyms have clauses that let you out. Reader Stephanie suggests looking for ways to prove that you are moving far away, as this could potentially get you out of your contract without paying any penalties. You could also ask your boss to write a note on headed paper saying you are being transferred. But you can probably get pretty creative with this…

6. Redundancy. Times are tough. But don’t just cancel your Direct Debit. BW reader Simon was made redundant over Christmas and did this only to find out weeks later that debt collectors were chasing him for fees plus a £50 collection fee on top of that. He was then forced to pay missed fees while not being let back into the gym for the month. A better approach would be to get hold of an employer letter stating your redundancy along with a P45 as evidence.

7. Health If you have an injury that prevents you from physically using the gym, get a doctors note explaining this. This does not necessarily have to be an injury; for a woman, that might mean pregnancy. It depends on your contract, of course, but the odds are that you’ll still be liable to pay for the length of the contract, but these changes when backed up with evidence often mean you increase your chances of cancelling your membership sooner without penalty.

The above is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but simply a compilation of options for you to consider so hope you find it helpful in some way. Hopefully, this help us consumers be a bit more wary with the small print we often fail to notice when taking out a gym membership. If you have anything else to add to the above, or manage to get out of your contract using any of the above tips and tricks, please share your story with us in the comment below.

During their recent annual shareholder meeting, BT announced it would be moving a significant number of customer service roles back to the UK from India. The news was met by a standing ovation – BT has hardly been the poster boy for customer care in recent times.

The roles aren’t expected to be repatriated until next year, but in the meantime if you’re struggling to get anywhere with your complaints, you can turn to Twitter. According to BT employees who have spoken to Bitterwallet, the company dipped a toe in the waters of Twitter with a single employee answering customer queries and ensuring they were dealt with. That was so successful that BT have now put together a team of ten staff at their Enniskillen customer service centre for dealing with residential customer complaints.

Not only do they answer queries put to them directly on Twitter, but the team are continuously sifting through all the Twitter messages looking for individuals complaining about BT and offering to help them resolve the issue. According to our contacts, the probability of having your complaint successfully dealt with is astronomically higher through Twitter than by calling Customer Services.

Smart. You’ll find BT on Twitter at @btcare – let us know if you try them out and how you get on.