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Every guide, with the number first

Six plain answers on UK tax, bills, saving and pensions. The big figure is the part most people came for, and the guide explains where it comes from.

  1. £1,000

    Do I pay tax on my savings interest?

    Probably not, if your balance is modest. But a higher rate on savings income is due from April 2027, and the limits depend on your earnings.

    Tax, published 3 November 2026. Figures: 2026/27 and 2027/28.
    The orange cover of an old Post Office Savings-Bank passbook with a printed crest showing a kiwi
    Photo: Wainuiomartian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source, cropped
  2. 26.32p

    How do I read my energy bill and check it is right?

    A real sum at the October to December 2026 price cap rates, then the checks that catch most wrong bills.

    Bills, published 13 October 2026. Figures: 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026.
    A UK household Economy 7 electricity meter with two rows of digits, mounted beside a black radio teleswitch
  3. ×3

    How much should I have in emergency savings?

    The common target is three months of essentials. Here is how to work out your own figure, and how it meets sick pay and benefit rules.

    Saving, published 29 September 2026. Figures: 2026/27 where stated.
    A small glass clip-top jar on a wooden table holding a little stack of British pound coins and coppers
    Photo: Free Images, CC BY 2.0, source, cropped
  4. 8%

    How much actually goes into a workplace pension?

    The 8% minimum is smaller than it sounds, because it usually applies to only part of your pay.

    Pensions, published 8 September 2026. Figures: 2026/27.
    An older couple in sun hats sitting on a bench by the water with a golden retriever lying beside them
  5. £95

    How do I make a household budget that lasts the whole month?

    Five steps and a complete worked example, with the yearly bills that usually wreck a monthly plan spread out in advance.

    Budgeting, published 19 August 2026. Figures: Method, no rates.
    A person writing in an open notebook on their lap with a pen
  6. £4,686

    How much income tax and National Insurance will I pay?

    Three salaries, every sum on show, using the 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Tax, published 14 July 2026. Figures: 2026/27.
    A pink 1955 UK payslip with handwritten pounds, shillings and pence beside gross salary, overtime and income tax