Winter warning As the Starks would say, winter is coming. And with the colder weather come higher bills as people bid to keep the chill at bay, battle illnesses, or fork out on a warmer winter wardrobe. “All told, then, we reckon the cost of winter is going to come in at a fairly eye-

By Tiernan Cannon Faced with the dreaded sums of the bi-monthly electricity bill, many people in Ireland have or will consider switching over to prepay power options such as those offered by Pinergy, PrePayPower or Electric Ireland’s Smarter Pay As You Go option. Prepay power op

Rent prices have soared to some disturbingly high levels in recent years, particularly in the cities around the country. Buying a house is more difficult than ever, so it’s just the icing on the cake that rent has become such a terrifically difficult expense to manage. If you

By Tiernan Cannon Being a student can be hard. Those late nights don’t pay for themselves, and sometimes the choice between that last drink of the night or a meal the next day can be a very real and gruelling prospect. However, it doesn’t have to be like this. With a little thought an

Ireland geo-blocked? According to a recent report entitled ‘Do Invisible Borders Still Restrict Consumer Access to Services in the EU?’, online shoppers can be discriminated against on the basis of nationality through geo-blocking – the prevention of customers in one EU co

Free or ‘free’? ‘Free’ is always an eye-catching word, as most of us enjoy getting something for nothing, even if it’s just a free sample from the local supermarket. But, The Irish Times’ Fiona Reddan warns this week, free doesn’t always necessarily mean free, and consumers should be

Home renovations According to the Irish Independent’s John Cradden, time is ticking for those seeking tax relief on their home renovations. The Home Renovation Incentive Scheme was established by Budget 2014, and offers relief “by way of an Income Tax credit at 13.5% of qu

Contactless – the good and the bad Contactless payments make paying for goods and services an even easier task – simply tap your card against the terminal and you can pay within seconds for amounts of up to €30, without having to enter your pin. According to the Irish Inde

Raising kids, they say (whoever ‘they’ may be) is a rewarding experience. The joys of parenthood, watching children grow up and find their place in the world, make friends, experience school life, study, work and perhaps eventually start a family of their own, are invaluab