Bargain hunter: Halfords’ zero-VAT child car seats are cheap and with a safety message

Royal Mail is cutting its small parcel charges from 20 October

Staff at work in the packet and parcel section of the Royal Mail's Swan Valley mail centre (Matthew Lloyd/2013 Getty Images)

For the next month Halfords is selling its range of child car seats at zero-rate VAT prices.

The deal is part of the company’s campaign calling for the EU to abolish the 5 per cent VAT currently added to every child car seat sold in the UK.

You can support the campaign by going to www.change.org/p/european-union-abolish-vat-on-child-car-seats#share and signing the petition.

Halfords’ car seat deal lasts until 17 November.

Royal Mail delivers better deals on small parcels

If you’ve got any non-urgent parcels to post, it’s probably a good idea to wait 10 days or so. That’s because on 20 October Royal Mail is cutting charges and raising size allowances for its “small parcel” format.

From that date, the company is almost doubling the maximum volume allowed in a small parcel, which can now be 45cm x 35cm x 16cm. Between 20 October and 18 January 2015, Royal Mail is also cutting some small parcel prices.

At present, there are separate charges for parcels weighing up to 1kg and parcels weighing between 1kg and 2kg, but during the busiest postal period from mid-October to Mid-January, including Christmas, all second-class small parcels weighing up to 2kg will cost the same.

Of course it could work out even cheaper to use a discount online courier service. They bulk-buy postage slots from big firms such as DHL and sell them to the public. Options include MyParcelDelivery, P4D and Pharos Parcel.

Broadband for business at a bearable price

Run your own business? You may want to take advantage of Plusnet’s new broadband deal.

It is offering Unlimited Business Broadband from £2.50 a month for 12 months, after which it climbs to £13 a month.

To get the deal you need to take broadband and line rental – at £10.50 a month – on a 24-month contract. The deal is available until 11 November.

Energy consumers not getting switch message

The best way to save money on energy bills? Switch supplier or tariff, and the savings could be £300 a year.

Despite that, less than a quarter consider switching deals each winter, according to research published this week by the energy watchdog Ofgem.

Ann Robinson of the comparison site uSwitch, said: “The fact that only 23 per cent say they will shop around for their energy as part of their winter checklist means that millions could be compromising on their health in order to get by.

“The difference between the cheapest and most expensive tariff is £300, so switching will help hard-pressed consumers before the cold weather starts to bite,” she said.

The independent supplier Extra Energy currently offers the lowest-priced energy tariff at a typical price of £988 a year.