Tips for managing your bills

Our guide has tips and support that may help you

We'll cover:

How to manage your bills
Support with food and energy bills
Managing bills online

How to manage your bills

List your outgoing payments

Make a list of all your bills and payments, how much they are and when they are due. Make sure you include your mortgage or rent payments, mobile phone costs and utility bills. Use an average cost of your last three bills, if your bills differ each month.

Also check to see if you have any subscriptions or membership payments. You can view, block or cancel subscriptions, through our Mobile Banking app.

If you bank online, spending insights can help you. It gives a breakdown of where your money goes and will tell you the categories of spend. This helps you spot spending patterns and where you might be able to make some savings.

Select your payment date

Some companies will let you select the date your payment is due. Phone whoever you're paying and check if you can change your payment date. There may be a date that suits you better.

It may be helpful to have your bills come out on the day you get paid. If you get paid weekly, try spreading out payments over the month.

You can keep track of what payments you have due by checking your upcoming payments within the app.

Depending on the type of bill, sometimes you can make a one-off payment each year. For example, you could pay your car insurance or road tax yearly, which could result in you paying less overall.

We've got more budgeting advice to help you manage your money.

Choose your payment method

A Direct Debit tells your bank or building society that a business or service can collect monthly or one-off payments from your account on a set date. The company will let you know the amount you need to pay.

A standing order is a way to make regular payments from your account. You can use this to pay a person, a company or to move money between your own Bank of Scotland accounts. You can set up a standing order through Internet Banking or our Mobile Banking app.

You can make one-off payments over the phone or online if you prefer. If you need to make a payment by a set date, make a note of the due date or set a reminder.

Make sure you are getting a fair deal

It is always worth taking time to check the price you are paying is a fair deal. You can do this by using price comparison websites. Check the price you are paying is reasonable or maybe search for a better deal.

If you have an agreement that’s coming to an end, for example, your gas, electricity or broadband provider, you may find a better price.

Independent money advice services, including MoneyHelper, have advice on using comparison websites. They also have tips and advice on how you could reduce your bills.

Support with food costs and energy bills

Managing bills online

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