Sometimes it’s nice to get our and do something different. One of my favourite  hobbies is ice skating - unless you are lucky enough to have a skating rink in your backyard (and live in a sufficiency cold climate!), you’ll need to get to an Ice rink to do this.

I started it as an adult skater after I saw the former figure skating World Champion Irina Slutskaya perform a magical Biellmann spin on TV.  I always wanted to do it - I always admired those strong, graceful figure skaters - but never had the courage to do it.  This time however was different. After I saw her spin like a doll on music box at something like 30mph, I just had to do it!

I must admit it wasn’t easy to start ice skating, being an adult, awareness of causing yourself an injury can bring the fear factor into play in a big way and  for the first 2 years I always felt scared whenever I stepped onto the ice. But after changing my boots and blade sharpener following my skating mate’s advice, things definitely turned for better. One word of warning here, skates are quite expensive and can easily get left on the tube or in the pub, as happened to a friend of mine, so check that your household insurance includes valuables away from the home cover.  When I first started I paid for lessons from a coach but as I started progressing  I decided to save some money by teaming up with a friend.  She is technically better than me so I choreograph for her and she teaches me some techniques in return.
I have been skating for 10 years now, on and off.   I can do a few single jumps and some basic spins.  As an average athlete I don’t think it is bad.  I could have progressed faster if I had skated regularly, but my work and personal commitment does not really allow that and I am not in a hurry. I love the sensation when I skate, you feel like you became a seagull and flying above the sea!

A final word of caution is with storage of Ice skates - good figure skates can cost in the hundreds of pounds, and despite their relatively chunky appearance (compared with shoes ) , they offer potential thieves a very good size to value ratio. Be sure to store skates securely in the home ,as well as keeping them dry to avoid rust.

There was a time when people were rewarded for loyalty to local businesses. Sadly these days seem distant, and in many instances customers of local business will have to pay more for their bills than if they use companies further afield.

This is particularly true of the energy market. There have been 29 different energy price changes this year so far. A mere 3 of these have rewarded customers who remained loyal to their energy supplier.

According to research by Uswitch.com, people who choose to stick with their local energy supplier are expected to pay 15% more than those who do not. It has been estimated that the British population could make a combined saving of £681m on their electricity bills by researching the market for the best deals.

In many instances the local electricity supplier is adding what is dubbed a ‘loyalty tax’ to the bills of their longer term customers. Research has shown that local suppliers will charge anything up to £25 more to customers in their ‘home’ area.

Despite the money that could be saved by switching it is estimated that 33% of energy customers remain faithful to their local supplier.

The competitiveness of the energy market means that energy suppliers are always attempting to lure new customers by offering attractive deals. People who have been with the same supplier for a long time are advised to research the market online for home insurance. Just half an hour online could result in significant savings.

Gareth Kloet, head of energy at Confused.com, said, ‘our research suggests that despite fierce competition in the energy market, the energy suppliers continue to be more willing to compete on price in an attempt to gain new business than they are in retaining and rewarding loyalty in their old monopoly trading regions’.

As an example, British Gas cut an average of 10% off its standard electricity prices a few months ago. Without taking the time to find out such information people may have carried on paying significantly over the odds with their local supplier.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, said, ‘There are two ways of looking at this. The downside is that suppliers are charging local customers a
loyalty tax, but the upside is that they are providing a really good incentive for households to switch, which is what competition is all about. This issue is completely in consumers’ own hands, as these extra costs are avoidable if they use the market’.

‘Consumers have to understand that there is no reward for loyalty. The cheapest prices and best deals are being offered time and time again to those who are prepared to change suppliers,” she said. “It cannot be clearer than this - if you are still with your local electricity board you are not getting a good deal. This local loyalty tax is completely avoidable - don’t let it hit you’, she went on.

The insurance industry is also highly competitive and people are advised to consider what savings they could make on their Home and Contents Insurance premiums.