YOU may be eligible to get a free £150 to help with your energy bills this winter.

A number of energy suppliers will be giving the discount on bills for struggling households this winter.

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The help is being provided via the Government’s Warm Home Discount scheme.

The package sees energy suppliers give a £150 discount on the electricity bills of people claiming certain benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The support is not awarded as cash into your bank account but instead applied directly to your account by your energy supplier.

The credit you have in your energy account will increase by £150 so it can only be used on your energy bills.

If you have a traditional prepay meter, you will instead be sent a voucher which you can use to top up the meter in your home.

The support is given automatically to people claiming certain benefits including:

• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Universal Credit
• Housing benefit
• Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits
• Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)

To get the money this year, you will need to be claiming these benefits during the qualifying week.

This is usually in August, however the official week has not yet been confirmed.

The Warm Home Discount scheme will reopen in October and it is likely we will get an update then.

It’s also important to know that not all energy suppliers are part of the scheme.

So even if you are claiming the eligible benefits, you may not receive the help.

If your energy supplier is part of the scheme, they should contact you to let you know whether you are eligible, these letters usually come before January the next year.

The scheme opens in October and runs until March each year so your discount can be applied anytime.

I HAVE always loved a city that can be navigated by foot.

Not only because you can tick off all the sights with ease but burning off the calories means you can gorge on the local grub guilt-free.

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That is something I’d been doing a lot of in Porto, where gooey custard tarts can be picked up on almost every street for around €1.

Portugal’s second largest city is close to the country’s northern coast, with the River Douro cutting through its centre.

It’s not just custard tarts, known here as pastel de nata, that I’d been gobbling.

The region is known for its traditional food which includes bacalhau (salted cod fish) and the Francesinha toasted sandwich layered with assorted hot meats and cheeses then smothered in a rich beer sauce and served with French fries.

The sandwich is a ritual for after a good few inexpensive port cocktails.

After all, if there’s one thing this city is known for other than food, it’s port.

Here, this fortified wine is not just associated with Christmas and to be paired only with your favourite stilton or Stinking Bishop, it’s served year round in all the restaurants and bars.

Never tried it before? Well, think of a vibrant red wine that’s sweet and with depth — just like the Tripeiros (the slang name given to Porto’s charming inhabitants).

The Douro Valley has been making port since Roman times, but it was in the 17th century that port wine as we know it today was born when Brits fortified the booze in order to maintain its quality while transporting it by sea.

And you can learn all about the process at the World of Wine in the historic heart of nearby Gaia.

A short distance from the city centre within an old port warehouse, the attraction is made up of seven museums, 12 restaurants and bars, several shops and even a wine school.

For proper wine enthusiasts, the Wine Experience is a must-do, allowing visitors to get hands-on with tastings and immersive artwork, all while learning the grape-to-bottle process.

Of course, this doesn’t beat a proper tasting. And Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo winery is the place to do it.

You can sample the good stuff, along with nibbles, on a terrace overlooking the lush valley and river below.

The vineyards are a sight to behold, dazzling in colour, and the wines they produce are seriously good.

If you’re after a more substantial meal to soak up the vino, the Mercado do Bolhao is where to head.

Seriously good

The food hall is packed with various counters selling local produce, from meats, fish, fruit and veg to breads and pastries and is, of course, somewhere to grab a tipple.

Or for something fancier, there’s the DOP restaurant, which does a sensational 14-course tasting menu.

Highlights include a meat-free take on carbonara where the pasta is cleverly crafted from squid.

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Taste buds satisfied, I ventured back to Porto to walk off the indulgence along the hilly and cobbled streets of the Miragaia neighbourhood.

It was there that I discovered Livraria Lello — what can only be described as the world’s most beautiful bookshop, housed in a curious neo-Gothic building.

Set over four floors, it features stained-glass windows, intricate woodwork and a grand, imposing central staircase that takes you up to balconies overlooking the lower levels.

Allegedly, the site was an inspiration for Harry Potter author JK Rowling when she lived and taught in the city.

The store certainly has an otherworldly feel to it, although it’s in the basement that the true magic unfolds, with many rare tomes and first editions adorning the shelves.

Otherworldly feel

Entry to the shop is €8 and this can be redeemed against a book purchase, although make sure to get there early to avoid the long queues that form around the block.

Luckily, I’d been staying at the 5H Editory Boulevard Hotel, which is a seven-minute walk from the store, so the early rise wasn’t a problem.

The hotel serves a sensational breakfast that can’t be missed.

That is if you have any room left in your stomach.

It’s safe to say, you won’t go at all hungry or thirsty while in Porto.

The blasts could be heard throughout Beirut, an earth-shaking thunder that rolled across the city on Friday evening. For Doctor Jihad Saadeh, director of Lebanon’s largest public hospital, it was the beginning of a sleepless night full of carnage.

Saadeh’s private clinic was just a few hundred metres away from the target of Israeli jets that dropped bombs on at least six residential buildings that collapsed before his eyes. Their aim was to kill Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, who was confirmed dead on Saturday.

“We saw the jets of red smoke shoot up into the sky, the buildings just collapsed,” he said. He had raced from his clinic to the Rafik Hariri hospital to ready his staff.

“We got only bodies at first,” he said. “The buildings just collapsed. All of them were below the rubble. There were no injuries, just fatalities.”

The bombing wreaked havoc across Lebanon, from Beirut’s southern suburbs to the Bekaa Valley in the east and across the south. Israeli warplanes pummeled areas far from Hizbollah’s traditional pockets of support, including in Mount Lebanon and Chouf.

Massive plumes of orange and red smoke billowed from between Beirut’s densely-packed apartment buildings as the sound of sirens filled the city that endured at least 11 air strikes on Friday night and Saturday morning, according to Lebanese state news.  

The strikes that killed Nasrallah flattened multiple residential buildings. When the sun rose, a massive crater left by the bombs in Dahiyeh, was visible from the hills surrounding Beirut.

Lebanon’s health ministry asked hospitals near Beirut that had not been struck to stop accepting non-urgent cases to make room for patients who were being evacuated from hospitals in the capital’s southern suburbs.

The bombings killed at least 11 people and injured 108, the health ministry said on Saturday. That is probably an undercount as it represents only hospitals that reported their data to the ministry.

A tense period of mourning took hold in Beirut in the hours after Hizbollah confirmed Nasrallah’s killing on Saturday. Shops closed across the city.

Israel, meanwhile, continued its assault against Hizbollah, saying it had killed another of the group’s commanders in a strike on Dahiyeh on Saturday, the southern suburb where Nasrallah was assassinated. As its drones buzzed incessantly over Beirut, the Israeli military vowed to keep up its attacks.

Many families who fled their homes were dazed and frightened, struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

After assassinating Nasrallah on Friday night, the Israeli military warned residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate for “your safety and the safety of your loved ones” as it prepared to step up its bombing campaign.

The orders, posted on social media platform X, sparked fear as they marked specific buildings across neighbourhoods, identifying them by the families that lived there or the cafés on their bottom floors. It told residents living there and in the surrounding buildings to leave immediately because the Israeli military would be “forced to act against these [Hizbollah] interests in the immediate future”. 

Residents of the Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut’s southern suburbs said panic spread rapidly through its narrow alleys and concentrated buildings when Israel warned that the surrounding neighbourhood would be bombed. 

One woman from the camp, a Palestinian refugee who had fled Syria to Lebanon in 2012, had to run again on Friday night, this time to a seaside walkway.

“We fled from the horror. As soon as we heard the evacuation orders, we left,” she said. Her family stood on the side of a dark highway as the sound of air strikes reverberated around them before a van finally offered them a lift.

“We’re definitely not going back. They’re still bombing,” she said. 

All around her were families who had made the same journey. As the sun climbed higher along Beirut’s corniche where the refugees had sought sanctuary, exhausted fathers strung blankets between palm trees to create shade for their families.

Plastic bottles and potato chip bags littered the walkway that would normally be thronged with joggers and ping-pong players. Instead, children and grandparents sat on the ground eating bread and drinking tea that had been passed out by volunteers. 

Fatima, an 18-year old girl who asked that her real name not be used, had fled from the suburb of Lailaki with her family after midnight. When the bombings first started on Friday evening, they initially decided to remain in their home. 

But the explosions were so intense, so loud and so close that she lost consciousness.

“I fainted,” she said. “Our house became like paper,” she added, moving her hand to show the way her home had seemed to fold and shake. 

The family decided to leave only after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for houses in their neighbourhood 

Surrounded by her suitcases on the seaside boardwalk, Zaynab, Fatima’s aunt, said she did not know where she would go next or if she would be able to return to her home.

“We don’t even know if our house is still there to go back to,” Zaynab said. 

I BREATHE calmly into my snorkel and gently float as a manatee and its calf leisurely swim beneath me.

Just two hours’ drive from a world of Mickey Mouse and rollercoasters, these magical creatures — also known as sea cows — can be found in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s western coast.

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I’m staying at The PaddleTail Waterfront Lodge on Kings Bay, the ideal hub for making the most of this natural paradise on the Gulf of Mexico.

As I slip into my wetsuit, dive expert Jake, from Waterfront Adventures, guides us through the etiquette of meeting these gentle giants.

We set sail before sunrise in search of manatee activity, which can be identified through “footprints” — oval-shaped ripples on the surface of the water.

Our boat stops in the Three Sisters Springs where these marine mammals bask in the 22C turquoise waters.

It takes some bravery to pause and float as a 500kg animal swims towards you.

But it is as if these creatures give off a calming energy throughout the water as they hoover up the grass on the seabed.

Jake also encourages us to get a closer look at the three springs — Pretty Sister, Deep Sister and Little Sister — which actually contain a total of 19 freshwater springs between them.

I plunge beneath the surface and watch as the sand bubbles like nature’s very own hot tub brimming with yellow-bellied sliders and schools of fish.

The three-hour tour ends with a fluffy white towel to dry off and a velvety mocha to sip as we make our way back to the shore, leaving the manatees to graze on their breakfast.

After working up an appetite in the water, we head to the Wild Sassa seafood shack to enjoy a fresh shrimp taco.

It is set on the edge of the Homosassa River, and the queue of hungry adventure seekers in wetsuits and flip-flops reflect how this humble trailer has made its way into the top 100 taco spots in the USA.

And while Florida is typically associated with fast food giants, the Homosassa Springs area boasts some of the freshest seafood on the coast.

Bayside Kraft Kitchen serves up homemade fries with perfectly poached lobster, while Waterfront Social offers fresh alligator bites, if you dare.

For those wishing to unwind, the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park is a calming oasis.

While there, don’t miss the underwater observatory, which allows visitors to step beneath the spring’s surface and watch as the manatees and fish swim in a natural habitat.

A 90-minute drive down the coast we switch up the tempo in the vibrant city of St Petersburg.

While the city itself can be considered its very own gallery — with colourful murals on every block — it is also home to the Salvador Dali Museum.

The museum houses the largest collection of the Spanish surrealist’s work, all enclosed within 18-inch thick walls designed to withstand the powerful hurricanes that can wreak havoc in this corner of the globe.

A hive of activity

You can also experience his work in an incredible sound and light show inside a glass sphere known as The Dali Dome.

After a bit of culture and dinner of nduja and prawn ravioli at Brick & Mortar in Downtown St Pete, we head to the hub of the city.

It is a place where twentysomethings are sipping craft beers from local microbreweries with their university friends, while those 50 years their senior cheer each other from the sidelines at the St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club.

Founded in 1924, it is the oldest and largest shuffleboard club in the world.

The aim of the game is to push weighted discs along narrow courts into designated boxes to score points, in what becomes an addictive and frustrating game.

As the sun sets, the Friday Night St Pete Shuffle is a hive of activity, with a cool bring-your own booze” policy — the ideal aperitif to a delicious dinner.

For those wishing to carry on the night, retro club Goodnight John Boy is the ultimate party, playing Seventies and Eighties disco tracks.

But a trip to this corner of the world would not be complete without some serious relaxation.

Clearwater Beach is a three-mile stretch of powder-white sand that has turquoise Gulf waters lapping on to its shore.

The sand, derived from quartz, is cool under foot.

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And it coated my toes in a refreshing way as I took a stroll in the 33C heat.

After basking in the sunshine, a dip in the pool at my hotel — the four-star beachside Opal Sands Resort — was just the thing.

As the sun sets, I grab a seat at the hotel’s SandBar Waterfront Tiki Bar and order a raspberry mojito while watching playful dolphins dip and dive in the bluest Gulf waters.

I would never have thought of white-knuckle rollercoaster paradise Florida as a destination to relax and recharge — but it seems that this corner of the Sunshine State truly is.

A LUCKY Tesco shopper managed to nab the “bargain” of their life when they found a pair of kids sports shoes priced at just 4p.

The shockingly low price sent social media into a frenzy with many wondering how shoes were so cheap.

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The pair of B Sports Shoes normally cost £13 but its price had been reduced by more than 99%.

A post of the staggering deal shared on Facebook amassed countless shocked reactions.

The post stated: “Bargain of [my] life, Tesco kids School trainers for 4p, original price £13.00.”

Users were also quick to comment on the extraordinary offer.

One said: “Well done on your bargain!”

But many also shared insight into why the price was so low.

One sharp commenter claimed: “Item at 4p are old stock and meant to be removed from shelves.”

However, another said: “Shouldn’t have been sold.

“It’s meant to be for charity.”

Tesco often reduces prices to 4p on goods that are considered ‘old stock.’

Just last month, a savvy shopper nabbed a two pack of boys long-sleeve shirts for just 4p.

The buyer said: “Found the bargain of the century in Tesco.

“It looks like all the boys long sleeve shirts now come in a pack of 3 (£5.50) however after rummaging through I found a pack of 2 (£3.50).

“When I got to the till I was charged a grand total of just 4p for the 2 pack.

“Looks like it’s old season stock so if you can find this colour packet you might get a bargain too!”

Two years ago, a post Christmas sale of old stock from Tesco saw countless items reduced to the 4p price tag.

A TRAVEL expert has uncovered the secrets of fancy hotel toiletries and revealed why you should never trust them.

Holidaymakers love to horde tiny bottles of high-end shampoos and lotions but you might not be getting what you think you’re paying for.

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Plenty of hotels sign exclusive agreements with luxury cosmetics brands to carry miniature versions of their signature products.

These can add a touch of class to an en suite, but bosses are keen not to give away too much for free.

And, according to travel whizz Jessica Sulima, they don’t.

Writing for Thrillist, she claimed that when it comes to hotel toiletries most of the value is in the name on the bottle.

Jessica said: “These days, it’s rare to find a generic, unheard-of brand lining your bathroom sink or shower caddy.

“As far as luxury hotels go, expect to find D.S. and Durga at The Carlyle, Bamford at The Palace Hotel, or Diptyque at the Ritz-Carlton.

“The trend is a win-win — the hotels get to amplify their prestige, and the cosmetic companies get to spread brand awareness.

“It was probably naive of me, however, to think that such products are exact replicas of what you can find in stores.

“In practice, hotels typically work with these brands to create custom formulations that reasonably approximate their product at scale.

“These samples are designed to be as close to the real deal as possible, and in a perfect world, guests wouldn’t be able to sniff out the substitute.”

Her suspicions were backed up by Anna Ableson, a professor at the Tisch Insitute of Hospitality at NYU.

The industry insider said: “Some hotel toiletries may look like retail name-brand products, but they’re often formulated and sourced differently to meet hospitality industry needs.

“This can cause variations in quality and composition compared to store-bought versions.”

And Ian Ginsburg, president of beauty brand C.O. Bigelow, added: “The north star is to do it exactly as it is.

“But it’s a balance of cost. Sometimes the cost is too much, so we’ll try to modify the fragrance.”

It comes after a Brit who has gone on more than 50 cruises revealed the one item he never leaves home without.