A MAN completely ignored a hefty lottery win amounting to £320,000 and he only believed it when they rolled up to his front door.

Nurse Jonas, of Moreton, in The Wirral, Merseyside, had his “life-changing” win just three months after he signed up for the Postcode Lottery.

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Jonas landed the windfall with seven neighbours in Wirral – birthplace of stars including Strictly‘s Shirley Ballas, late TV presenter Paul O’Grady and Hollywood actor Taron Egerton – after CH46 7TU was announced as the winner of the £3.2million Postcode Millions prize.

Every ticket was worth £160,000, but Jonas and another neighbour doubled their winnings as they each played with two tickets.

A further 240 people playing in the wider Wirral postcode sector of CH46 7 received cheques ranging from £5,904 to £29,520, depending on how many tickets they played with.

Jonas told of his shock after the lottery crew turned up at his door – after failing to read email messages that he’d won.

He said: “My heart is about to come out of my chest. It’s a bit surreal. I didn’t know you were coming. I’m actually speechless. Thank you so much.

“I joined up after getting a letter through the door. They normally go straight in the bin, but it just shows that they do work.”

And he joked: “I got two tickets because I thought that if next door was going to win I might as well have more than them.

“I can’t even say it was one for me and one for the other half. It just didn’t seem that expensive to have two, to be fair. I just thought that if I was going to win I might as well double up.”

Jonas now has his heart set on getting a hive of bees and making his own honey.

He has longed to make his own honey after quitting his London hospital job to return home after 30 years.

Jonas said:  “I’ve wanted to keep bees. When I left London, I was like, ‘I’m going up north and going to have a beehive and have my own honey.’”

He added: “I know that sounds really old and sad, but I always just wanted to keep bees. I will now.”

Jonas also said how he’s already in the process of buying a new semi-detached house after moving back home to The Wirral to start work at a local hospital – while husband AJ continues to commute to the capital.

He said: “I was working in London and moved back up here. I’ve just found a house to move into, so everything is heading in the right direction. This is an added bonus.

“The first thing I’m going to do when we move is decorate. This will help a lot.

“I can decorate the house in the way I’d like to rather than decoration I’m compromising on.

“This is going to change quite a lot of things. It will change our lives.”

Jonas revealed he only signed up in June and plays with two tickets.

He said, “I’ve only been playing for about three months since I lived here. I didn’t really expect to win – and certainly not so soon. But it won’t stop me from continuing to play.

“I know people must say it will never happen to them. It wasn’t something I was doing to win, which sounds really stupid, but I’m really glad I did now.

“I never thought it would happen. It happens to other people. It’s a big country with lots of postcodes.”

He added: “It’s really nice to win with neighbours. Everyone knows everybody else here and it’s nice to share it.”

Jonas said the charity aspect of playing People’s Postcode Lottery was the main driver for him.

He said: “I never win anything, I just thought I would help out local charities. It’s something I could do to give something back.”

Now he dreams of returning to South Africa where he spent a month in his youth and travelling around Europe with his hubby of two years.

He said: “We’ll have a holiday… relax. I’d like to travel round Europe together.

“I went to South Africa as a child and I’ve always wanted to go back. I went to Johannesburg but didn’t get down to the coast at the time. I stayed for a month with friends who lived there, but I ran out of time for the coast.”

And hubby AJ might get the big TV he’s been wanting.

Jonas said: “We don’t have a telly at the moment. Just because it is expensive and way down there on my list. I won’t be able to argue against it now.”

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SHOPPERS are racing to their nearest Tesco store to snap up a summer essential for next year after its price was slashed from £20 to just £5.

A savvy bargain hunter shared a picture of the supermarket’s discounted product on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group.

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The post revealed that Tesco’s branch in Wath Upon Dearne is selling Status’ 12-inch Desk Fan for just £5.85.

The fan’s price was slashed by a whopping 70 per cent after the major retail chain moved the item to its reduced-to-clear section.

Shoppers can also bag Status’ 31-inch Tower Fan, scanning at Tesco’s tills for just £9.40,

It’s unclear what the original price of the tower fan was, but similar models on the supermarket’s website cost nearly £40.

Alternatively, Tesco shoppers can buy Status’ 16-inch Pedestal Fan for £6.60 after it too was moved to the reduced-to-clear section.

Similar models of the 16-inch fan cost around £25 from the popular supermarket chain, so those opting for Status’ fans will save £18.40.

The savvy shopper’s post in the bargain Facebook group garnered hundreds of likes and comments from fellow shoppers eager to grab the summer essential.

“Hope they have some left,” wrote one user.

Another commented: “Cheers pal just what I need.”

While a third, who tagged their friend, added: “If ur in at lunch have a nosey.”

Despite their eagerness, shoppers should be aware that not all of Tesco’s branches will stock these items in the reduced-to-clear section.

It’s always worth phoning ahead to your local store to check how many they have available.

As always, make sure to have a shop around before you commit to a purchase to make sure you’re always getting the best deal.

To find your nearest store head over to the Tesco website.

It follows a lucky Tesco shopper who 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.

The pair of B Sports Shoes normally costs £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.’

It comes after Poundland shoppers rush to buy an “amazing” dupe of an iconic designer perfume for just £4.

And a much-loved bargain shop chain is pulling the shutters down on one of its stores in just a few hours.

THE number falling for online love scams shot up more than a quarter in six months, a survey found.

Hundreds of customers at one bank alone handed over around £3.8million to the con between March and August.

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That was a 27 per cent jump from just over £3million reported stolen to Santander between August 2023 and this March.

The average loss was £4,500 and customers aged 18 to 93 were targeted.

The bank’s poll of 2,000 people found half had received unsolicited online flirtatious messages they suspected or confirmed to be a scam.

Nearly a third said they would offer money to a romantic partner they had known for less than six months.

But nearly two-thirds reckon they would never fall for a romance fraud.

Paul Gorton, a contestant on BBC’s The Traitors, said: “In my experience, it’s surprisingly easy to build deep trust, especially when someone is charming and says all the right things.

“As we start to feel a connection, whether it’s real or not, we can end up overlooking red flags and ignore any warnings from others around us.

“Stay vigilant to spot a traitor, it’d be too easy if they simply messaged you out of the blue asking for your money.

“Approach any new relationship with cautious optimism, complete checks and having your wits about you at the start.”

• A FRAUDSTER who conned a woman he met on a dating app has been ordered to pay her back £32,000. Kye Hughes, 35, of Rochester, Kent, last year got three years, four months’ jail for the fraud.

THE owner of HMV has revealed he is on the hunt for more British high street businesses in a welcome break from the doom and gloom in retail.

Doug Putman, who rescued the music store chain from bankruptcy in 2019, told The Sun: “I would love to buy more businesses in the UK.

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“I’m not interested in a quick buck and flipping it.

“I love the businesses that I own.”

Mr Putman, 40, took back HMV’s historic store on London’s Oxford Street last November from a tacky candy store.

He also opened shops in Ireland and Belgium as he expanded the music chain to just over 120 shops, with plans for more in the UK.

It can also be revealed that Mr. Putman was in secret talks to save Ted Baker stores.

But he abandoned a deal after the fashion retailer’s US owner Authentic Brands did not want to give up its royalty rights.

The Canadian entrepreneur also attempted a full rescue of Wilko last year and recently closely studied a move for The Body Shop.

He insists he was the only credible bidder with financing and an offer to save 100,000 jobs and 200 stores before it was broken into chunks.

He added: “The economy is tough but it’s tough everywhere.

“Out of the countries I operate in I would want to invest the most in the UK and least in Canada.

“I love the British high street.”

But he is urging the government to focus on ensuring online retailers pay their fair share of tax.

Mr. Putman said: “If you are going to operate in a country, make sales from people in the country, use the country, then you sure as hell should be paying full taxes.”

In a further swipe at Amazon — often seen as the nemesis of music and book stores — he said advances in technology risked creating a “joyless life.”

He said: “Staring at screens and waiting at home to open our packages from Amazon, is that the world we want? Don’t we want to see friends and family, go to music stores, visit book shops?”

Mr. Putman said HMV’s revival was in tune with the renaissance of physical music, despite streaming now accounting for the overwhelming majority of sales.

He said: “CDs are back in growth, because they’re cheap, vinyl is growing, so are books — they are tangible things that counter people’s addictions to their mobile phones.”

HMV’s most recent accounts reveal sales rose by 18 percent to £177 million, while pre-tax profits more than doubled to £5.2 million for the year to May 2023.

Ashley’s Mulberry bid snub

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Troubled luxury brand Mulberry has swiftly snubbed an £83 million takeover approach from Mike Ashley.

The Sun yesterday revealed the handbag maker’s board was likely to dismiss the hostile offer from the sportswear billionaire’s Frasers Group.

Mulberry said that the bid “does not recognise the company’s substantial future potential value.”

It added its majority shareholder Challice, which is owned by the Singaporean billionaire Christina Ong, “is supportive of the company’s strategy and has no interest in supporting the possible offer.”

The rejection is likely to irk Mr. Ashley, who has built up a 37 percent stake in Mulberry.

He has until October 28 to come back with another offer.

Mulberry needs to raise £10 million from investors after slumping sales knocked it to a heavy loss.

It said it hoped Frasers Group would take part as an investor in the share offer.

Pumpkin & patchy

Greggs is hoping its new pumpkin spice doughnuts will tempt customers to stores after a slight sales slowdown.

The City has become used to Greggs’ strong trading and was yesterday spooked by a slight softening in like-for-like sales growth of 5 percent.

It compared with the previous quarter’s 7.4 percent.

Shares in Greggs fell by as much as 5.6 percent, despite it being on track to hit profit targets and open 160 more shops this year.

Dob jobs blow

Garden centre Dobbies is planning to shut 17 shops in a move that will cut 465 jobs.

The retailer — founded in 1865 — will close all six of its high street “Little Dobbies” trials, as well as 11 larger stores in locations ranging from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

The garden centre retailer lost £105.2 million in the year to March 2023 compared with a loss of £7 million in 2022.

Hedge fund Ares Management took control of the business last year.

The price of gold has kept rising amid fears of all-out war in the Middle East.

Often considered a safe haven asset, the precious metal has soared 29 percent so far this year.

Yesterday it climbed another 1 percent to £2,004.46 an ounce.

Optimism fades

Manufacturers became much more pessimistic last month amid concerns over Labour’s first budget and conflict in the Middle East.

A closely watched survey showed the sharpest drop in confidence among factory bosses since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

The S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index slipped to a nine-month low of 51.5 in September.

Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: “The drop in confidence was striking.”

ENERGY bills have gone up again just as colder weather hits – but millions could save cash by switching now.

The energy price cap has jumped from £1,568 to £1,717, meaning bills have risen by ten per cent and the average household bill is up by more than £12 a month, or £149 a year.

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It’s not as bad as last year, when the price cap soared to £4,279, luckily offset by the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee, which reduced bills.

But there are still ways you can save money on your energy costs . . . 

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH BILLS? More than 27million households saw costs rise this week due to the new price cap.

The price cap does not limit bills. You still pay for each unit of gas and electricity but it does provide an estimate for an average household.

The more energy you use, the higher your bills will be.

The price cap changes again in January, when the most recent prediction by experts is that it will fall by one per cent.

This week, energy consultancy Cornwall Insight said it expects the typical household’s energy bill to drop to an annual £1,697 a year from January 1.

But this is still eight per cent more expensive than the best fixed deals being offered by energy firms.

The price cap is reviewed every three months, so January’s cap will be confirmed by November 25.

But you don’t need to wait to save money, as you can act now.

SWITCH NOW TO SAVE MONEY: You can switch to a fixed deal and save money as a handful of suppliers are offering deals that are CHEAPER than the new price cap. They will still save you money if bills go down the predicted one per cent in January.

The current cheapest fix is from Outfox The Market and it costs £162 less than October’s price cap.

That means it is £142 cheaper than the predicted price cap for January. It is fixed for 12 months and if you want to leave before the end of the contract, it would cost £50 for gas and electricity.

Other suppliers such as OVO Energy, British Gas, EDF Energy and Octopus Energy offer tariffs that save you £100 a year.

Fixing is a gamble as you are locked into the tariff until prices end.

Before switching, rem – ember to check exit fees and how long you will be tied in for. Some suppliers may also require you to fit a smart meter to access their best deal.

Always compare prices, and use uswitch.com or moneysavingexpert.com.

You will need your address, current energy supplier, usage and how you pay.

TAKE A METER READING: If you are on a standard variable tariff rather than a fixed deal, and do not have a smart meter, then you need to submit a gas and electricity reading as soon as possible.

It will ensure you do not get inaccurately billed at higher prices.

Check when you need to submit the reading. For example, British Gas customers have until October 14, whereas EDF Energy customers have until October 9.

You should do this even if you are planning to switch.

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GET FINANCIAL HELP: Energy firms offer grants to customers who are struggling to pay their bills.

For example, British Gas has grants worth up to £2,000 via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Fund. You do not need to be a British Gas customer to apply.

Other firms, such as EDF, E.ON and Octopus Energy offer grants to customers.

Eligibility rules will vary, so contact your supplier for more information.

REGISTER FOR ASSISTANCE: Thousands of vulnerable households, including those who are elderly or ill, are missing out on perks such as free gas safety checks and support if they are struggling with their bills.

To get access to these, you need to register for the Priority Services Register.

REDUCE USE: Cutting your energy use is the easiest way to save money on bills now.

Before you put your heating on this winter, read Energy Saving Trust’s easy energy saving tips at energysavingtrust.org.uk.

For example, reducing washing cycles and using lower temperatures could cut £24 a year, or installing draught-proofing can save £80 a year.

LOOK FOR ADVICE: Check to see if you could get help with energy bills such as the £300 Winter Fuel Payment or £150 Warm Home Discount.

See citizensadvice.org.uk. Your local council may also offer cash help with energy bills if you are on a low income via the Household Support Scheme. Contact them directly to check.

MARTIN Lewis has issued a warning to millions of households who could save money on their energy bills as prices rise.

Ofgem‘s latest price cap comes into effect today, meaning the average household on a dual fuel standard variable tariff paying by direct debit will see their bills rise from £1,568 a year to £1,717 a year.

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It’s worth noting what you will actually pay depends on your usage and the number of people in your home.

However, consumer champion Martin Lewis has issued a reminder to households they can still save money on their bills despite today’s rise.

Posting on X earlier today, he said: “It’s time to rename the energy Price Cap, the energy Pants Cap.

“No one, who’s capable of switching, should be on it right now.”

The consumer expert went on to explain how households can pay less than the price cap through three main routes: fixing at a lower price, getting a discounted tariff or opting for a special EV tariff.

Here’s everything you need to know about all three options.

Fixing at a lower price

A number of energy firms have brought fixed deals to the market cheaper than the current price cap.

A fix is when you lock in a set price for a certain period which is usually 12 months.

The reason there are fixed deals available cheaper than the price cap is that the price cap is decided months before it comes into force.

The new price cap from today was decided based on wholesale energy prices between May and August which were much higher than now.

But as wholesale prices have fallen since August it means suppliers can offer deals now that are less than the new price cap.

Energy prices are also predicted to fall by just a few per cent in 2025 meaning fixing now could save you money overall over the next year.

There are a number of fixed deals to choose from that are up to 9% less than the October to December price cap, including from Outfox the Market, E.On Next and Ovo Energy.

You can find out the best deals for you by going on price comparison sites like Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket or MSE’s website.

Martin has previously said anyone who is “risk averse” should lock in a fixed deal now, but there are some drawbacks.

You can end up paying more on a fix than a standard variable tariff (SVT) if wholesale costs fall.

Plus, fixed deals come with exit fees if you want to leave them earlier than the agreed period.

Below are the current best fixed deals on the market, though remember that deals can launch or be pulled at any time.

Get a discounted tariff

Another alternative to staying on the price cap is a variable discounted tariff.

These deals offer you a fixed discount off the price cap standing charges or unit rates for a set period of time.

Standing charges are fixed daily fees charged to customers regardless of their usage and cover the cost of maintaining the energy supply network, taking meter readings and government schemes.

For example, E.On Next’s Pledge tariff is offering new and existing customers who pay by direct debit a 12-month tariff priced £50 below the price cap.

Meanwhile, EDF Energy is offering new and existing customers a 12-month tariff priced £50 below the price cap, with standing charges discounted so you will pay less regardless of your usage.

Time of use tariffs

“Time of use” tariffs charge you different rates based on the time of day.

They usually charge you a cheaper rate at night and a more expensive one in the day.

But they can be useful if you work night shifts or want to charge your electric vehicle (EV) overnight.

One major drawback to these types of deals is that the rates you are charged during peak hours can be quite pricey though.

Octopus Energy‘s Agile Tracker tariff is one other option.

Rates on this tariff change every half an hour based on nationwide demand which means if you use a lot of energy at off-peak times it could be worthwhile.

Octopus Energy is currently only recommending those with solar panels, home batteries and EVs opt in though due to volatile wholesale prices.

This is because these households can more easily shift their usage outside of peak periods.

The tariff is electricity-only as well which means you would need to find another tariff for your gas.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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