IS it too soon to put the heating on? That’s the question on millions of people’s lips as the winter months approach and temperatures start to drop.

But the combination of a higher energy price cap from October 1, and the loss of the Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners means that more of us than ever will be struggling to heat our homes this winter.

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The new price cap is set at £1,717 per year for a typical household who use electricity and gas and pay by Direct Debit.

This is an increase of £149 from the cap that was in place between July and October.

Worse, the government has confirmed that the Winter Fuel Payment (worth between £200 and £300 depending on how old you are) will no longer be universal.

Pensioners can still get it if they receive Pension Credit, but Age UK has warned that 2.5million people aged over 66 who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in serious trouble as a result.  

Against that backdrop, many people are desperately looking for ways to delay putting their heating on, or to minimise how much they use it.

Aydin Sigva, an expert in energy saving and insulation at Cavitech.uk, says that there are lots of gadgets that can help people keep their energy bills under control.

However, he cautions that the first thing that households need to do is make sure they have the right insulation in place.

He warns this is important because homes are a bit like a sieve with lots of places valuable heat can escape.

The loft, walls, floors, door and window frames, even keyholes will see heat you’ve paid for flying out into the street.

He says: “Cavity and loft insulation save a few hundred pounds a year each – loft insulation is usually cheaper so should be the first job you do.

“If you’re a tenant, you’ll need the landlord to do it or get permission to do it yourself but its only worthwhile if you’re staying long-term as it’ll take a few years to get your money back in savings.”

This is backed up by the Energy Savings Trust, who calculate that cavity wall insulation can save around £155 a year from your bills, while solid wall insulation saves around £210 a year.

Loft insulation saves the average household up to £135 a year, and you can even insulate your floor saving up to £40 a year.

However, these things aren’t cheap to do, for instance, insulating the loft costs £950 on average, while cavity wall installation can set you back a whopping £1,700.

Of course, you’ll make your money back in the long run through cheaper bills, and good insulation also protects you from cold draughts which can have you reaching for the thermostat controls.

MONEY-SAVING GADGET

Sigva also has a list of simple quick fixes that Brits can do themselves to save a few pounds.

He says: “Put a brush and flap over the letterbox, draught excluders around leaky doors and windows and even block unused keyholes with some tissue and tape.”

However, he also recommends a nifty gadget which costs around £89 and can help you reduce your bills by between 5% and 15% according to the Energy Savings Trust.

He says: “Consider an energy use monitor – a clever gadget that attaches to the meter and displays on a screen exactly what you’re using at any moment. 

“Discover what devices use more power and use them less. Turn off items on ‘standby’ and remind the kids to turn off lights and consoles when not in use!

“There’s no magic answer, but a few simple steps can save a lot of wasted money.”

You can pick up a monitor for as little as £12 from B&Q.

What energy bill help is available?

There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.

If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.

This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.

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If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.

Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.

But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.

For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.

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British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.

You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.

EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.

Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).

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The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.

Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.

These devices work by measuring the amount of energy your using on individual devices around the home.

They are placed between a socket and the plug of the device being measured.

A screen on the plug shows how much power the item is using, and they run on batteries so they don’t add more usage to your bill.

Each plug is different but it measures the energy use of the individual appliance you’ve plugged in.

With some you can enter the price you pay for energy and then the gadget works out the cost for you.

The cost per unit you pay depends on the tariff you’re on but you can usually find this information on your latest energy bill or online account.

For your chosen appliance, you can use the plug to check the cost of running it when it’s in use, or just on standby.

They are different to smart meters which can also help you track the cost of energy around the whole home.

Either device can you help you better understand what energy you’re using around the home, and then reduce it where you can saving money.

MORE WAYS TO SLASH HEATING BILLS

Sigva also recommends that households invest thermostatic radiator valves.

These are relatively cheap, but you will probably need a plumber to install them.

The valves can be set so that radiators only click on when the temperature drops to a chosen level, so you don’t waste money heating a house that’s already warm.

Rooms that you do not use very often such as a spare bedroom can be turned down very low, which will decrease your bills.

You can pick these handy gadgets up for just £9.99 each from Screwfix.

Another tip is a tube of mastic, which can be used to close up gaps around windows where the masonry has separated from the wood or plastic frame.

Sigva says: “Houses move a little in hot and cold weather, so gaps can open up allowing cold air and warm out.”

A tube of mastic costs just £6.69 from DIY.com.

He even says that ordinary silver foil can be put behind radiators to reflect a little more heat back into the room.

This radiator foil is just £7.51 for a roll from Screwfix.

Heat activated fans can be placed on wood burners and even certain types of gas fire to throw heat into the main part of the room. 

Also called stove fans, these can be picked up from the likes of B&Q for as little as £15.

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

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

WITH changeable weather and the cost of Christmas looming, October half-term can be tough to manage.

Keep the kids entertained for less with these awesome autumn ideas.

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FIENDISH FUN: Create a monster! Get a roll of old wallpaper and cut off a piece as big as you or your child.

Lie down on the blank side and get someone to draw around you.

Cut out the outline, paint the “monster” and, once dry, decorate with whatever takes your fancy — tin foil for scales, painted screwed-up newspaper for warts etc.

Add teeth, tusks and claws cut from other paper.

TRAIL FINDERS: From parks to garden centres, there’s bound to be a free Halloween trail near you.

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Kids will love the suspense of following the scary clues.

AUTUMN TREASURE: A good scavenger hunt adds fun to walks.

This is the perfect time to search for autumn treasures, from jagged fallen leaves to shiny conkers.

Download a free sheet of things to spot.

The Woodland Trust has a great autumn scavenger hunt at treetoolsforschools.org.uk.

FROCKTOBER: Make your own Halloween outfit.

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Transform charity shop finds or old clothing into frightful fancies.

Spooky make-up, fake blood (or food colouring) and batty bits from your Halloween kit can give clothes a chilling new look.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT: Take advantage of the half-term meal deals, where kids can often eat free or for £1 when you buy an adult main course.

There are offers at cafes in Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and Dunelm, plus at Bill’s and Bella Italia.

Check their websites first.

CREEPY CRAFTS: Make some DIY decorations.

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Ghostly paper chains look spooktacular, or use black paper to cut out a chain of witches or spiders.

YouTube and hobbycraft.co.uk have some great ideas.

FARMS FOR FREE: Find out the Halloween fun planned at your nearest city or working farm.

Many are low cost or free (though they welcome donations), including Swansea Community Farm, Bath City Farm, Heeley City Farm in Sheffield and Balsall Heath City Farm in Birmingham, plus others in London.

DINNER DATE: Host a “dinner party” for your children and their friends.

They’ll love playing at “grown-ups”.

Plan an interesting menu you can all cook together, then decorate the house and invite everyone to dress up.

TREE FUN: The forest floor is filled with brightly coloured fallen leaves, twigs, seeds and conkers you can take home to create a masterpiece.

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Try leaf printing, leaf rubbing or make a leaf crown.

Search “autumn leaf craft” at woodlandtrust.org.uk.

ANIMAL MAGIC: Animal-mad kids will love the free My Pet Pals workshops at Pets At Home.

This half-term they have a fun Halloween theme.

They run every day from October 26 to November 3.

Visit petsathome.com to book and find out more.

MILLIONS are being locked out of cheaper prices at the supermarket and other retailers through no fault of their own.

Which? has found shoppers are being excluded from loyalty scheme pricing due to three major restrictions.

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The vast majority of supermarket chains offer customers lower prices if they sign up to reward schemes.

Sainsbury’s has its Nectar Card, while Tesco shoppers can sign up to its Clubcard.

But Which? discovered customers are being locked out of cheaper deals across the major UK supermarkets and Boots and Superdrug.

It found shoppers are being shut out due to minimum age requirements, lack of UK residency or an address and not having an email address or app.

Researchers found that customers have to be 18 or over to join loyalty schemes at Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose but only 16 at Co-op and Morrisons.

Co-op and Sainsbury’s shoppers under 16 can get a junior membership or be added to a parent or guardian’s account to access loyalty scheme prices.

Shoppers only need to be 13 to access Boots and Superdrug’s schemes.

Which? also discovered big differences in retailer’s address requirements and whether or not customers need access to smartphones or a computer to sign up for loyalty schemes.

Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: “Our research shows there are differences between supermarkets and retailers and their loyalty schemes, which mean some people could miss out on the lower prices offered because of factors such as minimum age requirements and needing an email address.

“All retailers should prioritise making their best deals accessible to all customers by implementing changes to their conditions for signing up.”

Which?’s findings come hot off the back of separate research from the consumer group in August showing customers not on loyalty schemes are having to pay up to 33% more on average.

It means due to the restrictions, several vulnerable groups such as young carers and the homeless are excluded from lower prices despite possibly struggling with their finances more.

For example, Which? said a 17-year-old single parent living independently would not get a discount on baby food at some supermarkets.

Meanwhile, a homeless person would have to pay more for a meal deal at other retailers.

Couples without smartphones shopping in Lidl wouldn’t be able to access its Lidl Plus scheme as it is only available on an app.

See our table below for each retailer’s loyalty scheme, age requirements, address requirements and whether they are digital-only.

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Which? asked all the retailers included in its research to comment.

A Boots spokesperson highlighted that anyone aged 13 or above with a UK postal address can join its Advantage Card scheme.

Co-op flagged to Which? that shoppers can become members with permission from a parent or guardian.

Lidl said everything it does is designed to give households access to “good food at low prices” and those without a smart phone can get in-store promotions through its Pick of The Week offers.

A spokesperson for Nectar, Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme, said if a customer contacts the Nectar Helpline team they can manually register for a Nectar account without requiring an email address or mobile number.

A Superdrug spokesperson said delivery was only available to addresses within the UK and Republic of Ireland and its loyalty scheme reflected this.

It added that customers don’t need an address to become a member and can sign up in store or online using their name and either an email address, address or phone number.

A Tesco spokesperson said it was “free to sign up and join the 22million UK households who already have a Tesco Clubcard”.

A Waitrose spokesperson told Which? its “digital approach allows us to personalise offers and share benefits quickly, easily and securely”.

They added that its age and address requirements are in line with other retailers.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “Driving strong value for customers remains our number one priority.

“Together with our Aldi and Lidl price match, our savers range, our vast range of low everyday prices and our More Card – we have thousands of products that not only offer outstanding value on brands and essential items our customers love – but also have the quality they’ve come to expect from us.”

In other Which? news, the consumer website ranked the best cheddar cheeses, with a supermarket own-brand pack winning.

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

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

MAKE a scary Halloween meal without freaking out your finances.

You can conjure up these three courses for little witches and wizards for just £2.62 per person.

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And with ideas for leftover pumpkin as well as using up that pile of sweets after trick-or-treat fun, nothing will go to waste.

• Meal ideas from recipes.lidl.co.uk. Cost per serving based on proportion of ingredients used to make the dish.
• Prices correct at time of going to press.

Bonfire chilli graveyard

(Serves six)

Total cost: £8.10 Per person: £1.35

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GRAB a tombstone tortilla to dig and discover what lies beneath this ghoulish graveyard.

We’ll give you a hint: There are layers of devilishly delicious Tex-Mex flavours.

YOU NEED:

• 2 red onions
• 2 red peppers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 750g pack of 10% fat beef mince
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 250ml beef stock
• 2 tsp clear honey
• 2 tortillas
• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans
• 50g mature cheddar
• Handful of rocket spinach and watercress salad

METHOD: Finely slice the onions, peppers and garlic.

Heat the oil in a large casserole. Fry the onions and peppers for six to eight minutes, or until soft.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Stir in the spices for a bit of kick and cook for one to two minutes, before adding the mince.

Use a wooden spoon to break up the mince, then cook on a medium heat for four to five minutes, or until the mince has browned all over.

Add the tinned tomatoes, stock and honey and bring to a simmer.

Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium.

Cut out some Halloween shapes from the tortillas and place on a baking tray.

Grill for two to three minutes, until crispy, then set aside.

When the liquid of the chilli has reduced to a sauce-like consistency, add the kidney beans and cook for ten minutes.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Place under the grill for six to eight minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

To serve, stick the tortilla shapes in the top of the chilli and cover the top with some watercress and spinach leaves.

Warm Pumpkin Blondies

(Makes nine)

Total cost: £5.49 Per person: 61p

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NOT sure what to do with leftover pumpkin after you’ve finished your Halloween carving?

Try this tasty spin on brownies, made with sweet white chocolate and pecan nuts. You can ­substitute the pumpkin for squash, if you prefer.

YOU NEED:

• 275g pumpkin flesh, cubed
• 175g butter softened, plus extra for greasing
• 2cm ginger, peeled and grated
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 200g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 225g plain flour
• 125g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

To serve:

• White chocolate, finely chopped
• Pecan nuts, finely chopped
• Vanilla ice cream

METHOD: Place the pumpkin flesh in a saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle.

Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.

Drain, return to the pan and mash, then set aside and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 5.

Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square shallow cake tin.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, ginger, vanilla and sugar until creamy.

Add the egg and beat well. Stir through the mashed pumpkin.

Sift over the flour and fold into the mixture using a wooden spoon.

Fold in the white chocolate and pecans.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.

Cool in the tin for ten minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack for a further 15 minutes.

If using for dessert, cut into nine squares and decorate with the finely chopped white chocolate and pecans.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Scary veggies and guacamole

(Serves eight)

Total cost: £5.28 Per person: 66p

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A DEAD-GOOD veggie platter with cucumber, peppers, ­broccoli and carrots.

Dip into some spooky guacamole for an extra hit of flavour.

YOU NEED:

• 1 large cucumber (300g)
• 200g baby peppers
• 160g long, thin carrots
• 2 black olives
• 100g low-fat Greek yoghurt
• 200g Tenderstem broccoli

For the guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1-2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp minced red onion
• ½ tsp minced garlic (optional)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

METHOD: First make the guacamole. Peel the avocados and carefully remove the stones from the inner flesh.

Mash the inner flesh with a fork then mix in the lime juice, minced red onion and garlic (if using).

Season to taste.

For the spooky veggies, slice the cucumber into 1cm pieces.

On each cucumber piece, slice 5mm off the left and right side at an angle, tapering towards the bottom to make a skull shape.

Use a metal straw to poke two eye holes and use a chopstick to poke out the nose and mouth.

Set aside one red pepper for the carrot fingernails. Half and deseed your remaining peppers.

Carefully carve out the eyes, nose and mouth with a paring knife.

Peel the carrots and cut three thin grooves into the middle of each using a paring knife – these will be your fingers.

Carve the fingernails from the red pepper you have set aside and place on the thinnest end of your carrots.

Now for your spider, which will sit on top of your guacamole.

Cut one black olive in half lengthwise and use as the body.

Slice the other half, together with your second olive, to make eight thin legs.

Spoon the guacamole into a shallow bowl and place the yoghurt into a squeeze bottle or piping bag and draw a web on top of it.

Carefully place the olive spider in the web.

Arrange your veggies, including the Tenderstem broccoli, around your spooky guacamole bowl and enjoy.

USE UP ANY LEFTOVER PUMPKIN

STIR up some magic with these tasty dishes made from leftover pumpkin flesh.

The full instructions can be found at recipes.lidl.co.uk.

ROASTED PUMPKIN AND PESTO SPOOKGETTI

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Roast the chopped pumpkin flesh and serve with fried bacon lardons and pesto on pasta.

ROAST PUMPKIN RISOTTO

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Drizzle the pumpkin with olive oil, roast and stir into a risotto.

PUMPKIN POTION SOUP

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Whizz roasted pumpkin flesh into a warming soup with onion, garlic and spices.

NUTTY PUMPKIN HOUMOUS WITH SPICED TORTILLA DIP

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Make a delicious pumpkin dip by mixing the roasted flesh with tinned chickpeas, garlic and peanut butter.

Serve with tortillas brushed with oil and sprinkled with smoked paprika.

USE UP ANY LEFTOVER SWEETIES

PROLONG the Halloween fun by using up Trick Or Treat sweets and chocolate.

CRUNCH TIME

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USE up chocolate that has already been opened by melting it down and mixing with cereal for delicious chocolate or cornflake crispy cakes.

Decorate them with a sprinkling of mini ­marshmallows.

CHUNKS OF FUN

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CHOP chocolate bars, such as Twix, Mars and ­KitKats, into smaller pieces and use in brownies and blondies.

DEVILISH DECORATION

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USE spooky sweets to decorate fairy cakes, giving the sugary treats a darker side.

HOME SWEET HOME

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SNAFFLE sweets away and use them to decorate a Christmas gingerbread house in a few weeks’ time.

NATIONAL Graduate Week kicks off on Monday – and is the most popular time for employers to open applications for prestigious jobs for those fresh out of university.

With around 800,000 students leaving higher education annually, competition for top graduate roles is always fierce, but this year it is tougher than ever.

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More than A MILLION applications were made for such jobs in the last 12 months — a record high — new figures from the Institute of Student Employers show.

Employers get on average 140 applications per graduate job, 59 per cent up on the previous year.

The most sought-after roles, in digital and IT, attract 205 applications per vacancy, while the charity and public sectors are the least competitive with 74 and 85 applications per role respectively.

While some of the surge is due to hiring managers ditching the need for a minimum 2:1 degree, to make recruiting more inclusive, employment experts say soaring use of AI makes it faster for students to apply.

‘Opportunities growing’

ISE chief executive Stephen Isherwood said: “As AI makes it ­easier to apply for jobs, volumes are pushed up and quality goes down, creating more rejections.

“While this marks a positive move from employers, encouraging applications from a broader pool of candidates, the downside is that it has amounted to millions of rejection messages to students in the last year.

“However, applicant volumes have always outstripped vacancy levels and overall opportunities are still growing despite the challenging economic environment.”

The average graduate salary is up two per cent on last year to £32,539, according to jobs platform Adzuna, while some schemes in law and finance can pay up to £60,000.

Here is our Sunemployment guide to the top six schemes to apply for.

As one of the UK’s biggest em­ployers of graduates, BAE ­SYSTEMS will hire 1,000 new starters.

You’ll need a minimum 2:2. Search at baesystems.com/en/careers/careers-in-the-uk/early-careers.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER has 175 places across engineering, manufacturing, design, commercial and other areas. Apply at jaguarlandrovercareers.com.

Consulting giant CAPGEMINI has places for 270 graduates across management, technology and ­busi­ness consultancy. See capgemini.com/gb-en/careers

As well as traditional finance jobs, LLOYDS BANK’s 400-strong in­take includes positions in software engineering, cybersecurity and data analytics.

For details, see lloydsbankinggrouptalent.com/our-opportunities/graduates.

Opening on November 21, there are 100 business and head office roles at BRITISH AIRWAYS including commercial, engineering, tech and analytics. See careers.ba.com/graduates-bps-and-interns.

AWE NUCLEAR SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES is seeking 124 graduates. Find out more at awe.co.uk/careers/early-careers

How to beat the crowds

WITH a million applications for graduate roles, how can you make yours stand out from the rest?

Here STEPHEN ISHERWOOD, chief executive of the Institute of Student Employers, shares his expert advice . . . 

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1. WORK IT: Treat your search for employment as a job in itself – spend more time on fewer applications, focusing on the positions you really want to land and are suited to.

2. SHOW THE REAL YOU: Relying too heavily on AI can lead to candidates coming across as less authentic to potential employers. Make sure your application genuinely reflects who you are and what you can do.

3. GAIN WORK SKILLS: The number of former interns landing jobs gets higher every year, but pretty much any work experience will boost your chance of success in the crowded jobs market.

4. ADAPT TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES: Video chats and AI-led interviews are becoming more common, so be familiar with this approach – career services can help.

5. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED: Employers dealing with endless applications means there are more rejections. Avoid the trap of believing the jobs market is impossible.

Commitment to hiring graduates remains strong – the market isn’t shrinking and opportunities are still out there to be seized.

YOU’RE WORTH IT

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BEAUTY is big business – and top cosmetics company L’Oréal is searching for 23 graduates for its UK arm.

There are jobs available across commercial, supply chain, marketing and finance, based at the firm’s London HQ.

Emily Chiverton, HR Director L’Oréal UK & Ireland. Said: “We are looking for passionate people with ambition to build amazing careers at L’Oréal.

Our management trainee program is our talent accelerator to prepare the future of L’Oréal.

“It allows graduates to be trained and prepared for a future management role within the company by rotating between different disciplines for up to 18 months.”

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Apply by the end of today at careers.loreal.com.

HALLOWEEN is creeping up on us, so make sure you’re prepared to scare with the perfect pumpkin.

Here’s our guide to carving the most boo-tiful Jack Lantern in town.

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1) PICK YOUR PUMPKIN CAREFULLY: Try to avoid ­damaged or mottled pumpkins as they may rot more quickly.

Harder ones will last longer and are also easier to carve. Seek out a thick, green stem to ensure yours is fresh and will look good for longer.

2) SIZE MATTERS: Smaller pumpkins are great for decoration but are harder to carve.

Choose a bigger pumpkin as you will have more leeway to correct any mistakes.

3) TAKE YOUR TIME: Wait until a day or two before Halloween to carve yours, as pumpkins only last for three to five days afterwards, before they start to rot.

Aim to carve from October 29.

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4) COOL TOOLS: Use a pumpkin carving kit or improvise with a knife and ice cream scoop.

Cut out the lid at an angle so it will sit back on top then scoop out the inside.

Supervise your kids at all times.

5) SUPER STENCILS: Draw on your design with a pen and cut out.

Carving templates are a big help — download one for free at pumpkinlady.com.

6) DON’T USE A NAKED FLAME: A traditional candle can be a fire hazard and should never be left unattended. Instead, pop an LED tea light into your pumpkin.

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7) LITTLE GHOSTS AND GHOULS? Get tiny tots involved too.

They will love drawing faces on small pumpkins and squashes with felt-tip pens.