A LUCKY lottery winner nearly missed that he had scooped a £500,000 jackpot after he “assumed” there was a lag on the system.

A computer maintenance engineer is finally celebrating his £500,000 lottery win a year after having surgery for cancer.

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The win comes after a painful 24 hours of waiting as John Lingard, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, said he initially saw no increase on his bank account’s available funds.

“I assumed there must be a lag or something on the system, so went to work and didn’t give it another thought,” he said.

“Even when I logged on later that day to buy my EuroMillions ticket, I didn’t look more deeply into the message that popped up congratulating me on a win.

“It was only 24 hours later that I finally read my messages and the penny started to drop, although not fully, because at first glance I thought it was £500.10.

“I was just on my way out the door, heading to the supermarket, but when I worked out that it was actually £500,000 plus £10 on another line, I decided driving wasn’t a good idea so walked to the local shop,” he added.

John bought a Lucky Dip ticket for the September 25 draw via the National Lottery app, and his winning numbers were 13, 15, 18, 30 and 33 with Thunderball number 7.

He said he “felt like I was on cloud nine” when he realised he had won £500,000 in the Thunderball draw.

The engineer’s lotto success follows a nasty cancer diagnosis which saw him have one of his kidneys removed to stop the spread of the disease.

He has since been given the all clear.

The 66-year-old plans on spending some of his winnings with friends in Tenerife – a place he visited a year ago to find some peace and calm after he was first diagnosed.

“It’s crazy to think that at the start of the year I would come to the beach to find inner peace in all the turmoil of the treatment and my worries about the future,” he said.

He added: “I couldn’t have dreamt that less than 12 months later I would be here celebrating a National Lottery win!”

His trip will be the first week of unpaid leave for the engineer since he started work at 16.

“I visit Tenerife three or four times a year, but when I left in September I told friends I probably couldn’t make it back before early 2025,” he said.

“Now, thanks to my Thunderball luck, I can afford to take a week off – unpaid – and head back for a little winter sun, and to celebrate with my friends over there,” he continued.

The engineer also said he might do a little house-hunting while on the island to have a “bolthole for the future” and so that he can share some of his fortune with those closest to him.

John added that he has no plans to retires but is keen to spend his money doing fun things with friends.

But first it will take some time adjusting to his new fortune.

He said: “I started playing when the National Lottery first began 30 years ago and, while all along I’ve believed that one day I would win big, now it’s happened it’s taken a bit of getting used to!”

“And having been through such a challenging time with my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I want to be sure I make the most of every moment, whether that’s work, rest or play.”

In his Markets Insight column Michael Howell warned of challenges for UK investors from “the great wall of debt” that will need refinancing in 2025/26 (October 17). It isn’t just investors who should worry. The prime collateral for all bank loans is property, or rather the land it sits on, because land is in fixed supply and cannot be consumed. Fred Harrison’s Boom Bust: House Prices, Banking and the Depression of 2010 (published in 2005) precisely predicted the peak of the last house price boom as end 2007. He predicts the next peak in 2026.

Carol Wilcox
Christchurch, Dorset, UK

SHOPPERS are rushing to snap up the £2.49 gadget at Wilko that could help dry clothes quicker.

It comes as the average UK family is forking out £1,834 a year on gas and electricity.

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And many of us are turning to heated airers to get clothes dry whilst it’s cold and wet outside.

The average Brit will do roughly four loads of laundry per week or 208 washes per year, a study by Ariel found.

For those who haven’t done the maths, it adds up to a shocking 13,000 loads of laundry across an entire lifetime.

But luckily Wilko has a £2.49 gadget that can help ease the costs of this unbearable load.

The Wool Dryer Balls, sold in a pack of two, offer an eco-friendly and reusable solution that claims to save up to £100 annually on dryer costs.

Made from 100% wool, these dryer balls help reduce drying time by increasing the airflow in your tumble dryer.

They work by separating clothes inside the drum, allowing heat to circulate more effectively.

This means your laundry dries faster, with less static, and comes out softer—all without the need for chemical fabric softeners.

According to Wilko, the balls not only help clothes dry quicker but also help soften fabrics and reduce wrinkles, making ironing easier.

The Wool Dryer Balls can be found in-store or purchased online, with free click-and-collect options or home delivery starting at £4.99.

Other dryer balls have been praised by buyers on Amazon.

A happy customer elsewhere told how similar products helped cut down drying time by 45 minutes.

Using dryer balls could be a way to reduce the amount of time and money spent on drying clothes, especially in the colder months when tumble dryers are in high demand.

A mum-of-three previously shared her huge savings after trying out tumble dryer balls.

She said: “Not only could I save £106.08 a year by using dryer balls, but my clothes came out feeling softer than usual and with less creases so they were easier to iron.”

This small, inexpensive purchase can help to bring down energy usage without requiring any drastic lifestyle changes or compromises in laundry routines.

MORE SAVING TIPS

Experts like Martyn James point out that tumble dryers, along with other “wet appliances” like washing machines and dishwashers, are some of the biggest energy users in the home.

He said: “The big offenders are ‘wet appliances’ including washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers,” he says.

“Try to only use them for full loads, learn more about what that ‘eco mode’ does as that could save you energy and drop the heat as low as you can go.

“These machines have to quickly generate heat, so can result in them adding a quarter of the cost of your energy bill.

“‘You should also regularly clean out the lint drawer, which can help your machine run more efficiently.

Other cost-saving tips include lowering the temperature when washing clothes, as consumer experts at Which? found that washing at 20°C instead of 40°C could reduce running costs by up to 62%.

Reducing the number of loads you do can cut your usage and bill, and making sure your doing a full load each time is one way to do this.

Another way is to get a bargain dehumidifier from B&M to dry clothes which can shave up to £74 off a crucial household bill.

A MAJOR energy supplier is reopening a grants scheme which can pay hard-up households up to £2,000 in free cash.

The British Gas Energy Support Fund will begin accepting new applications from Monday, 4th November, providing grants to customers facing difficulties paying their bills.

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Any British Gas or Scottish Gas energy customer who is struggling to pay their energy bill and has sought financial and energy advice is eligible to apply for support.

Successful applicants could receive a grant of up to £2,000 to help with outstanding debts – £500 more than what was available to households last winter.

To be considered for a grant, you must meet the following criteria:

• Reside in England, Scotland, or Wales
• Have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust in the past 12 months
• Have either a credit or prepayment meter with an outstanding account debt

Proof of income will be required at the point of application.

This will be assessed alongside household outgoings to determine if you are in or at risk of fuel poverty.

Customers must also have to have been receiving help from a money advice or guidance agency within the last six months to be eligible.

This could include support from charities like Citizens Advice or StepChange.

To apply, you’ll need to visit britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/grants-available.

The fund that reopens on Monday is strictly for British Gas customers only.

WHAT IF I’M NOT WITH BRITISH GAS?

Another fund offered by the same firm can help support customers at other suppliers.

The British Gas Energy Trust’s Individual and Families Fund has been accepting applications from those struggling with energy debt since September.

The Individual and Families Fund was first set up in 2021 to help households struggling with energy debt.

However, unlike other energy supplier grants, this scheme’s support is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers.

Energy customers could previously get up to £1,500 in help from the fund, but it has increased to £1,700 this winter to help an increasing number of households in debt.

However, not everyone will be eligible for a grant under the British Gas Energy Trust’s scheme.

There are certain criteria that you need to meet to be considered for the Individual and Families Fund, including:

• Pre-payment meter customers must have between £50 and £1,700 of energy debt
• Credit customers must have between £250 and £1,700 of energy debt
• You live in England, Scotland, or Wales
• You have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last 2 years
• You must be seeking a grant to clear an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account. The account must be in your name and relate to your main residence
• You have received help from a money advice agency within the last six months

Customers with energy debts worth more than £1,700 will not be eligible for support through the fund.

Although British Gas Energy Trust welcomes applications from customers of all energy suppliers, it is recommended that customers from the following companies first seek assistance through their own hardship schemes:

• Ovo Energy
• E.ON Next
• EDF Energy
• Scottish Power
• Octopus Energy
• Utilita

If you are rejected by your own energy company’s hardship fund, apply to the British Gas Energy Trust’s Individual and Families Fund by visiting www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/grants-available.

WHAT OTHER SUPPLIERS OFFER

Most energy suppliers have a discretionary grant scheme to help support their most vulnerable customers.

Grants vary by supplier and, of course, the exact amount you’ll get will depend on your own financial circumstances.

Here’s a full list of other energy suppliers offering grants.

EDF Energy

EDF’s Consumer Support Fund provides grants to support vulnerable customers struggling with energy debt.

Grants are given to help clear debt and to help fund the provision of essential white goods, such as fridges or cookers.

You can apply to the scheme at EDF’s Let’s Talk website by visiting www.forms.lets-talk.online/Login

But before you can apply for funding, you need to sought independent debt advice.

You will also need to provide your EDF account number, current debt balance and details of your household finances and vulnerability.

E.ON Next

Customers of E.ON Next can apply for cash grants to help with their energy costs.

E.ON doesn’t have established eligibility criteria, but the fund aims to help as many people as possible, and applications from individuals with the greatest needs will be prioritised. 

You must know your energy account number and provide a recent meter reading to complete your application.

As part of your application, you’ll also be asked to provide evidence of your circumstances, such as proof of household income or DWP benefit payments.

Find out more, including how to apply, by visiting www.eonnextenergyfund.com.

Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy offers a range of support, including cash from its Octopus Energy Assist Fund.

It could also include loaning a thermal imagery camera to find heat leaks in your home, which you can fix to reduce energy usage and your bill.

It also conducts home energy visits to discuss how households can reduce their usage and gives out free electric blankets.

Octopus is encouraging all customers to get in contact if they’re struggling with their bills.

Octo Assist fund is still open for applications, and customers have no deadline for applying.

Find out more by visiting www.octopus.energy/blog/octo-assist.

ScottishPower

ScottishPower has handed out more than £60m in support to customers experiencing difficulties in paying their energy bills, through its Hardship Fund.

You could qualify for help from the fund if you receive support from the following benefits:

• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker’s allowance
• Income support
• Housing benefit
• Universal Credit
• Tax credits
• Pension credit savings credit

Help could also be available if you have a low household income or if special circumstances, such as illness, have impacted your earnings.

To apply you’ll first need to sought advice from debt charity Step Change by calling 0800 138 1111.

You’ll then need to apply for funding through Scottish Power‘s scheme by visiting www.support.sigmaconnected.com/scottish-power-hardship-fund

If your application is successful, the fund can wipe all or part of your energy debt.

Utilita

Citizens Advice Plymouth operates the scheme, which also provides Utility Warehouse customers with budgeting advice and benefits assessments.

The hardship fund allows for debt write-offs worth between £1,000 and £2,000, depending on individual circumstances.

To find out more and how to apply, visit www.help.uw.co.uk/article/billing_and_payments/Payment-help/uw-hardship-fund.

How to get free debt help

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There are several groups which can help you with your problem debts for free.

• Citizens Advice – 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales)
• StepChange – 0800138 1111
• National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
• Debt Advice Foundation – 0800 043 4050

You can also find information about Debt Management Plans (DMP) and Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVA) by visiting MoneyHelper.org.uk or Gov.UK.

Speak to one of these organisations – don’t be tempted to use a claims management firm.

They say they can write off lots of your debt in return for a large upfront fee.

But there are other options where you don’t need to pay.