State pensioners looking to make the most of every penny this year following their Winter Fuel Payment cut and the loss of an annual Cost of Living payment have been urged to ditch big supermarkets Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
Money expert Martin Lewis calculated that most pensioners will be £500 worse off this winter following the decision to scrap the universal Winter Fuel Payment and make it means tested, as well as the loss of a cost of living payment paid in the past two years.
And new analysis by consumer magazine Which? has found that shoppers who stick with Morrisons for their weekly shop are paying as much as £956.28 more per year for a typical basket of goods than those who swap to Aldi – three times more than the loss of the Winter Fuel Payment.
Its latest supermarket price comparison research, looking at prices in October for a basket of 62 typical food and drink items, showed Aldi shoppers paid the least, at £111.66, while Morrisons shoppers paid £128.96 with a More card, or £130.05 without a More card.
Tesco shoppers with a Clubcard would pay £122.26 on average, or without a Clubcard, £125.09.
The Clubcard price means Tesco shoppers even with the loyalty card prices factored in would pay £10.66 more per weekly shop, or £551.20 over the course of the year if the same price difference was maintained on average.
For those using a Sainsbury’s Nectar card, October’s shopping list of items averaged £125.93, which is £14.27 more than at Aldi and still higher than the prices at Asda (£125.26) and Tesco (£122.26/£125.09). Without a Nectar card, the same items at Sainsbury’s cost £130.79.
Unsurprisingly, Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket this month, totalling £142.39 on average – a difference of £30.73 compared to Aldi – 28 per cent more.
The list of 62 items included both branded and own-brand items, such as Birds Eye Peas, Hovis bread, milk and butter.
The key for state pensioners or anyone looking to make ends meet is swapping supermarket could have a huge impact on your finances over the tough winter months.
Harry Rose, Editor of Which? magazine, said: “Our latest monthly analysis once again sees Aldi crowned as the UK’s cheapest supermarket.
“In the lead up to the festive season, people are looking to cut costs where they can. Our analysis shows that by switching supermarkets consumers could save 22%, highlighting the advantages of shopping around where possible.”
