7th July 2022

With nearly half a million households thought to be in the wrong council tax band, we recommend that our customers make a quick and easy check that could save you hundreds of pounds.

You could even get the lower bill backdated meaning you get some cash back too.

However, anyone who asks for an official assessment should be warned they could end up paying more, as their council could decide their council tax band is too low.

Government figures show that almost one in three (31%) people who challenged their band last year got a council tax reduction, with a lucky 11,687 paying less council tax.

And only 40 households saw their bills go up as a result.

You can find out your council tax band by checking the government website.

If all your neighbours – who live in similar or identical properties to you – are in a different band to you, this could be a good sign that you’re in the wrong band and overpaying or underpaying.

You can also check what your house was worth in 1991, to see if it was put in the correct band, on property websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove.

Once you have your valuation, you can use MoneySavingExpert’s clever calculator to estimate what the price would have been back in 1991.

If the price is lower than the band you’re in, this suggests you may have a good case for a re-evaluation – but if it isn’t then challenging your band could mean higher bills and isn’t worth the risk.

Money Saving Expert says that if your house passes both the neighbour test and the valuation test it’s worth challenging, but adds that passing both tests doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a reduction.

If you’re moved to a lower band, you’ll get a refund of council tax going back to the date you moved into the property.

But if you’re moved to a higher band, you’ll start paying an increased rate of council tax straight away.