How sharing your location with other websites could help save you money

We all know the many benefits of sharing your location with the many apps on our smartphones. Whilst these have changed the way we complete many day to day tasks in our lives, there are still many more ways your location could help you. If you share your location with certain websites, you could even find yourself saving money on completing those day to day tasks. Here are some of the places you should be sharing your location to get better value for your money.

On your utility bills

When it comes to utilities, you might think everyone has to pay a set price for the amount they use wherever they are in the country. Many people might think it's impossible to save money on water bills as households in the UK are forced to stay with their local water provider rather than shop around for the best deals. Whilst this may be the case for homes, this is no longer the case for businesses.

Since the deregulation of the commercial water market in 2017, businesses have been able to choose who supplies their business with water services. This means depending on where your business is located, and there might be a more affordable supplier operating in your area. The easiest way to find the cheapest deal on your water bill is to enter your location, alongside some other information like average consumption, into a comparison website. For example, Utility Bidder will search for the best business water rates in your location and then allow you simply switch provider from the very same page. The whole process could be completed within minutes, and you don't even have to contact your new or old supplier as they'll organise the switch for you.

On buying second-hand goods

If you're using a second-hand website like eBay, you might think the best way to find a good deal is to select to order the products with the lowest price items at the top. You might even have tactics on leaving your bid to the very last second to try and secure a deal without any other rivals trying to outbid you. One of the best secrets to finding cheap deals on eBay is to search for people selling near you. This is especially true for bulkier items that can't be sent through the post. By selecting by location, you're narrowing the number of people bidding on that item to those close enough to be able to travel and collect the piece. Fewer people means less bidding and less money you'll need to part with.

On car shares

Another way of saving money is by sharing your location on a car share website. If you're able to find someone who lives in the same area as you and travels in the same direction to work every day, you could find yourself halving your commuting costs every week. This could end up saving you a lot of money every year and will also help reduce carbon emissions in your local area.