Revealed: UK credit score hotspots – how does your compare?
New data reveals the best and worst areas for credit scores.
24th January 2020 14:38
by Brean Horne from interactive investor
New data reveals the best and worst areas for credit scores.
People living in Eastern Central postcode (EC) have the highest average credit score in the UK, according to new research from MoneySuperMarket.
The price comparison site analysed more than 200,000 credit reports from the MoneySuperMarket Credit Monitor.
Residents in the EC area hold an average credit score of 583 out of a possible 710 points.
The average UK credit score stands at 562.
People living in the Surrey town of Guildford (GU) hold an average credit score of 578 – the second highest in the UK.
Kingston upon Thames (KT) came in as the third highest credit score area, with the average resident holding a score of 577.
The table below shows the postcodes with the highest credit scores.
| Location | Average Credit Score |
|---|---|
| EC - Eastern Central London | 583 |
| GU - Guildford | 578 |
| KT - Kingston upon Thames | 577 |
RG - Reading W - Western London | 576 |
E - East London RH - Redhill | 575 |
Worst areas for credit scores
Residents in the north of England and parts of Scotland were among the areas with the lowest credit scores.
Sunderland (SR) has the lowest average credit score of 548.
The second lowest average credit score is held by people living in Wolverhampton (WV).
Those living in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock (KA) have an average cred score of 550 – the third lowest in the country.
The table below shows the postcodes with the lowest credit scores.
| Postcode | Average Credit Score |
|---|---|
| SR - Sunderland | 548 |
| WV - Wolverhampton | 549 |
| KA - Kilmarnock | 550 |
| DN - Doncaster | 550 |
| HU - Hull | 551 |
How to improve your credit score
Your credit score can affect your ability to get anything from a mortgage to a mobile phone contract, so it’s important to keep yours in good shape.
The following three tips could help you boost your credit score.
1. Check your credit history
Monitoring your credit history regularly will help to identify errors on your credit file which could be affecting your score.
If you spot any inaccuracies, try to get them resolved as soon as possible.
Regularly checking your credit score will also help you identify instances of fraud.
2. Register to vote
Making sure that you’re registered to vote is a simple way to improve your credit rating.
MoneySuperMarket found that the average credit score for someone on the electoral register was 566 whereas the average credit score for those not registered was only 538.
Registering is easy, just head to GOV.UK/register-to-vote
3. Keep up with your repayments
Paying off your credit card balance each month as well as keeping up with repayments on personal loans and mortgages will help boost your credit score.
It shows lenders that you are reliable with credit and can manage your debts.
This article was originally published in our sister magazine Moneywise, which ceased publication in August 2020.
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