Whether you rent, live in social housing, are a student or a homeowner, there are many things you can do to trim your bills. From low- or no-cost ways to keep warm and save electricity, to ideas that can cost from £100s up to £1,000s if you can afford it. And if you're a homeowner with a low income, remember you might be able to access some grant schemes.
These are energy-saving tips you can act on now while we press the government to do more to address the energy and cost-of-living crises.
See what changes you can make to improve your home's energy efficiency.
How to save money with a gas boiler
If you have a gas boiler, there are a few steps you can take to make sure it’s running well, which will help you save money in the long term. It’ll also mean you won’t have to shell out on additional running costs, and you’ll avoid expensive repairs.
For all boilers:
1. Keep an eye on the boiler pressure.
Your boiler pressure should be between 1 and 2 bars to keep it working efficiently.
2. Get a boiler check
Make sure your boiler is working well by getting an annual boiler check.
3. Set a timer
Make sure you’re not using gas for heating you don’t need by setting the timer on your boiler, so it only switches on when you’re at home.
For combi-boilers only:
4. Turn down the temperature
If you have a combi-boiler that heats radiators and provides hot water on demand, then set the heating control to around 55-60 °C. This is the optimum temperature for boiler efficiency.
The hot water can also be set to a lower temperature, say 45-50 °C, because there's little point in heating the water so hot that you need to add cold water back into it. The exception is if you have a hot water tank. Then you need to heat it to around 60 °C to prevent Legionnaires' disease.
5. Turn off the pre-heat function
Some boilers have what's called a “hot water pre-heat function". This keeps a small amount of hot water ready inside the boiler, which can be sent to the taps quicker. Switching it off means you have to wait a little until the water heats up, but it saves money.
Make your radiators more effective
Maintaining the health of your radiators and using them efficiently will help you save money.
6. Stop heating rooms that aren’t in use
Turn down the temperature on radiator valves. Rooms you don’t use as often or sit in for long periods of time, such as spare bedrooms or bathrooms, could have a lower setting on the radiator valve.
7. Maximise heat from your radiators
Remove dust from radiators and don’t obstruct them with furniture to ensure they heat the room effectively.
8. Bleed your radiators periodically
This can be done about twice a year or if you feel cold spots on the radiator.
Save money on your water bill
You could save money on the water that’s heated to clean the dishes in the sink or dishwasher, the laundry in the washing machine and yourself in the bath or shower.
9. Ditch baths
If you usually take a regular bath, try taking a shower instead as they use less hot water.
10. Spend less time in the shower
Try taking a shorter shower by taking minutes off your usual shower time. Set a timer and see how you do – you might be surprised!
11. Fit a water-saving shower head
You can get a similar shower experience but use less hot water. You may be able to get a free water-saving shower head from your water company, depending on where you live.
12. Fill your dishwasher before you run it
If you have a dishwasher, try to fill it up fully before you run a cycle and run it less often. You can also select the eco setting if you have that option.
13. Wash dishes in one go
If you wash dishes by hand, save the dishes and wash them in one go. Don’t let the hot tap run continuously, for example when you’re lathering or rinsing dishes.
14. Full loads in the washing machine
Wash full loads in the washing machine. Select 30 °C and the eco setting if your appliance has one.
15. Consider getting a water meter
This could save money on your water bills on top of saving on your energy bills. Find out more at Money Saving Expert.
Make your kitchen energy efficient
Cooking food in ovens can contribute significantly to overall energy bills. Think about when and what you're cooking, and how long for, to make efficient use of your kitchen appliances.
16. Maximise oven usage
If you’re using an oven, try cooking multiple items in the same session – this can help with meal planning for the week too.
17. Be mindful of time
Don’t leave the oven on for longer than necessary.
18. Consider other appliances
If you already have access to other appliances, use a slow cooker, pressure cooker, microwave or air fryer to heat up or cook food that doesn’t need to be cooked in the oven or on the hob.
19. Don’t boil a full kettle
We often fill up the kettle when having a cup of tea, but only boil enough water for what you need.
20. Maintain appliances
For example, descale kettles to improve their ability to boil water more efficiently.
21. Think about the equipment you’re using
Use the right size pan for what you're cooking and use lids so food heats up more quickly to save energy.
22. Regularly defrost the freezer
Doing this will avoid your freezer using more energy than necessary. A full freezer maintains a more optimal temperature compared with an empty one, as it doesn’t have to work hard to cool the empty space.
23. Don’t overpack the fridge
This will allow cool air to circulate effectively.
24. Check temperatures
Make sure both the fridge and freezer are set to the correct temperature. For the greatest energy saving, set your fridge to 3-5 °C and your freezer to -18 °C. If your appliances don’t provide degree readings, set to the mid-point.
25. Avoid tumble dryers
If you have one, avoid using the tumble dryer where possible and opt for air drying your laundry instead.
Change your light bulbs and switch off your plugs
Get into the habit of choosing lighting options and practising good habits that will save you money in the long term.
26. Check energy efficiency
When buying a new appliance, check the label to see its energy efficiency or eco rating and consider those with an “A” rating. The cost of running more efficient appliances will be less over their lifespan.
27. Switch off lights
When you leave a room, make sure you switch the light off. Switch off any outdoor lights when they aren’t needed too.
28. Don’t leave appliances on standby or chargers and electronics plugged in when they aren’t in use.
Although it doesn’t make a big difference, it’s another way you can save some money as part of adopting multiple energy-saving tips.
29. Upgrade your light bulbs
Switch to LED light bulbs but choose them carefully. It can cost the average home about £100 to replace all its light bulbs with LED ones, which can save approximately £35 a year. Why not replace light bulbs when needed rather than replacing them all in one go?
Eliminate draughts with easy DIY tips
As well as reducing heat loss, eliminating draughts can help improve thermal comfort – or how warm you feel. This reduces the temptation to reach for the thermostat and turn it up a degree or 2. These tips are also suitable if you live in a rental home or are working on a budget.
30. Invest in thicker curtains or blinds
Generally speaking, the heavier the curtain or blind, the more effective it is at preventing heat exchange between the cold air around the window and the warm air in the rest of the room.
31. Get automatic door closers
These can prevent unwelcome draughts as well as being good for fire safety, privacy and energy conservation. If you’re renting, you might need to ask your landlord to install them or ask permission to install yourself.
32. Make a door snake
Door snakes can be cost-effective draught excluders, and you can even try making one yourself.
33. Make a radiator reflector
Radiator reflectors reduce the energy needed to heat your home. Have a go at making one yourself.
34. Make a chimney balloon
Chimneys suck air out of your home, so a chimney balloon will help prevent warm air from escaping, as well as keeping cold air out. You can try making one yourself if you don’t have a working fireplace.
35. Buy window seal and film
Easily available to buy locally and online, window seal and film will help lower energy use in your home by providing makeshift insulation.
36. Invest in a door seal and letterbox draught excluder
Readily available at hardware stores, door seals and letterbox draught excluders block draughts and prevent unnecessary air flow around the edges of your door frame or letterbox.
37. Get floorboard seal
Draught-proofing your floorboards can save you up to £40 per room, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Find out more about draught-proofing with the Energy Saving Trust guide.
Thermostats, radiator valves, smart meters and controls
Control the heating levels in your home and the money you're spending more effectively by installing the following devices.
38. Get a thermostat
Thermostats can save you money on energy bills by helping you control the temperature of your home. A smart thermostat learns how your home heats up and cools down, adjusts heating based on the weather and can even switch your heating on or off depending on whether you're home.
A smart thermostat will reduce your energy consumption by 5-15% and pay for itself in 2-3 years. Check out guides from Which? and Good Housekeeping to see the best options out there.
39. Turn down the heat
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a home temperature between 18 °C and 21 °C, depending on your age and health. If your thermostat setting is higher, try turning it down and see how you feel. Turning it down by just 1 degree could reduce your energy use by 10% and save you as much as £145 each year.
40. Install smart heating controls
Smart heating controls allow you to control your heating remotely from your phone, computer or other internet-powered devices.
41. Thermostatic radiator valves
Thermostatic radiator valves are an easy and inexpensive way to maintain constant temperature in a room. They change the flow of the water in the heating system when the temperature reaches a certain point, preventing the radiators from getting any warmer. They allow you to heat the rooms you use most and keep other rooms a bit cooler. And the investment should pay for itself within a few years.
42. Check your smart meter
Smart meters allow you to measure how much gas and electricity you're using. If you don’t already have one, your energy supplier should supply one soon as part of the national government programme to replace older energy meters.
Insulation for loft, walls and windows
Insulation can help reduce the amount of heat lost from your home – and help keep it cool in the summer too. Find out more about what insulation is and how it can save you money. The different types of insulation include:
43. Loft insulation
Loft insulation is cheap and simple to install, so it's worth telling your landlord this if you rent. Fit it to a depth of 270 mm. It'll pay for itself in a year through lower energy bills or 2-3 years if you pay someone else to install it.
44. Cavity wall insulation
Get a professional to install insulation if you have cavity walls. Cavity wall insulation will pay for itself in around 4 years. For a semi-detached property, it typically costs around £1,200.
However, there are around 8 million homes in the UK with solid walls, which are harder to insulate. The 2 main options are external wall insulation, which typically costs around £11,000, or internal wall insulation, which typically costs around £7,500. Internal wall insulation can be messy and is best done when decorating. There are also much cheaper DIY options...
45. DIY internal wall insulation
You can install internal wall insulation yourself, and it's both effective and relatively cheap. The insulation either comes as boards or in rolls that you stick to the wall with special adhesive. A government report rated 1.3 cm-thick high-tech aerogel as the best of the bunch, which costs around £80 per m2. Woodfibre (Pavadry or Diffutherm) works just as well, is cheaper and has a lower carbon footprint, but it has to be double the thickness to deliver the same energy saving.
If you rent, check with your landlord first and see whether you could benefit from the Affordable Warmth scheme. This solution can be costly and require a lot of decorating, so if you’re renting you’ll need your landlord onboard.
If you're not confident fitting internal wall insulation yourself, we’d suggest using a professional because moisture problems can occur if fitted incorrectly.
46. Treat your exterior walls
A cheap measure is to paint your exterior walls with a transparent cream called Stormdry. This stops brickwork soaking up rain, which reduces heat loss. It should pay for itself within 5 years.
47. Insulate your pipes and hot water cylinder
If you have them, insulating your pipes and water cylinders will mean less heat loss, which in turn means you'll be spending less money on heating water. It’ll also mean water will stay hotter for longer.
48. Upgrade your windows or doors
Probably one of the most expensive options in our list is to install double- or triple-glazed windows in your home. The very best windows are A++ rated and triple-glazed with an inert gas such as argon between the glass panes. But replacing windows isn’t cheap – perhaps as much as £15,000 for a semi-detached property.
If you can’t afford to replace your windows, you could install secondary glazing. Professionally made secondary glazing is the best bet and should last 10 years or more, but it'll be much, much less effective than double or triple gazing.
You might also consider replacing external doors with better insulated ones. Insulated doors aren’t cheap (£500 upwards) and the payback will be over a considerable period. But if your home has old, poorly fitting external doors, replacing these will make a big difference.
Find out more about reducing home heat loss from windows and doors with the Energy Saving Trust.
Solar and heat pump eco heating
Eco heating options reduce carbon emissions, protect our environment, keep us warm and slash our bills in the long term.
49. Install solar panels
If you own your home, you could install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and harness the power of renewable solar energy to heat your home and water, while also reducing your emissions by about 20%. Solar PV can pay for itself within about 10 years and will last for 40+ years. Use the Energy Saving Trust’s solar energy calculator to estimate energy savings and potential financial payments you may receive by installing solar panels.
50. Upgrading an old, inefficient heating system to a heat pump
Heat pumps extract warm air from outside to heat the water going to your radiators. They're more efficient than gas boilers, so they could save you a little bit of money. There are also government grants available. And they can cut your home heating emissions by up to 80%. Find out more about heat pumps and other eco heating options – including their pros and cons and any financial support available.
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