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Tips to save money on your energy bills

Reduce your energy usage with our handy tips and tricks, from lowering your heating bill to cutting your water usage. Find out more now.

Heating
Hot water
Cooking
Washing
Fridges and freezers
Other top tips

Heating

Reducing your heating usage can help you cut energy bills, which is a good way to save money. Lowering your thermostat by just 1c can help you save as much as 10%! But don’t let the temperature in your house go below 18 °C if you have children, or older or unwell people at home.

Here are some more top tips to save money on your heating bill.

Before you turn the heating on, try putting on an extra layer – lots of thinner layers will keep you warmer than one big one.

Make sure your radiators are uncovered and aren’t blocked by furniture.

Close the curtains when it’s getting dark and tuck them in behind the radiator.

Lower the heat in rooms you don’t use that much (but don’t turn them off completely, or it can create damp).

Use your central heating timer to turn the heating completely off overnight or when no one’s home – try using a hot water bottle to stay cosy at night.

Reflective radiator covers can prevent the heat from being absorbed into cold external walls.

Put down rugs on exposed or draughty flooring.

Check that the filters and thermostatic radiator valve on your heaters are working properly.

Exchange your heater for one that’s more fuel-efficient. Oil-based heaters are usually more affordable than fan-based heaters.

Cover up any holes around doors and windows to prevent heat loss.

Hot water

If you have an electric immersion heater, turn it down one degree – you won’t notice the temperature difference, but don’t go below 60°C as you need it that hot to kill harmful bacteria in the tank.

Swap baths for showers, which use less water.
Set your timer to heat your hot water for a couple of hours a day instead of leaving it on all the time.
Electric showers use a lot of electricity, so be mindful of how long you spend showering.

Cooking

With a few small swaps, you can reduce the amount of energy you use while cooking.

When boiling water, only boil as much as you need – you don’t need a full kettle for a cup of tea.
If you’re boiling water for cooking, you can save time and energy by boiling it first in the kettle, then putting it into a pan.
Keep the lid on your saucepans to trap the heat, meaning you can turn the hob down and use less electricity or gas.
It’s more fuel efficient to match the size of the saucepan you’re using to the size of the ring.
Keep the oven door shut as much as possible when you’re cooking.
If your oven is on already, use it to cook other things at the same time and freeze them for another time.
Using a microwave is more fuel-efficient than an oven.
Turn your oven off before your food is done and let the residual heat finish cooking your food.

Washing

Remember, if you need to dry clothes inside, don’t put them on a radiator as this can create damp, mould, and prevent your home from being heated properly. Instead, hang them on a clothes airer near an open window or door.

Tumble dryers use a lot of electricity, so dry your clothes outside when and where possible.
Clean the fluff out of your tumble dryer filter every time you use it.
Only put the washing machine (or dishwasher) on when it’s full – two half loads use more water, detergent, and electricity than one full load.
Wash clothes at 30°C to save electricity.
Use ‘eco-mode’ when you can, which takes longer as it uses less electricity to heat the water more slowly.

Fridges and freezers

Maintaining your fridge and freezer can make a big difference to how much energy they use. Try these top tips to save more money.

Keep your fridge temperature between 3-5°C.
Don’t let the coils at the back of your fridge or freezer get dusty – they’ll run better if they’re clean.
Pull your fridge and freezer away from the wall a bit to allow the heat to escape from the back, preventing it from warming up the temperature inside.
Defrost your freezer regularly.
When you’re defrosting food, leave it in the fridge as this helps cool your fridge for free.
Wait for leftovers to cool down before putting them in the fridge.
Try to keep your freezer as full as you can – lots of frozen items keep each other cold so your freezer doesn’t have to work so hard.
Removing the lightbulb from your fridge can save up to £30 a year.

Other top tips

Only charge your mobile phone for as long as it needs, instead of leaving it plugged in all night.
Turn off the lights in rooms you’re not using.
A typical household could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to turn off appliances left on standby – so try to turn things off properly instead of using the remote.
Switch to LED bulbs if possible.
Check if you’re on Economy 7, a tariff where your electricity is cheaper at night, and then do energy-intensive tasks like running the washing machine at night.
Speak to your supplier and have them install a Smart Meter; this will allow you to track your usage and monitor what you are spending.