Simple Swaps to (massively) Reduce Energy Bills
If you can’t afford your energy bills or are in fuel debt, there is free help out there for you, if you know where to look:
- Ensure you are claiming entitled benefits (most unclaimed benefits are for vulnerable people – just one phone call could see many older people get Pension Credit, which is worth £11,000 extra a year, including qualifying for Winter Fuel Allowance).
- AGE UK Warm Homes program can help to install radiator boosters, draught excluders and energy-efficient lightbulbs, and can also help with benefits. One caller with dementia (who had been turning off her eating to save money) ended up £9000 a year better off.
- British Gas Bounce Back List lists over 200 places to find help with bills and grants, and includes a list of warm space café.
- StepChange has lots of advice.
How Much Of Your Bill is for Energy?
Although energy companies and MPs say that bills are high due to oil prices, the price you pay is not just for energy (that’s around a third of the bill). The rest is to cover operating costs, VAT and other charges. England has some of the highest energy prices in the world, by comparison.
Companies encourage us to pay by direct debit, based on estimates. But if they are wrong, you end up with the company making interest on money that could be in your account. It’s believed that over £3 billion is held in credit by energy suppliers in the UK.
Ofgem states that you have the legal right to claim this back, at any time. The website shows you how to do it, and you should receive your money back within weeks. If not, you can make an official complaint to them, to sort it out.
For bereavements, as well as the account and meter readings, you will also need a copy of the death certificate, alongside details of family members of executors.
What Happens If You Rent Your Home?
If you rent, your landlord or property manager might handle energy supply, so check with them first before switching yourself. Some rental agreements include energy supplier choices.
Ecotricity is presently the only greener supplier that does not animal waste from abattoirs or factory farms (which obviously make money from selling it). Businesses with solar panels can sell excess energy back to them, for passive income. Founder Dale Vince owns EcoTalk, a phone company powered by this energy, that uses profits to fund rewilding projects.
Is it Worth Installing Solar Panels?
Solar panels are now installed on 1 in 20 buildings in England, with quick payback times for schools, hospitals, prisons and large offices, that can sell excess energy back to the grid. Read more on which green energy is most wildlife-friendly.
Carbon Savvy’s Free Carbon Calculator (save bills!)
Take the free carbon calculator. Created by the co-founder
of Mitchell & Dickinson (which specialises in reducing energy bills for listed buildings using a modern alternative to double glazing). By taking the advice from results, you’ll not only reduce your footprint, by save a fortune on energy bills.
A third of emissions are from heating draughty buildings. Britain has 27 million homes, so if we knocked them all down (and old buildings are part of her heritage) and built new ones, it would take 270 years. Retrofitting insulation can save owners of older homes over £1000 a year. Mukti Mitchell
His company would like to insulate Buckingham Palace, National Trust buildings and churches, that all spend a fortune on energy bills.
Stop paying to heat the street
Heat escaping through gaps is like trying to fill a bath with the plug half out. You can keep your home warmer, and your boiler or heat pump won’t have to work as hard. Comfort usually improves straight away too.
One important note before you start sealing things up: don’t block purpose-built ventilation. Keep air bricks, extractor fans, and boiler ventilation grilles clear, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and rooms with gas appliances.
Swap draughts for comfort
Start with the places that “feel” cold. On a windy day, run your hand around the edges of external doors and windows. A tissue held near a gap can flutter if air is moving. Most draught fixes are simple:
- Adhesive foam or rubber seals for door and window frames
- A door brush or drop-down seal to stop the gap at the bottom
- A letterbox brush, because those flap openings can howl in winter
- A keyhole cover, small but surprisingly effective
- A fabric draught excluder for the hallway door (especially in older terraces)
Curtains matter more than people expect. Thermal lining helps, and closing curtains at dusk holds heat in. At the same time, don’t trap heat behind them all evening. If a radiator sits under a window, try to keep curtains from covering the radiator fully, otherwise the warm air circulates poorly.
Turn down the heat without feeling cold
A thermostat isn’t a “power” dial, it’s a target. If you set it higher, your heating runs longer to reach that temperature. As a result, small changes can make a noticeable difference. Try dropping the setpoint by 1°C and give it a few days. If you miss it, nudge it back up, but don’t jump straight to old habits.
Programmers help most when you match heat to real life. If the house is empty, don’t heat it like it’s full. For many homes, the simplest win is avoiding long, low-level heating all day (unless your system is designed for that). Aim for warm when you’re in, cooler when you’re out or asleep.
Radiator controls add another layer:
- Use thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to keep bedrooms cooler than living rooms.
- Don’t hide radiators behind sofas or big cabinets, the heat can’t spread.
- Bleed radiators if the top feels cold, trapped air reduces output.
- Put reflective foil behind radiators on external walls to push heat back into the room.
A quick “do this tonight” routine keeps it easy:
- Set the thermostat 1°C lower than usual.
- Close curtains at dusk, leaving a little space above radiators.
- Turn TRVs down in unused rooms (not to frost settings if the room is used).
- Check one external door for a draught and add a temporary excluder.
If a room feels cold, don’t assume you need more heat first. Often you need less draught and better circulation.
Hot water and laundry swaps
Hot water costs twice. First you pay to heat it, then it disappears down the drain. Because of that, showers, taps, washing, and drying are rich areas for savings that don’t feel like sacrifice.
Fit a better shower head and fix tiny leaks
- An efficient shower head can cut hot water use while still feeling decent. Look for a water-efficient model that mixes air into the spray. It’s one of the few swaps that can pay back quickly, especially in homes with long daily showers.
- Time is the other lever. Shaving two minutes off a shower doesn’t sound heroic, but it adds up over a month. A cheap shower timer helps because it removes the guessing.
- Don’t ignore small leaks either. A dripping hot tap wastes heat and water. A running loo can waste far more than you’d expect, quietly and constantly.
Simple ways to spot problems:
- Listen for the toilet cistern refilling when no one’s used it.
- Check for a slow trickle in the bowl.
- If you have a water meter, note the reading, avoid using water for 30 minutes, then check again.
Tap aerators are another easy win. They reduce flow without ruining handwashing. In the kitchen, turning off the hot tap while you scrub dishes stops heat from going straight to the drain.
Switch your wash and dry routine
Most everyday laundry doesn’t need high temperatures. A 30°C wash (or cold wash, if suitable) often cleans well, especially with modern detergents. Meanwhile, “eco” modes can look odd because they run longer. That’s normal, they usually use less energy by heating water more gently.
Try these simple habits:
- Wait for a full load in the washing machine and dishwasher.
- Use a higher spin speed, clothes come out drier, so drying takes less time.
- Air-dry on a rack near (not on) a radiator, good airflow matters more than direct heat.
- Clean the tumble dryer lint filter every cycle, and keep the condenser clean if you have one.
A dehumidifier can help in damp homes, but it only makes sense if it replaces tumble drying. If you run both, savings vanish fast.
For dishwashers, the rule is boring but effective: run it full, use eco mode, and skip pre-rinsing (scrape instead).
Replace bulbs with LEDs and stop standby waste
LED bulbs use far less electricity than old halogens and they last much longer. For most homes, swapping the most-used lights first (kitchen, living room, hallway) gives the quickest return.
Choose bulbs by lumens, not watts. Lumens tell you brightness. For colour, warm white suits living spaces, cool white can work in utility areas where you want a crisp look.
Standby power is another quiet drain. TVs, consoles, set-top boxes, and office gear sip electricity even when “off”. A switched extension lead makes it easy, and smart plugs can automate it.
Be sensible about what you cut. Keep anything essential running, such as medical equipment. Also think twice before switching off a router if you rely on internet-based alarms or smart heating controls.
Use your fridge, freezer, and cooker smarter
Cold appliances run all day, so small tweaks matter. Set your fridge to about 4°C and your freezer to about -18°C. Warmer settings can spoil food, colder ones waste energy.
Let leftovers cool before they go in the fridge. Hot food forces the compressor to work harder. Clean door seals now and then too, grime can stop them closing properly. If your freezer builds up thick ice, defrosting helps it run more efficiently. Also avoid cramming it full, air needs space to circulate.
Boil only the water you need in the kettle. Keep lids on pans. Match pan size to the hob ring. For small portions, a microwave or air fryer often uses less energy than heating the whole oven. Batch cooking helps too, because you pay once to heat the oven, then eat twice.
