How to save energy at home

• Draught-proofing around windows and doors can save roughly £35 a year
• Installing energy efficient windows could save £223 – £477 per year
• Smart thermostats can help save up to 23% on your energy bills

Finding ways to reduce your energy consumption at home is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce your energy costs. “Look after the pennies, and the pounds look after themselves” as your grandparents used to say. Read on to find out more.

1. Install draught-proofing

Anyone living in a draughty house will constantly be reaching for the thermostat during colder months. But by making sure you seal any draughty gaps around the house, you could save up to £65 on energy bills each year.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to save energy on heating is to make your home as draught-proofed as possible.

Draughts are commonly found at windows, doors, letterboxes, open chimneys, old floorboards, and worn-out extractor fans, so be sure to keep an eye on these areas. Depending on the location of the draught , there are many products out there that can be fitted with little to no DIY experience.

However, don’t overdo it. Most homes in Britain benefit from a certain amount of ventilation to freshen the air and control things like condensation and mould (especially in bathrooms and kitchens). The point here is to have controlled ventilation, rather than uncontrolled ventilation wafting through your house.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing around windows and doors can save you approximately £35 a year. 

If you have an open chimney, draught-proofing it when you’re not using it could save you an additional £50 a year.

Sealing the gaps between floors and skirting boards can save you up to £70 a year on energy bills.

Draught-free homes are more comfortable at lower temperatures. This means you may be able to turn down your thermostat, saving even more on your energy bills.

It shouldn’t cost more than around £250 for an average-sized home to get a tradesman in to draught-proof your home.

2. Insulate your home

The UK housing stock has an insulation problem – around 19 million homes across the country are rated D or below in their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Insulating your home is one of the best ways to slash bills by reducing your need to burn fuel (and money) heating the air inside your home.

To avoid unnecessary heat loss and seal in that much-needed warmth, insulate these three areas:

1. Roof and loft – A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home, but by installing roof and loft insulation, you could save up to £580 a year on bills.
2. Walls – A third of all heat in an uninsulated home escapes through the walls. Homes either have cavity or solid walls – by insulating cavity walls, you could save up to £480 a year on the average energy bill, whilst solid wall insulation could save you up to £650 a year.
3. Tanks, pipes, and radiators – You can save up to £85 a year on your energy bills by fitting insulation around your boiler tank, pipes, and radiators.

Which type of insulation should I choose?

There are various ways to do this, but your home’s age and build, and ultimately your budget, will usually limit you.

Cavity wall insulation

If your house was built after the 1920s, it likely has a cavity external wall. Earlier builds had narrow cavities or no cavity at all, so they may not be appropriate for cavity wall insulation.

Cavity wall insulation replaces the air gap between the twin leaves of your external wall with an insulating material like polystyrene balls, mineral wool, or foam. Like a woolly blanket for your home, this reduces heat loss through your walls, helping to keep your house warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Cavity wall insulation is a cost-effective and efficient method to enhance a home’s energy efficiency, making it a popular option for homeowners wanting to upgrade their property’s insulation.

External wall insulation

Another form of external wall insulation for older solid-walled or cavity-walled properties is bolted insulation. As the name suggests, this effectively bonds insulation to the outside surface of your home’s walls.

Like cavity insulation, installing this will dramatically reduce the heat loss from heat-conducting through your walls in winter and summer. However, not all properties are appropriate for it.

Listed buildings, buildings with structural issues, and homes with smaller roof overhangs or other structural protrusions are prime examples. In the latter case, the increase in wall thickness may lead to add-on costs like extending the roof’s eaves.

It is, however, one of the most expensive measures and should only be considered with expert advice.

Spray foam insulation

Yet another form of home insulation you may want to consider is spray foam. Ideal for roof spaces and floors, this method can also be used on walls.

Spray foam insulation is a liquid foam that is sprayed into position and set to form an insulating layer. It can be used to insulate your roof, loft, walls, floors, and more.

It is incredibly versatile but should only be considered with expert advice. Once set, it is difficult to remove, creates harmful fumes, and can impact home ventilation.

This form of insulation is also not the prettiest and should only be installed in out-of-sight areas like attics or under floors.

Pipe insulation

Pipe insulation effectively reduces energy bills at home by preventing heat loss from hot water pipes and minimising heat gain in cold water pipes. By giving exposed pipes a nice jacket of insulation, hot water remains at a higher temperature as it travels through the system. As you can imagine, this will reduce the need for reheating and ensure less energy is wasted.

As a nice bonus, pipe insulation also helps prevent pipes from freezing during colder months, reducing the risk of bursts and costly repairs.

If you feel confident, you can insulate most pipes with off-the-shelf pipe insulation lengths; get a professional in if you want “a proper job” done.

Floor insulation

Floor insulation is yet another strategy to reduce energy bills by preventing heat loss through the ground floor of your home. Insulating the floor creates a barrier that helps retain heat within the living spaces (lounge, bedrooms, etc.), making your heating system more efficient.

Not only does this reduce your fuel bills, but it will also reduce draughts and add free soundproofing.

3. Light up your home with LEDs

If you have any halogen, fluorescent or incandescent lights left, swap your bulbs for LED lights – they’re the most  efficient and will reward you with cheaper bills.

Incandescent bulbs were phased out from sale from 2016, so not many of us have those left, but you might still have some halogen or fluorescent bulbs around your home. The Energy Saving Trust says that swapping a halogen bulb to an LED will save £4 to £5 per year. If you’ve got any fluorescent tubes (under kitchen units, for example) the exact saving will depend on the type of tube, but it’s clear that swapping to LEDs will use significantly less energy. 

If you have low-energy bulbs that aren’t LEDs, they’re probably CFLs (they’re the ones which usually take a minute to reach full brightness). They aren’t as energy-efficient as LEDs, but they’re still a big improvement on halogen or incandescent bulbs, so it’s up to you whether you want to invest in swapping them to LEDs.

Although they’re a bit pricier, LEDs have an average life of 20,000 hours, compared to up to 15,000 hours for a fluorescent tube, 2,000 for a halogen bulb and 1,000 for an incandescent bulb – so they’ll last longer as well as saving you energy. 

4. Look after your fridge

A fridge is one of the biggest energy-guzzling home appliances – and it’s not like you can just turn it off when you’re not using it, either.

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to make sure your fridge isn’t eating energy, including:

• Keeping it in the right place – If your fridge is located near a window or the oven, chances are it’s absorbing a lot of heat, and will have to work harder to keep your food cool. The Energy Saving Trust recommends you keep a 10cm gap behind your fridge to let heat escape.
• Filling it up – When your fridge is at least three quarters full, it contains less cold air, which escapes when you open the fridge door. Don’t overfill it, though, because air needs to be able to circulate for the fridge to work properly. You can put containers of water in it if you want to get it a bit fuller. Defrosting food in the fridge instead of on your kitchen worktop will also help to keep your fridge cool, cutting down the energy it uses.
• Not putting warm food in it – The biggest way you might be wasting energy with your fridge is by putting warm leftovers inside it, causing it to work harder to cool down.
• Keeping it clean – Give the coils at the back of the fridge a wipe every now and then. This will prevent a build up of dust, which will help your fridge to work as efficiently as possible.

5. Replace worn out windows

Roughly 40% of your home’s energy escapes from the windows. So if your home is fitted with either single-glazed or worn-out double-glazed windows, then your energy bills will suffer the consequences.

You can tell your double glazing is worn out if there are draughts, leaks, a lot of noise coming in, or the panes are often covered in condensation, particularly between the panes.

Although it might be a pricey investment, with the average double glazed window costing £640, installing energy efficient windows could save you between £223 to £477 per year. You can find out more about this by visiting our Double Glazing Costs page.

6. Give your radiators space to breathe

Radiators aren’t very effective when things are blocking them. So if you want to reap the rewards of your radiators, try these top tips:

• Move your furniture around – Having furniture in front of your radiators can block heat off from the rest of the room, which means you’ll miss out on the full potential that your radiators have to offer.
• Fit reflector panels behind your radiator – These thin sheets of metal reflect 95% of the heat energy radiated from the rear of your radiator back into the room. You can find radiator panels online, as well as in homeware shops, for as little as £5.
• Don’t leave clothes on your radiators – This causes a similar effect as blocking your radiators with furniture. Drying clothes on radiators can also cause problems with damp in your home.

7. Use smart appliances

It’s estimated that having a smart home – which means devices like heating, lighting and electronics are internet-connected and can be controlled remotely – can save you anywhere between 1% and 15% on your bills. 

Some of the best energy-bill-busting tools include:

• Smart meters – These handy devices record a household’s electrical energy consumption, using a digital display to show live updates on how much energy you’re using. This improved awareness of energy usage often leads people to cut their consumption. Throughout the month, your smart meter will let you know if you’re on track to hit your target – helping you to change your habits and lower your bills. Plus, it’s free from the government – simply contact your energy supplier to get one installed at no cost.
• Smart thermostats – These can recommend ways that you can save energy whilst staying warm, helping to save up to 23% on your energy bills. This app also lets you adjust the temperature as you wish, even while you’re away from home. Whether your thermostat is smart or not, turning it down will save energy (most people can safely turn it down to between 18°C and 21°C).
• Smart plugs – You can connect these devices to an app on your phone, and control when an appliance turns on and off. You can even program set times for it to switch on when you’re out of the house. Similarly, you can get smart power strips – these look like traditional power bars, but they can monitor and control power to each electrical outlet.
• Smart switches – These allow you to turn lights on and off remotely, which might help you to save energy. You can also get smart dimmer switches, which can help to reduce energy use by dimming your lights. 

You can also save money without smart gadgets, by unplugging appliances when you’re not using them.

8. Download some helpful apps

Energy efficiency apps educate you on how and when you are using your energy at home – and more importantly, how you can do better.

These are  our top picks for energy efficiency apps:

• Joulebug – This app helps you track how much energy you’re using, and how you’re using it. Got a competitive side? You can also challenge your friends to join in the fun!
• My Earth –  This gives you suggestions for  energy-saving activities, and helps you to track how much carbon you’ve saved. There’s even a cartoon iceberg (complete with polar bear) which gets bigger as you save more energy.
• Energy Cost Calculator – This app gives you a detailed overview of how you’re using energy in your home each day, week, or month. Although this sounds simplistic, its user-friendly site gives it that extra edge.

Want to discover more helpful tools? Check out our page on The 11 Best Apps For Greener Living.

9. Plant trees in your garden

If you have the space, placing just three trees in a garden around your property can reduce energy needed for heating by 20-50%. What’s more, this technique works both in the summer and in the winter.

During hotter months, trees shade a property from the sun’s glare. When the weather is a bit chillier, any trees and shrubbery around your house can create natural insulation, helping that extra bit to keep your energy bills down, and the temperature in your house up.

It’s worth bearing in mind that, if you plant a tree now, it’ll take years to grow and provide you with its full energy-saving potential. Do also consider the type of tree and how close to your house it is, to ensure that the roots don’t cause any problems.

10. Only boil the water you need

If you’re one of those people with a habit of overfilling your kettle, it can cost you £58.40 per year. If you were to fill the kettle for just two cups each time, it would only cost you £11.68 a year.

11. Use your washing machine strategically

It may be easier than cleaning your clothes by hand, but the washing machine is one of the most energy-consuming appliances in the home.

You can cut back on the amount of energy your washing machine gets through by switching to  a 20 or 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures. Try to avoid running the machine when it’s only half full, but use the half load setting if you do. There’s also lots of evidence that many of us wash clothes more often than we need to. The UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme suggests you can wash clothes when necessary, rather than after every wear, as well as freshening them by hanging them outside to air.

12. Take shorter showers

Keeping clean doesn’t need to cost the world. According to the Energy Saving Trust, by cutting your shower time down to just four minutes, you can save an average of £65 a year on energy bills.

Swapping just one bath a week for a four-minute shower could save you £11 a year on your energy bills.

13. Buy energy efficient appliances – if you can

If one of your old appliances comes to the end of its life, try replacing it with the most energy-efficient model. According to a Which? 2022 study, swapping power-guzzling kitchen appliances for energy-saving models could save you up to £308 a year.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the most energy efficient appliances are often the most expensive, which means not everyone will be able to afford them. But if you can put some money aside for these appliances, you’ll find that they have a longer life and will reward you with lower bills.

Which appliance could save you the most money by simply opting for the most energy efficient model?

• Tumble dryer – £106
• Fridge freezer – £76
• Washing machine – £55
• Built-in oven – £39
• Dishwasher – £32

Want to find out more about the energy efficiency of home appliances? Read our article, Are Air Fryers Energy Efficient?

14. Be energy-efficient when you cook

Using your oven and hob for just one hour a day could cost you approximately £109.50 a year. You can save money whilst you’re cooking with a few tips:

• Use the right size pan for the job – a small pan on the largest hob or induction zone means heat can escape, while a large pan on the smallest hob or induction zone will take longer to heat.
• Cover your pans with a lid to keep the heat in.
• Switch off the oven a few minutes before the end of cooking time, as food will continue to cook in the hot oven. You can do this with food on the hob too, as long as there’s a lid on the pan.
• Avoid opening the oven door unnecessarily.
• Microwaves are generally the most energy-efficient cooking method. Slow cookers vary but generally use less energy per dish than an oven.

Summary

Hopefully this list will give you a good starting point on how to reduce your energy bills.

A few small measures like using an energy-saving app, installing a free smart meter, and blocking draughts could knock a couple of hundred pounds off your energy bills each year.

• Improving your home’s energy efficiency is a great way to cut your energy bills in the short-to long-term.
• Low-cost, low-impact measures include replacing older bulbs with CFLs or LEDs and unplugging electronic devices when not in use to save energy.