How to combat Awful April: I'm an energy expert, here are six ways to save £600+ on fuel and water bills

Angela Terry, CEO of environmental education charity, One Home, has six tips which could save the average household up to £617.50 per year.

‘Awful April’ is set to heap more pressure on household finances with a raft of everyday bills – including energy, water, car and council tax – due to rise.

Energy expert Angela Terry – founder of the environmental education charity One Home which provides no-nonsense advice on energy and water saving measures – has six tips* which can slash hefty fuel and water outgoings by up to £617.50 per year.

Taking the heat off energy bills

From 1 April 2025 up to 22 million homes across England, Wales and Scotland can expect to pay around £111 more per year for their energy. This follows the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets’ announcement in February that it would increase the energy price cap by 6.4% due to higher wholesale costs and inflation.

There are a number of low-cost ways to maximise the energy efficiency of a property to ensure it’s cool in the summer and cosy in the winter:

• Draught proofing: To find draughty spots simply feel for gaps around doors, skirting boards and windows on windy days, and block them up. Different materials can be used – foam strips start from around £5 and are easy to use, whilst copper or brush strips last longer but are more expensive. All types come in a range of colours and widths and lengths to match the size of the gap. Dealing with draughts means you may be able to turn down your thermostat – 19°C is recommended. Turning down your thermostat by just 1°C can save up to 10% on energy costs.
  • Saving: Draught proofing – £40 per year.
  • Saving: Turning thermostat down by 1°C – £140 per year.

• Cold water cycle in, tumble dryer out: Making small changes to the way you do your laundry can have a big impact on your bank account. Modern washing machines and detergents are well equipped to clean clothes using cold or cooler water which saves on the electricity needed to heat it. What’s more, as the weather starts to get warmer and clothes can be dried outside, electricity-guzzling tumble driers can be retired for a few months.
  • Saving: Cold water cycle – £24 per year.
  • Saving: Switching off the tumble dryer – £50 per year.

• Invest in insulation: the single most impactful thing homeowners can do to reduce heat loss quickly is to insulate their loft. The recommended depth for insulation is 27cm (about one foot). If you live in one of the eight million homes in the UK without adequate insulation, you could be losing around a quarter of the heat in your home through your roof. UK households are collectively spending an estimated £8.1 billion per year on wasted energy in the home. Fitting the right insulation will also help your property stay cooler in the summer. If you’re handy at DIY, insulating your loft is a job that can be done over the Easter bank holiday weekend or it’s something that a professional can do in just a few hours. For those able to invest, the cost of materials for a standard semi-detached house is around £630. However, this initial outlay could knock £200 off energy bills in the first year alone. A Government grant for loft insulation and other improvements – the Great British Insulation Scheme – is open to people living in the least energy efficient homes and in certain council tax bands. Check if you are eligible here.
  • Saving: around £200 per year.

Money down the drain

Water bills in England and Wales will rise by £123 a year from 1 April (around £10 a month), taking the average annual bill to around £603.

Here are three quick and easy ways to reduce household water bills and stop money from going down the drain:

• Claim free water-saving gadgets from your supplier: Many water companies offer customers free water-saving devices such as efficient shower heads which regulate water flow from around 15 litres per minute to eight. Plant water saving gel is another garden-friendly option which drastically reduces the need for frequent watering. Check out South East Water’s free water saving devices here and Northumbrian Water’s free kit here.
  • Saving: Regulated shower head – around £25 per year.

• Scale back in the bathroom***: While you’re busy washing your face, litres of clean water are literally going down the plughole. Leaving the taps running while you brush your teeth wastes an average of 15 litres each time, while keeping them on while shaving can waste up to 40. And why not encourage your family to take part in the four-minute shower challenge?
  • Saving: Turning taps off when brushing teeth – around £27 per year.
  • Saving: Turning taps off when shaving – around £35 per year.
  • Saving: Four-minute shower – around £60 per year.

• Find and fix leaks***: A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day – that’s 5,500 litres a year. Fixing a faulty tap is a fairly simple, low-cost job that can save money in the long run. Toilet leak strips cost from as little as £1.66 – or for free with a bit of toilet roll – and can help to identify if you have a rogue leak. Be sure to monitor your water bill every month. If you see an unexplained rise, a leak could be the culprit. And finally to save both water and energy use the eco button on gadgets. Whilst the setting will take longer, the programme ensures your dishwasher or washing machine uses the least amount of water and energy to get the same results. You’ll save even more money if you ensure the machines are full before you turn them on.
  • Saving: Fixing a dripping tap – around £16.50 per year.

One Home CEO and Net Zero Energy Pioneer 2024, Angela Terry, said: “We’ve been living in the shadow of the cost of living crisis since 2021 so the onset of Awful April will be a cause for concern amongst millions of households. Fortunately, there are a number of free and low-cost measures that people can take to help reduce energy and water bills. At a time when our finances are being hit from every angle, these small steps can add up to major long-term savings.”

One Home is a UK charity which helps households adapt to a low cost, low carbon lifestyle and provides impartial information and advice on practical solutions that improve people’s lives whilst saving money and reducing carbon emissions.

For more information, visit One Home, or download the charity’s free energy saving guide.

-ENDS-

*Costs are illustrative and can be found in One Home’s energy saving guide.

***Water saving costs are illustrative and based on the price of a litre of water from Thames Water for metered customers – currently costing 0.0024p.

Notes to editors

For more information please contact:

Sam Carlisle at sam.carlisle@causecommunications.co.uk or Jenna Sloan at jenna.sloan@causecommunications.co.uk

About Angela Terry, Chief Executive, One Home

One Home was founded by Angela Terry MSc MEI, an environmental scientist with over 20 years’ experience in the renewables industry. Angela set up One Home to raise awareness of positive climate solutions and help UK households to adapt to a low cost, low carbon lifestyle.

In 2024, Angela was voted Net Zero Energy Pioneer at the Green Energy Awards.

Angela was a pioneer of community energy in the UK as Development Director for Energy4All, Head of Wood Fuel for the Forestry Commission, Policy Manager for RES, and worked as a carbon scientist in New Zealand.

Disclaimer

The information in this article was correct at the time of writing and is provided for guidance only. Please see the full disclaimer in our terms and conditions.

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