How can I save money on my energy bills?

Once we’ve dug out the blankets and jumpers during the first cold snap of the year, ideas to save energy will help cut your gas bills and carbon pollution.

With high heating costs, now is a good time to take some simple steps to keep your energy bills in check this winter.

Energy prices rose by ten per cent on 1 October 2024 to an average of £1,717 a year. Energy bills are 65% higher than before the war in Ukraine started and with fighting in the Middle East continuing, unfortunately, there’s a lot of concern that future prices will remain high and possibly spike again. Therefore, with high heating costs, now is a good time to take some simple steps to keep your energy bills in check this winter.

Seven ways to cut your energy bills this winter:

1. Switch to a fixed tariff

About 28 million households are on standard variable tariffs affected by the energy price cap – which recently jumped up, meaning an average home is paying more than £12 a month extra, or £149 a year. You might be much better off switching to a lower fixed rate so it’s worth exploring with your supplier or through a comparison website.

A fixed rate can give you more peace of mind for the period it’s in place as you’ll be protected from unexpected price increases and some rates are below the cap so should save you money.

Martin Lewis’ MSE has a good guide to current deals. Obviously there are other factors to consider such as green credentials and customer service when switching.

2. Bleed your radiators

When your home’s radiators aren’t working efficiently, you’re more likely to turn your heating up or adjust the boiler thermostat, leading to higher heating bills. Avoid this by bleeding your radiators.

EST has a step-by-step guide here – or you can ask a plumber to do it for you. Remember to adjust each radiator individually using the thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) once they’re bled, so you’re not over-heating any rooms you don’t regularly use.

3. Install radiator reflector panels

Energy is lost from radiators essentially heating the wall behind them at the expense of heating your room up quickly. To redirect that precious heat back to where it’s most needed, install radiator reflector panels or radiator foil behind each unit. This works if you have older radiators that are on uninsulated external walls.

Reflectors should cost around £30 to install, or a five-metre roll of foil should cover three radiators. This simple fix could lower your heating bills by £25 on average a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

4. Draught-proof your windows, doors, chimney and floors

With some simple draught-proofing, you can expect to save about £45 per year on average.

Professional draught-proofing typically costs around £230, but you can make your home warmer yourself at a much lower cost.

Draught-proofing strips for windows and doors cost about £2 per metre, making them an accessible way to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort.

With some simple draught-proofing, you can expect to save about £45 per year on average. For more details, visit One Home’s website to learn more about draught proofing.

5. Insulate your walls

Up to a third of your home’s heat can escape through the walls so it’s smart to insulate them. For cavity-wall insulation, small holes are drilled in the external walls and insulation beads are blown in. The holes are then sealed.

The process is usually completed within a few hours and typically comes with an independent 25-year guarantee.

If you don’t have cavity walls, insulating your interior or exterior walls is still worthwhile, but it involves more extensive work and will cost more. Internal insulation is cheaper but it does involve loosing a bit of space whilst external insulation is more convenient for many people.

• How to insulate your home so all rooms are warm and cosy | One Home

6. Turn down your thermostat and hot water heating

Lowering your thermostat by just one degree could save you around £145 a year.

Lowering your thermostat by just one degree could save you around £145 a year. Around 21°C is recommended. Wearing an extra layer indoors or getting cosy under a blanket while watching telly will help save on heating bills.

Also, take some time to programme your heating so your radiators aren’t running while you’re out.

If you have a hot water tank, instead of a combi boiler, double-check that your hot water comes on only when you need to wash so it isn’t set to constant.

Alternatively, if you have a combi boiler you can turn down the flow temperature of the water that circulates around your home to save money. Nesta has a good guide for this.

7. Insulate your loft

Without insulation, a home loses about 25% of its heat through the roof, so the most effective way you can reduce heat loss quickly is to insulate your loft with around 27cm (about one foot) of mineral wool or fibreglass material. Sheep’s wool is a natural alternative, although it’s more expensive.

You can do this yourself, which is cheapest option or hire an approved installer. However, avoid using spray foam insulation in your roof, as most mortgage lenders will not finance homes with this material in the loft.

• The Big Loft Insulation Drive | One Home

Around eight million homes in the UK collectively lose over £8 billion per year due to inadequate loft insulation. So – if you have one – starting in your loft is a great idea to keep your house warm.

Money saving from loft insulation

Installing adequate loft insulation in a standard semi-detached house is quicker and simpler than many people think and could save homeowners around £200 a year for the next 40 years, based on current prices. Professional installers can cost up to £950 but this is a fairly simple DIY job once you have the right advice and safety equipment so can be fitted cheaper. To find a qualified installer, visit the TrustMark website

Investing in adequate loft insulation (30cm depth) could pay for itself in as little as three years but last for forty. 

If you own a detached home, loft insulation installation will cost around £1,200 and save you £340 annually. For a mid-terrace, it’ll cost you around £900 and yet save you £180 annually.

Government grant support for insulation measures

There is a Government grant available for some people to help pay for you to add loft insulation and other home improvements. The Great British Insulation Scheme is open to people living in the least energy efficient homes and in certain council tax bands. There’s also ECO4 and Warm Home Discount so speak to your energy supplier or check if you are eligible here.

Helping older people to insulate their homes is also a smart financial move but also to protect their health during the cold. Millions of pensioners are set to lose their winter fuel allowance, so finding ways to cut energy bills and help keep homes warm this winter is more important than ever for those we love.

Sadly, as the forecasting is that energy bills are going to remain high for years to come savings from insulation and other energy efficiency measures will likely increase.

Now really is the time to put measures in place and tackle that job that you might have been putting off for years. Loft insulation is the single most impactful thing homeowners can do to reduce heat loss quickly and it is often cheaper and easier than people think. But crucially, there are absolutely loads and of quick and easy ways to save money and make your home more warm and cosy.

Check out One Home’s free Energy Saving Guide for more tips to help you save on your energy bills.

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.

Please share this article and comment on social.