Energy saving ideas to help cut your energy bills

This guide is focused on practical, money‑saving steps you can start today, plus a simple explainer on energy ratings so you can make smarter choices when replacing appliances.

Looking for eco-friendly lifestyle swaps too? You’ll find broader sustainability inspiration (recycling, materials, greener living) in our Sustainable Home Ideas hub.

When it comes to the energy efficiency of your home as a whole, there are two main ratings you'll be looking at.

The first one is about the overall energy rating for your property and is called the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating. It's a sliding scale from A-G, which rates your home on a number of factors. This rating can be improved by a mix of big and small changes; anything from wall, floor and loft insulation, double glazing and modern boilers or heat pumps, to smart heating controls and LED lights can all help improve this. It looks at estimated running costs and the individual certificate for your property will also suggest improvements.

Appliance energy ratings give you an idea of how energy efficient each individual appliance in your home is. Most of these won't necessarily impact your EPC rating, but all things working together will help you to save money on your bills.

In the UK, all electric appliances come with an energy rating label, grading it from A to G. The closer to A the appliance is, the more effecient it is. While they'll never give you a direct saving on them, it helps you to chose between different models, and pick one that will help you save money every time you use it. It shouldn't be confused with the previous rating system of A+++ to D which is now outdated.

These are simple, low‑effort habits that can stop unnecessary energy use and help you spend less on bills.

1. Turn off your appliances - If you can, turn your appliances off at the socket rather than leaving them on standby. While standby does reduce the power drawn by your appliances, they do still use some as this acts more like a sleep mode. While some appliances and tech needs to stay powered at all times (think fridges, freezers and even things like fish tank filter pumps), kettles, TVs and toasters could be switched off when not in use. Small changes can add up over the year helping to reduce your bills and save you money!

   Money-saving mindset: if you’re not using it, try not to pay for it!

2. Wash on a cool setting - Where clothes are only lightly soiled, consider turning the temperature down from 40°C to 30°C, or even 20°C. Using a lower temperature and a fuller load will help save energy and money each wash. If you're machine has an eco mode, using this can help, too by using longer soak times and agitation, making them particularly good for washing at 20. Dropping your temperature to 20 can reduce energy usage by up to 62%.

   Extra tip: if you can, spin faster and air‑dry — tumble drying is often costly.

3. Don't boil a full kettle every time - Boiling your kettle is one of the most-discussed areas when it comes to saving energy. After all, us Brits do love a cup of tea or a mug of coffee! During major sporting events, it's often said that the National Grid can tell when an England game reaches half time due to a spike from kettles being boiled! You can help reduce the strain on the power grid and your wallet by only boiling as much water as you need, rather than a full kettle. It uses less power, wastes less water and means you'll be sipping on your favourite brew in no time thanks to faster boiling times.

4. Switch to LED bulbs - 

   Replace old light bulbs with LEDs. While they do usually carry a higher purchase price compared to more traditional bulbs, they can use up to 90% less energy and last up to 20 times as long. This lower running cost, combined with a significantly improved lifespan will bring you savings over their lifetime. Check out our LED light bulb guide to learn more.

   Extra tip: combine LED bulbs with timers, smart plugs and smart home assistants like for ultimate control and savings potential. With these devices you can set up schedules, routines, use voice control and control them remotely from your smartphone.

5. Keep your showers short - 

   Where possible, swap baths for showers, and keep them as short as possible. A short shower might not be as relaxing as a long soak, but it can use less water and heating than a leisurely bath. Turning off the water as you shampoo and lather up will also help keep water and heating costs to a minimum.

   Extra tip: Set a timer the next time you jump in the shower. See how long on average you spend in there. If it's longer, aim to cut the time to 4 minutes at the most to cut your bills further.

From an appliance perspective the biggest drivers of energy consumption in the home are heating and using high usage appliances like washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers. Small changes in how these are used can make a big difference to household bills.

• Washing at lower temperatures – modern detergents are designed to work well at lower temperatures like 30 degrees which uses much less energy than hotter cycles
• Running fuller loads – making the most of the capacity of your washing machine or dishwashers means you can reduced the number of cycles in a week you need to run
• Choosing energy efficient appliances – newer models are designed to use less water and energy so upgrading older appliances can help with savings on energy bills
• Using eco settings – These programmes are optimised to reduce energy and water consumption so whilst they may take longer to run they are infact helping to save money

Carly Pearson, Head of Buying for Household Electricals

Reality: while it might sound reasonable to leave your heating on so the house isn't constantly cycling from warm to cold, you're actually using more energy. Only turn on the heating when you need it to save money on your bills. By using smart heating systems or thermostats and only heating the rooms you're using, you can save even more money.

Reality: a lot of newer appliances can retain their settings even when isolated from the mains power. This won't always be the case, however, so it's definitely best to check your manufacturer-supplied instructions for your specific appliance.

Reality: this one is a lot harder to answer definitively. In theory, with improvements in technology, newer appliances can be cheaper to run. That said, it really depends on a wide range of factors. The best thing to check the energy rating label for the efficiency rating, and refer to the manufacturer for more info.