Home hacks that can cut your bills immediately

We’ve pulled together the 12 top things you can do to save money on your bills without having to break the bank in the first place.

If you follow all of our hacks, you could save over £1,000 on your bills in a year.

So, what are you waiting for?

Please note that the savings in this guide are based on the April 2024 price cap (electricity 24.5p/kWh and 60.10p a day standing charge and gas 6.04p/kWh and standing charge 31.43p a day) for a typical three-bedroom, gas-heated home in Great Britain.

Install roof insulation

The cost to install roof insulation is around £950. It can also save you up to £253 a year in heating costs.

You may be able to get free or cheaper loft insulation from the government’s Great British Insulation Scheme. You can check on their website to see if you’re eligible for support.

Install cavity wall insulation

Did you know that approximately one-third of all heat lost escapes through your walls if your home isn’t properly insulated?

The solution? Install cavity wall insulation.

It costs around £1,500 to be installed and it can save £254 a year on average.

You may be able to get free or cheaper cavity wall insulation from the government’s Great British Insulation Scheme. You can check on their website to see if you’re eligible for support.

Lower your thermostat 1 degree C

By reducing your thermostat by 1 degree celsius, say from 20 to 19 degrees C, you can save around £92 a year.

The cost to do so? Nothing.

LED light bulb replacements

Replacing the bulbs in your house with LEDs can cost around £280. In a year, it can save you around £139.

Switch off electrical appliances

Getting into the habit of switching off electrical appliances, such as your TV and laptop rather than leaving them on standby costs absolutely nothing, but it can save you around £48 a year.

On the topic of electrical appliances, if you’re looking to upgrade, make sure you keep an eye out for energy-efficient appliances.

Draught proofing

Draught proofing your windows and doors, and blocking up any cracks in your floors and skirting boards costs around £250. It can also save you around £39 a year on energy bills.

Turn off the lights

Did you even grow up in the UK if your parents didn’t say the house was like the Blackpool illuminations if you left a single light on?

They may have been slightly exaggerating, but they are right, switching off the lights when you’re not in the room can save you £17 a year (and doesn’t cost you anything to do!).

Avoid the tumble dryer

Tumble dryers use a lot of energy to dry your clothes. You can save money by hanging your washing on the line in warmer weather or by using an indoor drying rack in cooler months.

Making this change costs £0, but can save you £52 a year.

Don’t overfill the kettle

By simply filling up the kettle with only the water you need, you can save yourself £10 a year.

Increase the jacket thickness on your hot water cylinder

If you were to wear more layers, you would be warmer, and the same goes for your hot water cylinder.

Increasing the jacket thickness on your hot water cylinder to 80mm can cost £50, and save you around £34 a year. Not a bad little saving each year for what is essentially a coat!

Wash clothes at a lower temperature

Do you really need to wash all of your clothes on the hottest wash possible?

Simply turning the temperature down on your washing machine from 50 degrees C to 30 degrees C can save you around £25 a year.

Better still, it costs you absolutely nothing to do, and your clothes will still be clean.

Defrost your freezer

The frostier your freezer, the harder it’s got to work to keep your food frozen. The best way to get it running at its optimum is to defrost it. This costs you nothing but can save you £44 a year.

For more tips and inspiration about how to make your home more energy-efficient, check out our blog: Green home ideas: Eco-friendly inspiration for a sustainable home.