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Lower your energy bills with small habits

4 min read

A short checklist of everyday changes that use less heat, hot water and electricity.

Energy bills are one of the bills you can influence a little each month. This guide uses a checklist from European consumer groups and adds some suggestions of our own for turning it into a budget habit.

Where the checklist comes from

BEUC (the European Consumer Organisation) and EuroCommerce, a retail trade body, published a consumer checklist in 2023, during the energy crisis. It groups its tips into zero-cost actions and low-cost actions. Its savings estimates rely on assumptions about a typical household, so your own results will differ. We leave the figures out and keep the ideas.

Zero-cost actions from the checklist

Heating

• Lower the room temperature by one degree, from 20C to 19C.
• Keep the heating on for one hour less each day.

Hot water

• Take shorter showers. The checklist compares a 5-minute shower with a 7-minute one.
• Lower the shower temperature slightly.

Laundry and dishes

• Dry clothes on a line instead of in a tumble dryer.
• Run the washing machine and dishwasher only when full.
• Wash clothes with cold water.

Kitchen

• Defrost the fridge from time to time.
• Keep the fridge away from the oven.
• Switch the oven off a little early and finish cooking with the leftover heat.
• When cooking pasta, turn the flame down once the water boils.

Standby

• Do not leave a TV and the devices connected to it in standby mode when not in use.
• Unplug the washing machine when it is not in use.

Low-cost actions from the checklist

• Replace old incandescent or fluorescent bulbs with LED bulbs.
• Fit a low-flow shower head.

These cost a little to start. Whether they pay off depends on your home, so we suggest checking prices before you buy.

Turn it into a budget habit

These steps are our suggestions, not part of the checklist.

1. Find your energy bills. Look at your last few gas, electricity or heating bills. Note what you pay each month in your budget.
2. Pick two or three changes. Choose ones that fit your home. Trying everything at once is hard to keep up.
3. Compare the next bill. Weather and prices change, so a bill that looks different may not be due to your habits. Looking at the usage figure, if your bill shows one, can be a fairer comparison than the amount.
4. Move any saving on purpose. If a bill falls, consider sending the difference to an emergency fund or a sinking fund (see our guides on those) before it disappears into everyday spending.

An example

These are made-up amounts. Suppose your monthly energy bill is 120 and you decide to try a 1-degree-lower thermostat and full-load laundry. If your next bill is 114, you could move the 6 you did not spend into savings the same day. The numbers here only show the method; your result may be higher, lower or no different.

Limits to keep in mind

• The checklist is from 2023, and prices, appliances and rules have changed since then.
• Some changes, such as a lower room temperature, may not suit everyone, for example people who are unwell, older, or have babies at home. Choose what is comfortable and safe for you.
• If bills are a struggle, contact your energy supplier or a local advice service about help available where you live.