Practical Ways to Reduce Household Energy Use Without Relying on Gimmicks

When energy prices rise, households are often flooded with claims about quick ways to cut bills.

The most useful approach is less dramatic: understand where your home uses energy, reduce obvious waste and make improvements that suit the property.

Savings vary widely. A change that helps one household may have a much smaller effect in another.

The following steps are based on practical guidance from Ofgem and government energy-efficiency resources.

Start by understanding your own usage

Before making changes, check how much electricity and gas you actually use.

Look at:

• annual electricity consumption in kWh
• annual gas consumption in kWh
• recent meter readings
• seasonal changes in usage
• whether bills are based on actual or estimated readings

A smart meter or regular manual meter readings can make it easier to spot changes.

This also helps when comparing tariffs because you can use real consumption instead of relying on national averages. You can see how different consumption levels translate into costs in our energy bill usage examples guide.

Review heating settings

Heating is a major source of energy use in many homes.

Ofgem advises households to review boiler and heating settings and avoid heating unused space unnecessarily.

Useful steps can include:

• checking that heating schedules match when the home is occupied
• turning radiators down in rooms that are used less
• avoiding overheating the whole property
• checking whether a combi boiler is running at an unnecessarily high flow temperature

Any adjustment should still keep the home safe and comfortably warm, particularly where young children, older people or people with health conditions live in the property.

Use the washing machine efficiently

Ofgem recommends using a 30°C wash where suitable.

Modern detergents and washing machines can often clean everyday laundry effectively at lower temperatures.

You can also reduce unnecessary cycles by:

• waiting for a sensible full load
• using shorter programmes where appropriate
• avoiding repeated small washes

Always follow garment and appliance instructions.

Keep heat inside the home

Simple heat-loss measures can help a property retain warmth.

Examples include:

• closing curtains at night
• dealing with obvious draughts around doors and windows
• using suitable draught-proofing materials
• improving insulation where practical

Do not block essential ventilation such as air bricks, extractor routes or designed vents.

Good ventilation remains important for managing moisture, indoor air quality and damp.

Switch inefficient lighting to LEDs

LED lighting uses less electricity than older inefficient bulbs.

Ofgem cites Energy Saving Trust guidance indicating that replacing older bulbs with energy-efficient lighting can reduce running costs.

The saving from one bulb is small, but households with many frequently used lights can build savings over time.

Watch standby and unnecessary appliance use

Not every device needs to run continuously.

Check whether televisions, gaming equipment, chargers and other appliances are drawing energy when nobody is using them.

The benefit varies by appliance, and modern devices can have low standby consumption, so focus on equipment that is genuinely left running unnecessarily rather than obsessing over every plug.

Use your smart meter data as feedback

A smart meter does not automatically reduce a bill.

Its value is that it can provide clearer information about consumption and can make it easier to see what happens when household behaviour changes.

For example, you can compare usage before and after:

• changing heating schedules
• reducing tumble-dryer use
• adjusting appliance habits
• improving insulation

The data helps separate meaningful changes from guesswork.

Check whether your tariff still suits your household

Reducing consumption and choosing a tariff are separate decisions.

A household can be energy efficient but still be on an unsuitable tariff.

Compare unit rates, standing charges, contract length and any exit fees using your own annual consumption. Read our checklist on fixed energy tariffs versus the price cap before deciding to switch.

If you are struggling to pay, contact your supplier

Energy efficiency is not a substitute for financial support when a household cannot afford its bills.

Ofgem advises customers who are struggling to tell their energy supplier.

Suppliers have obligations to work with customers and may be able to discuss repayment arrangements or other support depending on the circumstances.

Do not ignore arrears while trying to solve the problem only by cutting consumption.

Consider property-specific improvements

Longer-term improvements can include insulation, heating-system upgrades and other efficiency work.

The best option depends on the building, tenure, budget and existing systems.

Government energy-efficiency tools can provide property-specific recommendations in relevant parts of Great Britain.

Renters should check what changes they are permitted to make and discuss larger improvements with the landlord or responsible housing provider.

The bottom line

There is no single trick that guarantees a large reduction in every household's bill.

The most reliable approach is to:

• understand your actual energy use
• reduce obvious waste
• manage heating sensibly
• improve the building where practical
• compare tariffs using real consumption
• seek supplier support early if bills become unaffordable

Small changes are most useful when they are targeted at the parts of the home that actually use the most energy.

Sources

See Ofgem energy price cap unit rates and standing charges and Ofgem October to December 2026 price cap announcement. Figures checked on 13 September 2026.