With the temperature dropping, you might be concerned about what could happen to your energy bills in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The energy price cap<\/a> increased by 2% in October, to \u00a31,755. Ofgem estimates this will mean an extra \u00a335 added to the average energy bill<\/a> \u2013 however this amount will vary based on your EPC rating<\/a>, and the type of home you live in. The price cap will rise marginally from January 2026, by 0.2%, which is around \u00a33 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And with the colder months ahead, many of us will be looking for ways to reduce our bills. Fortunately, there there are some common mistakes and easy-to-alter habits that if tackled all at the same time, could shave hundreds off your energy bill each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fixing draughts is one of the most cost-effective changes you can make in your home. Draught-proofing steps you could take include adding foam strips around your windows if you can feel they\u2019re letting air in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your external doors could also be letting cold air in and warm air out, so things like a metal cover for your keyhole, a brush cover for your letterbox, or a draught excluder (a homemade one would work fine) for the base of the door can really help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a room with an unused fireplace, you could be getting a draught down your chimney \u2013 there are chimney draught excluders available if this sounds like you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When draught-proofing, you just need to make sure that rooms that produce a lot of moisture, such as your kitchen or bathroom, are still kept well ventilated, as well as not blocking any vents that help with air flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your thermostat\u2019s set at a high temperature, your heating won\u2019t turn off until the thermostat recognises that your room has reached this temperature, and turning a room thermostat up won\u2019t make the room get hotter more quickly than if it was on a lower setting. So in short, your rooms might be getting much hotter than is comfortable, or than you need them to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turning your room thermostat down by just one degree, from 22 to 21 degrees, could save you \u00a390 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could test a lower temperature to see if you\u2019re comfortable with your rooms cooler than that, too: turning your thermostat down to 18 degrees from 21 degrees could save you \u00a3260 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a gas boiler, it will have a control that lets you adjust the temperature of the water that flows through your home\u2019s radiators. This is called the flow temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combi boilers will have two controls: one for the hot water that comes out of your taps, and one for your radiators. A boiler that\u2019s running at a lower temperature will run more efficiently than one set to its maximum heat. So you could try altering the temperature of your radiators to a setting that\u2019s lower, as long as you\u2019re still comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to note that, if you have a conventional boiler and a hot water cylinder, you won\u2019t be able to lower your flow temperature to anything lower than 65 degrees. This is because set any lower, bacteria could start to grow in the cylinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First off, insulating your pipes can be a good idea as it prevents them from freezing, and potentially bursting, when the temperature drops below freezing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are multiple low-cost pipe insulation options available, including foam, rubber, and foil tape, which come in different thicknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Insulating a hot water tank helps keep the water inside hotter for longer, and you\u2019ll need to use less energy to keep it at a high temperature, too. Even if you have some tank insulation, adding an extra hot water jacket could save you \u00a340 a year, while adding insulation to all of your exposed pipes could save \u00a36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern laundry detergents are designed to wash clothes effectively at lower temperatures, so you might find that for some loads, you\u2019re able to switch from 40 to 30-degree washes. This will use less energy per cycle, and could save you \u00a313 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaving your TV on standby overnight, or a charger plugged into a power outlet might seem like it would only use a tiny amount of energy. But, added up over the course of a year, this can add \u00a345 to your annual bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe it or not, not closing your curtains can add over \u00a320 to your bill annually, as well as saving almost 60kg of carbon each year – equivalent to a 200-mile car journey. This is because the curtain\u2019s fabric traps the warm air in the room, and can help prevent draughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a radiator underneath a window, make sure the curtains don\u2019t cover the radiator while your heating\u2019s on, otherwise the heat won\u2019t be distributed around the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lighting<\/a> typically accounts for over 10% of your home\u2019s electricity usage, so making energy efficient changes can have a big impact on your bill. If you have old halogen bulbs throughout your home, you might not know that most of the energy used to power these is \u2018wasted\u2019 heat, rather than light. And you could be paying \u00a340 more a year than if you switched to low-energy LED versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to the EPC ratings you\u2019ll find on many property listings that show how energy efficient a home is, lots of everyday electrical appliances have energy ratings, too. They work in a similar way to EPCs, with G ratings for the most inefficient products, and A or even A+++ ratings for the most efficient appliances, which cost less to run. Switching from an E-rated freezer to a D-rated version could save you \u00a313, while a B-rated tumble dryer can cost \u00a370 more to run each year than one with an A+++ rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a smart meter doesn\u2019t reduce your energy on its own, it can be a really useful way of monitoring your home\u2019s energy usage. You can apply for one for free from your energy supplier, and it will show you how much power you\u2019re using, broken down by gas and electricity. You might see your usage spiking when you\u2019re using particular appliances around your home, which encourage you to use them less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Energy Saving Trust estimates that it could reduce a typical gas bill by around \u00a320 a year, and electricity usage by around \u00a330.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *<\/em> Individual savings estimates are provided by Energy Saving Trust. Total savings may vary based on the number of changes you make, and the order in which you make them. These costs looked at the average savings for a typical three bedroom semi-detached gas heated home, using an average gas price of 6.3p\/kWh and an average electricity price of 25.9p\/kWh. Correct as of October 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve got lots of simple energy saving tips<\/a> you can make right now, as well as larger long term measures that could help save money over the long term, improve your home\u2019s EPC rating, and reduce its impact on the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might be wondering whether you could reduce your bills by switching to a different energy supplier, or locking in a better deal with your existing supplier. Our calculator will show you energy quotes<\/a> bespoke to your household, including how much you could save.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Not fixing draughts
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a340<\/h2>\n\n\n\n2. Setting your room thermostat too high
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a390<\/h2>\n\n\n\n3. Setting your boiler flow temperature too high
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a330<\/h2>\n\n\n\n4. Not insulating pipes, and hot water tank if you have one
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a346<\/h2>\n\n\n\n5. Washing clothes at too high temperatures
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a313<\/h2>\n\n\n\n6. Leaving appliances on standby
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a345<\/h2>\n\n\n\n7. Leaving curtains open
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a320<\/h2>\n\n\n\n8. Having old halogen light bulbs
Adding to your bill each year: \u00a340<\/h2>\n\n\n\n9. Ignoring the energy label rating when buying new appliances
Adding to your bill each year: up to \u00a370<\/h2>\n\n\n\n10. Not having a smart meter
Adding to your bill each year: around \u00a350<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat else can you do to save money on your bills this winter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n