Dr Mobeus
Why Now Is the Time to Cut Your Energy Bills
Energy bills have been a sore point for UK households for years now, and while the worst of the crisis has eased, nobody’s celebrating their gas and electricity costs. The typical household is still paying around £1,700-£1,800 a year under the energy price cap.
But here’s the thing most people miss: summer is the best time to get your energy setup sorted before winter hits again. Switching providers, getting a smart meter, fixing drafts — do it now when you’re not relying on the heating, and you’ll be ready when the cold weather comes back.
Here’s exactly how to cut your energy bills, with real numbers and practical steps.
Quick Wins That Save Money Immediately
These take minutes and cost nothing:
Turn Your Boiler Flow Temperature Down
This is the single most impactful free change you can make. Most combi boilers are set to 75-80°C out of the box, but they run perfectly well at 60°C for hot water and 55°C for heating. Lowering the flow temperature means your boiler condenses more efficiently, saving 6-8% on gas usage.
For the average household, that’s roughly £100-£140 a year saved for 5 minutes of fiddling with your boiler settings. YouTube has guides for every boiler model.
Drop Your Thermostat by 1°C
Turning your thermostat down from 21°C to 20°C saves about £80-100 a year. Most people won’t notice the difference. Go down to 19°C and you’re saving even more — wear a jumper instead.
Use Your Timer Properly
Don’t leave the heating on all day because you’re “working from home.” Set it to come on 30 minutes before you get up and 30 minutes before you get home. The house stays warm between cycles because of thermal mass — you won’t notice the gap.
Switch and Save — Is It Still Worth It?
For a long time, switching energy providers was THE money-saving move. Then the energy crisis made it pointless — every deal was worse than the price cap. So where are we in 2026?
The Current Switching Landscape
Good news: switching is worth doing again. Several providers are now offering fixed deals that undercut or match the price cap, and some come with perks:
- Octopus Energy: Often has competitive fixed tariffs and a referral scheme that gives both parties £50 credit
- British Gas: Has been running fixed-price deals slightly below the cap
- EDF: Offers fixed tariffs with additional perks for existing customers
- Shell Energy / OVO: Both occasionally price-match competitive deals
Use a comparison site like Money Saving Expert’s Cheap Energy Club — it shows you the real cost after any cashback or exit fees.
Fixed vs Variable — What to Pick
Right now, fixing makes sense if you want certainty and the deal is at or below the cap. Variable tariffs track the price cap, which changes every quarter. If the cap goes down, variable is cheaper. If it goes up, you’ll wish you’d fixed.
Our take: if you can get a fixed deal at the same price as the current cap (or lower), fix it. The worst case is you’re no worse off.
Big Savings That Take a Bit More Effort
Get a Smart Meter If You Haven’t Already
Smart meters are free to install and they make it much easier to see where your energy’s going. More importantly, some suppliers offer “time-of-use” tariffs that are cheaper at off-peak times — if you can shift your laundry and dishwashing to overnight, you could save 10-15%.
Octopus Agile and Intelligent tariffs are the best known, but EDF and British Gas now offer similar off-peak deals.
Draught-Proof Your Home
Draughts account for roughly 15% of heat loss in the average home. Fixing them costs next to nothing:
- Door draught excluders: £3-5 from B&Q or Wickes, or make your own from an old pair of tights stuffed with rice
- Window draught strips: Self-adhesive foam tape, £5 for a roll — covers several windows
- Letterbox brush: £5 from Amazon or your local hardware shop
- Chimney balloon: If you have an unused fireplace, a chimney balloon (£15-20) stops warm air going straight up the chimney
Total cost: £30-50. Expected saving: £150-200 a year. That’s a 4:1 return in year one.
Insulate Your Hot Water Cylinder
If you’ve got a hot water tank (not a combi boiler), an insulating jacket costs £15-25 and saves £50-80 a year. It’s one of the best ROI home improvements going. Most DIY shops sell them — just measure your cylinder first.
Appliance Upgrades That Pay for Themselves
Washing Machine Settings
Washing at 30°C instead of 40°C uses about 40% less electricity per cycle. Modern detergents work perfectly at 30°C — even for most stains. Reserve 40°C+ for towels, bedding and heavily soiled items.
If you wash 5 loads a week, dropping from 40°C to 30°C saves roughly £25-35 a year.
Tumble Dryer Alternatives
Tumble dryers are one of the most expensive appliances to run. A condenser dryer costs about £1.20-1.50 per cycle. If you’re doing 4 loads a week, that’s £250-312 a year.
- Airers: A decent heated airer costs £40-60 and uses about 5p per hour vs 30-40p for a tumble dryer. Even using it for 4 hours per load saves £200+ a year
- Line drying: Free. Obviously. Use it when the weather allows
- Dehumidifier hack: Put a dehumidifier in a small room with wet washing on airers. It dries clothes faster and costs about 3-5p per hour to run
LED Bulbs — If You Haven’t Already
If you still have halogen or old-style bulbs anywhere, swap them. An LED bulb costs £1-2 and uses about 80% less electricity than a traditional bulb. Replacing 10 bulbs saves roughly £50-70 a year. The maths has been good on LEDs for years now — there’s no excuse.
Government Schemes and Grants You Might Be Missing
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
The ECO scheme forces energy companies to fund efficiency improvements for eligible households. If you receive certain benefits (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, etc.), you could get free insulation, a new boiler or heating controls.
Apply through your energy supplier or check gov.uk/energy-company-obligation
Great British Insulation Scheme
This scheme offers free or discounted insulation to homes with an EPC rating of D or below. Even if you don’t receive benefits, you might qualify if your home is poorly insulated. Check eligibility at the government’s website.
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount gives £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2026/27. It’s automatic for most eligible people (those on Pension Credit), but if you’re on a low income you may need to apply through your supplier. Don’t assume you’ll get it — check.
Track Your Usage — Knowledge Is Power
Once you’ve made changes, keep track. The best tools for monitoring your energy use:
- Your supplier’s app (Octopus and EDF have particularly good ones)
- The in-home display from your smart meter
- Independent apps like Glow or Hugo for real-time tracking
When you can see exactly what each appliance costs, you make better decisions. It sounds obvious, but most people have no idea what leaving the TV on standby or running the immersion heater actually costs them.
The Realistic Total Savings
If you do everything in this article — boiler flow temp, thermostat, switching, draught-proofing, washing at 30°C, heated airer instead of tumble dryer, and LED bulbs — here’s a realistic annual saving:
- Boiler flow temperature: £100-140
- Thermostat 1°C lower: £80-100
- Switching deal: £50-150
- Draught-proofing: £150-200
- Washing at 30°C: £25-35
- Heated airer vs tumble dryer: £200+
- LED bulbs: £50-70
Total: £650-795 a year
Not all of these apply to every household, and some require a small upfront cost. But even doing half of them puts £300+ back in your pocket annually.
Don’t Wait Until October
The biggest mistake people make is only thinking about energy bills when it gets cold. By then, everyone’s trying to switch at once, installation slots for insulation are full, and you’ve already wasted money on a winter of inefficient heating.
Do it now. Fix the drafts, switch to a better deal, sort your boiler settings. When October comes, you’ll already be saving money while everyone else is panicking about their bills.
For the latest energy deals and money-saving tips, keep checking freebies.co.uk — we update our deals daily.
