TL;DR:
- Lowering your thermostat by 1°C can save you up to £150 annually on energy bills.
- Renters can reduce costs by making simple, non-permanent changes like fitting curtains and using smart plugs.
Energy bill saving tips are proven methods for reducing household energy costs and improving home efficiency, directly lowering monthly expenses. Heating accounts for approximately 50% of the average energy bill, making it the single biggest target for savings. UK households on default tariffs already benefit from an average 7% reduction applied automatically from april 2026, saving around £117 per year. Beyond that automatic relief, the choices you make daily, from thermostat settings to standby habits, determine whether you save an extra £150 or over £400 annually.
1. Turn down the thermostat by 1°C
Reducing your thermostat by just 1°C saves £100–£150 annually for a typical UK household. That single adjustment is the highest-return action available to any London homeowner or renter. Every degree above 20°C raises your heating bill by roughly 10%, so the direction of travel is clear: cooler settings mean lower costs. Set your thermostat to 18–20°C for living areas and drop it further in rooms you use less.
2. Use heating timers and zone your home
Heating an empty home wastes money. Programme your boiler timer to run heating only when rooms are occupied, and use thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to cut heat to unused bedrooms during the day. This approach costs nothing if you already have a programmable thermostat, and the savings compound across a full heating season. Heating is the main driver of household energy costs, so managing it strategically offers the quickest return.
Pro Tip: Set your heating to come on 30 minutes before you wake up rather than leaving it on all night. You get the same comfort at a fraction of the cost.
3. Shorten showers and wash clothes at lower temperatures
Hot water is the second-largest energy drain in most London homes. Cutting a daily shower from eight minutes to four minutes reduces hot water energy use noticeably over a month. Washing clothes at 30°C instead of 60°C uses significantly less electricity per cycle, and modern detergents perform equally well at lower temperatures. These two habits together require no equipment and no upfront cost.
4. Switch off standby devices completely
Devices left on standby continue drawing power around the clock. Televisions, games consoles, and phone chargers are the most common culprits in London flats and houses. Smart plugs with energy monitoring let you identify which appliances consume the most on standby and schedule them to cut power automatically. Switching devices off at the wall is free; using a smart plug to automate it costs under £15 per socket.
5. Open curtains by day, close them at night
Sunlight through south-facing windows provides free passive heat during daylight hours. Opening curtains on sunny days reduces the time your boiler needs to run. Closing all curtains at dusk traps that warmth inside, particularly in older London properties with single-glazed windows. This habit costs nothing and works in every property type, whether you own or rent.
6. Use affordable products to cut heat loss
Draught-proofing strips and door excluders cost under £10 and reduce heat loss through gaps around doors and window frames. Thermal curtains significantly reduce heat loss through poorly fitted or single-glazed windows and are fully removable, making them ideal for renters. LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity of older halogen or incandescent fittings and last far longer. Water-efficient showerheads reduce hot water consumption without requiring any plumbing work.
Pro Tip: Fit a draught excluder to your front door first. In Victorian and Edwardian terraces, which make up a large share of London’s housing stock, the front door gap is often the single biggest source of heat loss.
7. Switch to monthly Direct Debit payments
Paying energy bills by monthly Direct Debit saves around £140 annually compared to paying quarterly or by standard credit. Suppliers calculate Direct Debit amounts based on estimated usage, so you spread costs evenly across the year rather than facing large seasonal bills. If you are currently paying by prepayment meter or on receipt of a bill, contacting your supplier to switch payment method is one of the fastest financial wins available. Suppliers also offer hardship funds and emergency credit to customers who contact them early when struggling to pay.
8. Claim the Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount provides a £150 one-off electricity bill discount for eligible low-income households, extended until winter 2030/31. Combined with other protections, eligible households can receive up to £300 in annual support. Check eligibility through your energy supplier or the GOV.UK website. Many London renters and homeowners qualify but never apply, leaving significant money unclaimed.
9. Check for local grants and energy efficiency funding
London boroughs and national schemes offer grants for insulation, heat pumps, and boiler upgrades. The Great British Insulation Scheme and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) both provide funded improvements for qualifying households. Eligibility depends on income, property type, and current EPC rating. Contacting your local council or an energy advice service is the fastest way to identify what funding applies to your specific address.
10. Lower your boiler flow temperature
Lowering boiler flow temperature is an effective, often overlooked method for immediate gas cost reduction for homeowners with combi boilers. Most combi boilers leave the factory set to 80°C flow temperature, which is higher than necessary for most London homes. Reducing this to 55–60°C maintains comfortable room temperatures while cutting gas consumption. Check your boiler manual or manufacturer website for the correct adjustment procedure.
11. Understand your EPC rating and act on its recommendations
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates your home’s energy efficiency on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Every EPC includes a tailored list of recommended improvements ranked by cost and potential saving. Renters should ask their landlord for a copy of the current EPC and use it to identify which upgrades would have the greatest impact. The Warm Homes Plan’s EPC C requirement by 2030 gives renters a legal basis to request improvements from landlords.
Pro Tip: If your landlord has not provided an EPC, they are legally required to do so before any tenancy begins. Request it in writing and keep a copy.
12. Know what renters can do without landlord permission
Renters can make non-permanent improvements without needing landlord consent. This includes fitting thermal curtains, adding draught excluders, installing smart plugs, and switching energy suppliers if you pay bills directly. Renters can save £150 to £400 per year through behavioural changes and low-cost portable products alone. For structural changes such as insulation or double glazing, a written request to your landlord referencing available grants often produces results faster than an informal conversation.
| Action | Who can act | Landlord permission needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal curtains | Renters and homeowners | No |
| Smart plugs | Renters and homeowners | No |
| Draught excluders | Renters and homeowners | No |
| Boiler flow temperature | Homeowners only | N/A |
| Loft or wall insulation | Homeowners and renters (via landlord) | Yes, for renters |
Key takeaways
The most effective approach to reducing energy bills combines immediate behavioural changes, low-cost products, and active use of government support schemes.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Thermostat reduction | Lowering by 1°C saves £100–£150 per year with no equipment required. |
| Standby and payment habits | Switching off devices and paying by Direct Debit together save over £140 annually. |
| Government support | The Warm Home Discount offers £150 off electricity bills for eligible households until 2030/31. |
| Renters’ rights | Non-permanent changes and behavioural shifts can save renters £150–£400 per year without landlord consent. |
| EPC as a roadmap | Your EPC rating identifies the specific improvements that will deliver the greatest savings for your property. |
What I have learned after years of advising London households on energy costs
Most people focus on the big-ticket fixes: new boilers, solar panels, external wall insulation. Those improvements matter, but they take time, money, and in the case of renters, landlord cooperation. What I have found is that the behavioural changes, the thermostat nudge, the shower timer, the Direct Debit switch, deliver results this month, not next year.
The other thing that consistently surprises people is how much government support goes unclaimed. The Warm Home Discount alone puts £150 back into eligible households’ pockets, yet many qualifying Londoners never apply. Consumers often miss significant savings opportunities such as switching payment methods, using local grants, and seeking debt relief options. That is not a knowledge problem so much as an inertia problem.
For renters specifically, the EPC is an underused tool. Your landlord’s EPC tells you exactly where the property loses heat and what it would cost to fix. Referencing that document in a written request to your landlord, alongside the ECO4 grant scheme, changes the conversation from a favour to a funded opportunity. Landlords are far more receptive when the cost barrier is removed.
The sustainability angle is real too, but I would not lead with it when talking to someone worried about their bills. Save money first. The environmental benefit follows automatically from the same actions.
— Danny
How Completeepc helps London homeowners and renters improve energy efficiency
A domestic EPC assessment from Completeepc gives you a clear, property-specific picture of where your home loses energy and which improvements will reduce your bills most effectively. Completeepc’s qualified assessors cover all London boroughs, delivering accurate reports that identify inefficiencies and rank recommended upgrades by impact and cost. An EPC also supports property value and is a legal requirement for most sales and lettings. Understanding your EPC rating is the first step toward making informed decisions about insulation, heating, and long-term energy costs. Contact Completeepc to book your assessment and get the clearest possible view of your home’s efficiency.
FAQ
How much can I save by turning down my thermostat?
Reducing your thermostat by 1°C saves £100–£150 per year for a typical UK household. Every degree above 20°C adds roughly 10% to your heating bill.
What is the Warm Home Discount and who qualifies?
The Warm Home Discount is a £150 one-off reduction applied directly to your electricity bill. It is available to eligible low-income households and runs until winter 2030/31.
Can renters make energy-saving changes without landlord permission?
Yes. Renters can fit thermal curtains, draught excluders, and smart plugs without landlord consent. These changes alone can save £150–£400 per year.
What does an EPC tell me about my energy bills?
An EPC rates your home’s energy efficiency from A to G and lists specific improvements ranked by potential saving. It is the most direct way to identify where your property loses the most energy.
Does paying by Direct Debit actually reduce my energy bill?
Paying by monthly Direct Debit saves around £140 per year compared to quarterly or standard credit payments. Contact your supplier to switch payment method and check for any hardship support available.