Best Ways To Save Energy
Most energy-saving advice falls into one of two categories: free behavioural changes, and changes that require some upfront spending but pay back over time. This guide organises practical options by category so you can pick changes that fit your situation, rather than working through a generic checklist.
Free habit changes with a real impact
Lowering your washing machine's temperature setting from 60°C to 30°C or 40°C for lightly soiled laundry can meaningfully cut that appliance's energy use, since heating water is the dominant cost in most wash cycles. Reducing thermostat settings by even one or two degrees on heating, and using timers or smart thermostats to avoid heating unoccupied rooms, are similarly low-effort and can add up over a heating season. Air-drying laundry instead of using a tumble dryer, when weather and space allow, avoids one of the highest per-use costs in a typical home entirely.
Low-cost changes
Switching remaining incandescent or halogen bulbs to LED lighting typically cuts lighting electricity use substantially for a small upfront cost, with the saving compounding over the bulb's much longer lifespan. Draught-proofing windows and doors reduces the heating load your home requires to maintain a comfortable temperature, indirectly lowering electric heating costs where applicable. A basic plug-in power meter, while a small purchase, can reveal which of your specific appliances are worth prioritising rather than guessing.
Bigger investments with longer payback
Replacing an old appliance with a highly-rated efficient model — particularly refrigerators, washing machines and tumble dryers, given how much they run — can produce a meaningful ongoing saving, though the payback period depends on the price difference and how much you use the appliance. A heat-pump tumble dryer, for example, typically costs more upfront than a standard condenser model but uses substantially less energy per cycle. Home solar panels, particularly paired with a battery to raise self-consumption, are a larger investment still, with payback measured in years rather than months; our solar savings calculator can help estimate the ongoing value.
Timing your usage matters too
If you are on a time-of-use or off-peak tariff, shifting flexible loads like washing machines, dishwashers or EV charging into cheaper overnight or off-peak windows can reduce cost without reducing total energy use at all. This is one of the few changes that costs nothing and requires no equipment beyond a delay timer or scheduling feature many appliances and EV chargers already include.
Measure before and after
The most reliable way to know whether a change actually saved money is to measure before and after with your own numbers rather than relying on generic percentage claims. Use this site's calculators with your own appliance wattage, usage pattern and tariff before making a change, then repeat the estimate afterward using the new numbers, to see a realistic, personalised saving rather than a marketing figure.
Frequently asked questions
What's the single most impactful free change most households can make?
For many households, reducing washing machine temperature and heating thermostat settings by even a small amount tends to produce a noticeable, ongoing saving with zero upfront cost.
Is it worth replacing appliances before they break?
It depends on the efficiency gap between your current appliance and a modern equivalent, and how heavily you use it. For a heavily used, older, inefficient appliance the payback can be reasonably quick; for a lightly used one it is often better to wait until replacement is needed anyway.
Do smart plugs and energy monitors actually save money themselves?
They don't save energy directly, but by revealing which specific appliances draw the most power, they help you prioritise where behavioural or investment changes will have the biggest effect.
Does turning things off at the wall make a big difference?
For most modern electronics, standby draw is relatively small individually, though switching off rarely used devices is still a reasonable, effort-free habit that adds up slightly across many devices.
How do I know if a saving tip actually applies to my situation?
Use this site's relevant calculator with your own appliance's wattage, usage pattern and tariff before and after a prospective change to see a realistic estimate rather than relying on a generic average.
