Energy Efficiency: Cut Your Bills
EPC ratings, smart meters, whole-house retrofits, and practical ways to cut your energy bills.
You don't need to spend thousands to cut your energy bills. Bleeding radiators, draught proofing doors, fitting a smart thermostat, swapping the tumble dryer for a heated airer: the small stuff adds up to £100-400 a year for less than £200 spent.
Your EPC rating matters more than you might think too: your EPC isn't a gate for the big grants (the Boiler Upgrade Scheme doesn't ask for one at all), but a poor rating is what qualifies you for free insulation under ECO4, and from 1 October 2030 landlords will need a C, on a single compliance date covering new and existing tenancies alike. Think of energy efficiency as the foundation everything else builds on. Get this right first and every other upgrade (heat pumps, solar, batteries) works harder.
Free tools
What does it actually cost to run?
Running costs at the current price cap for the things people ask us about most this time of year, plus what would lift your EPC rating.
What Will Your Electric Heater Actually Cost?
Pick the heater and how you'd really use it. Every electric heater is 100% efficient, so this is just wattage multiplied by hours: the answer is the same whatever the box claims.
e.g. EMtronics 9-fin, full power
Cap is 26.32p to 31 Dec 2026
Swapping this heater for a heated throw on the evenings you're sat still would save about £296.89 over the season. It won't heat the room, which is exactly the point: you only pay to warm the person.
Electricity 26.32p/kWh and gas 7.97p/kWh are the Ofgem price cap rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (average direct debit, England, Scotland and Wales). Electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027; the gas figure includes 5% VAT. Gas comparison assumes a 90% efficient condensing boiler, the heat pump assumes a seasonal COP of 3.5. Your standing charge is payable either way, so it is not included.
Dehumidifier Running Cost Calculator
Pick a model and how you'll use it. Costs use the Ofgem price cap electricity rate of 26.32p/kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026).
Per day
32p
4p an hour at 152W
Per year
£58
8 hours a day for 6 months
Water it actually pulls out
4.48L/day
Meaco's figure at 20C and 60% humidity, running flat out
Costs assume the unit draws its full wattage for every hour it's on. In auto mode most units switch off once the room reaches the humidity you set, so a real bill is usually lower. Wattage source for this model: Meaco, at 20C and 60%rh. Desiccant dehumidifiers also give off most of that energy as heat, which warms the room slightly.
What Does Your Kettle Actually Cost?
Pick how you really fill it and how often it goes on. The kettle's wattage isn't an input because it doesn't change the answer: the energy to boil a given amount of water is fixed.
e.g. what most people do without thinking
Only variable temperature kettles can stop short of boiling
Cap is 26.32p to 31 Dec 2026
Filling for the cup you're actually making would save about £29.24a year. That's free, and it's bigger than any saving a new kettle can offer on its own.
Against your current habit above, at 4 boils a day. A kettle only saves money if it changes how much water you boil or what temperature you stop at.
Electricity 26.32p/kWh and gas 7.97p/kWh are the Ofgem price cap rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (average direct debit, England, Scotland and Wales); electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, the gas figure includes 5% VAT. Water is assumed to start at 15C and need 4.186 kJ per litre per C, plus 10% for steam and warming the kettle. Gas hob assumes 40% of the flame's heat reaches the water, induction 85%. Your standing charge is payable either way, so it is not included.
Enter your current EPC rating and tick what you already have installed. The calculator ranks the remaining upgrades by EPC impact and shows cost, annual savings, and grant eligibility for each.
What do you already have installed?
Current rating
D (55 to 68 SAP)
Projected rating
A (92 to 100 SAP)
Total annual saving
£2,158
Total investment
£34,303
Upgrades recommended
11
Upgrades ranked by EPC impact
Install cost
£11,000, £13,500
Annual saving
£300, £650
Payback
~25.8 yrs
£7,500 BUS grant available (England/Wales)
Install cost
£650, £900
Annual saving
£190, £190
Payback
~4.1 yrs
ECO4 may fund this fully until 31 December 2026
DIY products for this upgrade
Install cost
£2,000, £2,400
Annual saving
£200, £200
Payback
~11.0 yrs
ECO4 may fund this fully until 31 December 2026
Install cost
£2,000, £3,500
Annual saving
£150, £300
Payback
~12.2 yrs
No direct grant: consider a heat pump for larger gains
Install cost
£4,500, £8,000
Annual saving
£400, £650
Payback
~11.9 yrs
0% VAT on solar in the UK
Install cost
£4,000, £9,000
Annual saving
£140, £220
Payback
~36.1 yrs
No standalone grant: window film is a cheap alternative
DIY products for this upgrade
Install cost
£2,000, £4,000
Annual saving
£50, £100
Payback
~40.0 yrs
ECO4 may fund this for eligible homes until 31 December 2026
Install cost
£150, £350
Annual saving
£80, £180
Payback
~1.9 yrs
No grant available
DIY products for this upgrade
Install cost
£100, £300
Annual saving
£50, £100
Payback
~2.7 yrs
No grant, but typically pays for itself within a year
DIY products for this upgrade
Install cost
£60, £150
Annual saving
£30, £60
Payback
~2.3 yrs
No grant, but cheapest upgrade on the list
DIY products for this upgrade
Install cost
£15, £30
Annual saving
£25, £50
Payback
~0.6 yrs
No grant, but costs under £30 and pays for itself in months
DIY products for this upgrade
* SAP point improvements are typical estimates based on the Standard Assessment Procedure. Actual improvements depend on your specific home and current specification. Get a formal EPC assessment to confirm your rating.
Bottom line
A weekend of cheap fixes typically knocks 10-20% off your bills before any big upgrade.
Smart thermostat, draught proofing, bleeding radiators and swapping the tumble dryer for a heated airer: the small stuff adds up faster than people expect, for less than £200 spent. If you let the place out, the other big prize is getting the EPC up to C, which every privately rented home in England and Wales needs by 1 October 2030. Worth being clear that a good EPC is not what unlocks grants: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme asks for no EPC at all, and it is a poor rating that qualifies you for free insulation under ECO4. Insulation, heat pumps and solar all work harder once this groundwork is in place.
The savings ladder: where to start
Typical UK figures for 2026, ranked by payback time. Highlighted row is the weekend job worth doing this month.
| Upgrade | Cost | Annual saving | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleed rads + draught proof | £0-300 | £55, plus £45 for a chimney | 1-3 yrs |
| Heating controls / smart thermostat | £100-250 | £100 | 1-3 yrs |
| Cavity wall fill | ~£2,200 | ~£200 | About 11 yrs |
| Solar panels (4 kW) | £5,000-7,000 | ~£700 | 7-10 yrs |
| Heat pump (after BUS grant) | £500-6,500 | £140-345 | Varies with tariff |
| Loft insulation, bare to 270mm | ~£750 | ~£190 | About 4 yrs |
| Loft top-up, 120mm to 270mm | ~£600 | £17 | 30+ yrs |
Start here
Get your bearings, then check your EPC
The home-energy overview gives you the order to do things in. Run the EPC calculator to see which combination of upgrades gets your house to a C, and bleed the radiators while you're at it (15 minutes, free).
GuideWhere to start: the order that pays back fastest
A pragmatic walkthrough of every meaningful upgrade for a UK home, ranked from cheapest-fast-fix to biggest-payback-investment, with realistic costs and savings for each.
Read guideEPC improvement calculator
See how much each upgrade adds to your EPC SAP score, what it'll cost, and which combination gets you to a C (the gate for most grants and the 2028 landlord rule).
Open calculator
Improving your EPC, by current rating
See where it goes
Find your big spenders
You can't cut what you can't measure. Most homes have one or two appliances quietly costing £100+ a year that nobody notices until they look. A monitor or smart plug pays for itself the first time it catches one.
GuideBest home energy monitors
Real-time clamp meters, smart-meter displays and the Hildebrand Bright app: which actually shows you something useful, and which are a waste of £100. Most homeowners find one big surprise in week one.
Read guide
GuideBest smart plugs with energy monitoring
Per-appliance usage data without a smart meter rollout. Tapo, TP-Link and Shelly options that catch the big spenders (kettle, fridge, old TV) and let you turn things off remotely.
Read guideSmart kit
Appliances that earn their keep
A heated airer plus a dehumidifier replaces the tumble dryer for a fraction of the running cost. Booster fans and portable AC are niche but useful in the right room. Here's what's actually worth buying.
GuideBest heated clothes airers (vs the tumble dryer)
A heated airer runs at 200-300W vs a tumble dryer's 2,500-3,000W. For most households that's £50-150 a year saved, with the airer paying for itself by spring. The models worth buying.
Read guide
GuideBest dehumidifiers for drying clothes
Pair a dehumidifier with the heated airer and you'll dry a load overnight for under 30p of electricity. Compressor vs desiccant, the right capacity for a UK home, and the brands worth the money.
Read guide
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