13 Expert Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills This Winter
If you've noticed your energy bills creeping up again, you're certainly not alone.
The energy price cap has risen by 4% this October, with Ofgem's latest cap taking effect from 1 October 2026. For a typical household paying by Direct Debit, the annualised figure is now £1,723, compared with £1,663 under the previous cap.
That doesn't mean every household will receive a £1,723 bill. The price cap limits the rates suppliers can charge for gas and electricity, while your actual bill depends on how much energy you use, where you live and how you pay.
But with winter now here, it's a good time to look at where your home might be wasting energy.
I've been working in plumbing and heating for many years, and one thing I've learned is that you don't always need to spend thousands of pounds to make a noticeable difference to how efficiently your home uses energy. Sometimes it's something as simple as changing a heating setting. Other times, there's a problem with the heating system that's been quietly costing you money for years.
There is some help for households too. From October, VAT on household electricity has been reduced to 0% until March 2027, while gas continues to be charged at 5% VAT. That reduction is already reflected in Ofgem's new price-cap figures.
But ultimately, one of the most effective ways to keep your energy bills under control is to make sure you're not using more energy than you need. So, with the colder months ahead, I've put together 13 practical ways to reduce your energy bills and make your heating system work more efficiently.
Some cost virtually nothing. Others may require a heating engineer. But all are worth considering if you're looking for sensible ways to save energy at home this winter.
13 Expert Tips to Cut Your Energy Bills In Winter
1
Get Your Boiler Serviced Before Winter
I'll start with something we probably don't need to say, but which is still surprisingly easy to put off.
Your boiler works hard throughout the winter, so having it serviced annually is a good way of making sure it's operating safely and as efficiently as it should. A service also gives an engineer the opportunity to spot problems before they turn into expensive breakdowns.
We regularly see boilers that haven't been looked at for years, and by the time the homeowner calls us, there can be several small issues affecting the system.
A boiler service isn't a magic way to knock hundreds of pounds off your energy bill, but keeping your boiler properly maintained is one of the basics of an efficient heating system.
If you're not sure what happens during a boiler service, I've explained what to expect in our boiler servicing expectations guide.
2
Turn Your Thermostat Down
This is probably the simplest tip on the list. If your thermostat is set higher than it needs to be, you're paying to heat your home to a temperature you may not actually need.
Energy Saving Trust recommends finding the lowest comfortable temperature for your household, which for most people is somewhere around 18-21°C.
As a rough guide, reducing a thermostat from 22°C to 21°C could save around £120 a year in Great Britain, although the actual saving will vary from home to home.
And one common misconception is worth clearing up: turning the thermostat up doesn't make the heating warm up faster. It simply tells the heating system to keep running until it reaches the higher temperature.
So, try turning it down a degree and see how you get on.
3
Check Where Your Thermostat Is
We see this one quite often. Your thermostat needs to measure the temperature of the room accurately. If it's positioned somewhere particularly cold, draughty or warm, it can end up telling your boiler something that isn't really representative of the rest of the house.
For example, a thermostat next to a radiator, behind a door or close to a draughty window isn't necessarily going to give you the best reading.
If you're constantly adjusting the thermostat because some rooms feel too hot while others are cold, it's worth getting the position and the wider heating system checked.
Sometimes the problem isn't the thermostat at all, it's the way the system is distributing heat around the house.
4
Check Your Heating Timer
I can't tell you how many times we've found heating systems running when nobody is actually at home. It's worth checking your programmer or smart thermostat before winter and making sure the schedule still suits your routine.
If you've changed your working hours, started working from home, or simply got out of the habit of checking the controls, your heating could be coming on at times when you don't need it.
You don't necessarily need to switch the heating off completely whenever you leave the house. The important thing is to avoid heating an empty home unnecessarily.
5
Try Lowering Your Boiler Flow Temperature
This is one of the questions we're asked more and more: what temperature should my boiler be set to?
If you've got a modern condensing combi boiler, lowering the central-heating flow temperature can help it operate more efficiently.
For many systems, around 60°C is a sensible starting point, although you may need to adjust this depending on your property and how quickly your radiators heat your rooms.
The important thing is not to confuse the central-heating flow temperature with your hot-water temperature. If you have a hot-water cylinder, there are different considerations because the stored water needs to reach a safe temperature.
We've written a more detailed guide to the ideal boiler flow temperature if you'd like to understand exactly what to change.
6
Don't Ignore Cold or Poorly Performing Radiators
If a radiator is cold at the top, it may simply need bleeding. If it's cold at the bottom, or you've got radiators that take a long time to heat up, there could be something else going on.
We've seen plenty of older heating systems where sludge and debris have built up over the years. That can affect circulation and stop radiators working as effectively as they should.
It's tempting to simply turn the thermostat up when a room won't get warm, but that isn't always the answer. If you're finding that some radiators are much hotter than others, or certain rooms never seem to reach temperature, I'd get the system checked rather than simply increasing the heating.
7
Consider Having Your Heating System Balanced
This follows on from the previous point.
A properly balanced heating system should distribute hot water around your radiators more effectively. If one radiator gets roasting hot while another barely warms up, the system may need balancing. It's something we come across regularly, particularly in larger homes and older systems.
The aim isn't necessarily to make every radiator exactly the same temperature. It's about making sure the system is distributing heat sensibly so you aren't relying on the thermostat being higher than necessary just to warm one particular room.
8
Look at Your Thermostatic Radiator Valves
TRVs are another simple way of controlling where you're using heat.
You don't necessarily need your spare bedroom, hallway and living room all heated to exactly the same temperature.
With thermostatic radiator valves, you can turn individual radiators down in rooms that don't need as much heat. It's a relatively simple improvement, but it can make your heating much more controllable.
9
Check Whether Your Boiler Is Getting Old
If you've got a boiler that's 10, 15 or even 20 years old, it may be worth looking at how efficiently it's operating.
Modern condensing boilers are considerably more efficient than many older boilers, although whether replacing yours makes financial sense depends on its age, condition, efficiency and how much you're currently spending on repairs.
I wouldn't recommend replacing a perfectly good boiler simply because it's reached a certain age. But if you're regularly calling an engineer, spending money on repairs and still struggling to heat the house properly, it's worth having a conversation about your options.
10
10. Insulate Your Hot-Water Cylinder
If you've got an older hot-water cylinder, have a look at the insulation around it.
A properly insulated cylinder will keep water hotter for longer, meaning less heat is lost before you actually use the hot water.
Energy Saving Trust estimates that improving cylinder insulation to around 80mm could save roughly £45 a year in Great Britain. It's one of those jobs that isn't particularly exciting, but it's relatively inexpensive and can make sense if your cylinder is poorly insulated.
11
Insulate Exposed Hot-Water Pipes
You'll often find exposed pipes in airing cupboards, lofts and other areas of the house.
Putting suitable insulation around hot-water pipes reduces heat loss as the water travels through your home.
The financial saving isn't enormous (Energy Saving Trust estimates around £6 a year) but pipe insulation is inexpensive and can be worthwhile as part of keeping your heating system in good condition.
12
Try Radiator Reflector Panels
If you've got radiators on uninsulated external walls, some of the heat can be lost through the wall behind them.
Purpose-made radiator reflector panels can help reflect some of that heat back into the room. They're particularly worth considering in older properties with solid external walls.
Again, we're talking about a relatively small saving (Energy Saving Trust estimates around £18 a year) but they're inexpensive and can be useful in the right circumstances.
One thing I'd avoid is the old advice to simply stick kitchen tin foil behind your radiators. If you're going to use reflector panels, use ones designed specifically for the job.
13
Draught-Proof Your Home
Finally, don't forget about the heat that's escaping from your home in the first place.
Draughts around doors, windows and floors can make a surprisingly big difference to how comfortable a room feels. If you're sitting next to a cold draught, you're much more likely to turn the heating up to compensate.
Draught-proofing can help keep warm air inside and cold air outside. Energy Saving Trust estimates that draught-proofing around windows, doors and floors could save around £55 a year in Great Britain.
Just make sure you don't block ventilation that's there for a reason. Trickle vents and other intentional ventilation need to remain clear.
What does the new energy price cap mean in everyday life?
The headline figure of £1,723 can be difficult to put into perspective.
From October, the average electricity unit rate under the price cap is 26.32p per kWh, while gas is 7.97p per kWh for a typical Direct Debit customer in Great Britain.
So, what does that actually mean?
Well, Which? estimates that a typical washing machine costs around £64 a year to run, while a kettle costs around £39 a year. A condenser tumble dryer comes in at around £139 a year. A washer-dryer can cost around £216 a year, while a heat-pump tumble dryer is considerably lower at around £54 a year, based on Which?’s typical usage assumptions.
I’m not going to tell you to stop making cups of tea. At around £39 a year, there are bigger savings to be found elsewhere.
The appliances that heat things up tend to use the most energy, which is why I always recommend looking at your heating system before worrying about the odd kettle boil.
If your boiler is working inefficiently, your heating controls aren’t set up properly or you’re losing heat unnecessarily, that’s where I’d start.
Don't Wait Until Winter Is In Full Swing
The October 2026 energy price cap increase isn't something any of us can control. But how much energy we use is something we can influence. And from my experience, you don't always need a new boiler or an expensive heating upgrade to make your home more efficient.
Sometimes it's a matter of getting the controls right. Sometimes a radiator needs bleeding or the system needs balancing. And sometimes an older boiler really is costing more to run than it should.
The important thing is to identify what's actually happening in your home rather than spending money on improvements you don't need.
If you'd like a professional opinion on your heating system, contact the Maintracts team. We'll be happy to help you work out where your system could be made more efficient and what, if anything, is worth doing before winter.
You can also find out more about our expert heating services.
Oliver Osmore has been part of Maintracts Services since 2001, following in his father’s footsteps. As Managing Director, he ensures the company runs smoothly, supports customers and engineers, and thrives on solving complex problems others can’t. Highly organised and approachable, Oliver works closely with customers to deliver tailored solutions, drawing on his extensive experience in plumbing, heating, and electrical services to resolve enquiries efficiently.
Since 1974, Maintracts Services has built a reputation for high-quality installation, maintenance, and repairs. Under Oliver’s leadership, the company remains committed to professionalism, safety, and customer satisfaction.