21 energy-saving products under £50 – reduce your utility bills

These plug-in night lights aren’t just compact but they’re rated A++ on the energy scale. They automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn, and they come in a range of colours  They’re completely safe to use around pets and even children, especially since they don’t give off any heat. 

This simple addition can make a world of difference to your kitchen or bathroom. How? Screw it onto your tap to use less water, but for more pressure when it comes to cleaning your plates or washing your hands. It’s super easy to install, plus it completely swivels and it has two modes to choose from.

We've tried out so many of the best air fryers here at Ideal Home, including this affordable and compact from Tower. We can vouch for this particular model as we think it's ace for quick dinners and cutting down on your energy costs. We're telling you, you'll never need to turn your oven on once you've picked up an air fryer. This model has 1.5 litres of space for you to use, and there's a three year guarantee you can rely on, too. 

This electric blanket is a few pounds over £50, but it's one of our top picks in our guide to the best electric blankets you can buy, and worth the investment for the quality. Turning down the bedroom heating in favour of warming up the bed with an electric blanket can be a great way to save energy and money, with the current cost of running an electric blanket on full power coming in at around 2-3 pence per hour.

Switch your current showerhead out for this one and thank us later. Not only because it will increase your shower pressure and make your hair and skin feel softer, but because it works to reduce the amount of water you use as you shower. It's easy to fit within minutes, without any tools required. Plus, its filtration shower head helps balance the pH of your water and remove toxins, heavy metals, chlorine and more from reaching your hair and skin. The benefits of this showerhead are incredible, even if not for saving money as you shower.

If you're not ready to give up using your tumble dryer, or perhaps you're not a fan of how your washing feels when it dries naturally? Buy a bag of these wool dryer balls and you'll never look back. They aim to cut drying time and reduce creases in your clothes, meaning you'll have to use your iron less (yes!). They're unscented although you can use them with essential oils to fragrance your clothes naturally, and each ball will last for up to 1,000 uses. Meaning you won't need to replace these for years to come. 

Cover your boiler to help it conceal heat with help from this affordable buy from Screwfix. Whether your boiler lives in your cold loft or inside an airing cupboard, wrapping it in this flame-retardant thick cover will provide you with hotter water. With 5-star reviews across the board, it's clear that this is a total bargain.

An easy way to cut your energy bills, buy a thermostatic valve or four to control each of your radiators individually. Yes, this means that you can choose not to heat certain rooms that you don't use all of the time, think: a guest room. They're easy to fit and even easier to use. Even if you don't want to turn off a radiator, you can just turn the temperature right down and save ££s.

If you often feel a draught coming from your fireplace when it's not in use, then it'd be worth buying a chimney sheep to help trap cold air out of your room. Not to mention that using one of these will also help stop wind noises and debris from falling into your home. This one buy is said to be able to save you up to £60 a year on your energy bills, and they say to buy a chimney sheep a couple of inches larger than needed. 

Again, this product does come in a little over £50, but I use and love it everyday, and think it's worth the price, as it's still one of the most affordable best heated clothes airers out there. It can massively cut down the energy costs of running a tumble dryer or is a great option for those (like me!) who don't have a dryer at all.

Use these genius lights to illuminate your wardrobe, your coat cupboard or even so that you needn't use power switching on any big lights in your bathroom or hallway at night. They're battery-powered and they can be attached to a wall with ease, no need for an electrician. They're powered by motion detection so as not to waste unnecessary battery power in case you forget to switch them off, and each light should provide soft illumination for up to one year before the batteries need to be changed.

Less than £20, these blackout curtains are also thermal, so as to keep heat inside your room in the winter, and in the summer to ensure your room stays cool all night long. How? They are triple-layered with a special fabric, all you need to do is choose a colour and measure your window. They're eyelet curtains making them super simple to hang within minutes, and they have almost 40,000 reviews on Amazon.

A very affordable price to pay for a heater, especially one that looks this good, we say to snap up this bargain now. It's a great buy for smaller spaces and it will mean that you won't have to heat your entire house if you are only spending time in one room. Stand it on the floor or atop a table or other clear surface, and it heats fast to get you warm in an instant.

These radiator reflectors will help keep your house warm when your heating is on. How? Place them behind your radiator (don't worry, they're out of sight) to reflect heat back into your room, instead of onto an external wall and to waste. This way, you might find that you can turn the temperature of your heating down – or that you need not leave your heating on for so long. They're easy to fit since these panels hang from wall brackets that you can stick to the wall behind your radiator. Plus, they are said to reduce heat loss by a whopping 45%.

Available in a range of colours to suit your home decor, this heavy draught excluder blocks air from flowing through your house, as well as sound. It's not just great for doors, but it can be used to conceal windows, too. This draught excluder, though small, will be sure to make a big difference if you've got an issue at home with one particular room being drafty. The best part? With hooks on either end, when not in use you can simply just hang it from your door handle. Oh, and it comes in 3 different sizes.

Clip this lamp to the side of your desk and plug it into the USB port on your laptop to give it power. It offers 3 light modes and 10 brightness levels, and its LED light uses 75% less power than a standard incandescent light. Plus, it takes up little to no space on your desk and it rotates 360 degrees so that you can point it to wherever you need lighting up the most.

Slow cookers, like air fryers, are cheap to run and can save you on your energy bills in the long term. They can also help you to make the most delicious meals. I've got a Crockpot slow cooker myself and love making curries and chilli and how easy it is to set it off in the morning before work. 

Keep cosy at night time for less with one of our top picks of the best mattress protectors from Siletnight, which is self-heating. Super comfortable and also machine washable to cut out faff, this is a superstar buy if you find yourself chilly as you try to get to sleep.  

Keep the heat in with these dual layer thermal blinds, which are a hit with reviewers. They can help to keep your rooms toasty in winter and cooler in summer, so they are really an investment worth making year-round. With these blinds, you'll be sure to keep drafts at bay. 

For £10, you can't go wrong with this plug-in heater that's designed to make cold small spaces a little nicer to spend time in. We're thinking that a home office or bedroom would massively benefit from this buy, and it's got a tiny cost to run, too! 

It's easier to heat yourself than it is to heat up a whole home, which is why these hoodie blankets are so genius. This one is equipped with pockets and a cosy lining, so that your work-from-home days and weekends are that bit snugger.