The benefits of solar power are now available to more people than ever before. Thanks to a legislation change, plug-in solar panels are now legal in the UK, and once on sale, are significantly more affordable than traditional rooftop solar panels.

While there are lots of differences between rooftop solar panels and plug-in versions, the installation is arguably one of the biggest. Plug-in solar panels are designed to be plugged into an electrical socket on a DIY basis, with no professional input required. But questions have been raised as to how safe that is, when not every home's electrical system is the same.

So how do you know if plug-in solar panels will be safe to use in your home? Well, I asked the experts to find out.

Are plug-in solar panels dangerous?

Plug-in solar panels themselves aren't dangerous, but there is concern that connecting a plug-in solar panel to an old or faulty socket could be.

'Plug-in solar panels, sometimes called balcony solar or Shuko solar systems, connect directly into a standard household socket,' explains John Collett, Director of Quantum Renewables. 'The primary risk arises in homes with older or faulty wiring. If the household electrical installation is not in good condition, adding any additional load including a solar panel can create a risk of overheating at plug sockets or junction points.'

'Plug-in solar panels can be safe when used correctly, but they aren’t quite the same as plugging in a standard household appliance,’ adds George Penny, Solar Panel Expert and Director at The Solar Co. ‘They introduce a new source of electricity into the home, so existing weaknesses in the wiring could create an electrical or fire risk.

'Homes with ageing wiring, worn components, previous DIY alterations, inadequate earthing or a lack of modern protective devices may require electrical work before plug-in solar can be used safely.'

But it's not just your electrical system that could prove problematic; there are other ways that plug-in solar could pose a risk to your home and safety, including improper installation. George Penny explains: 'Incorrect installation or use could also make a plug-in solar system dangerous. A typical rigid solar panel weighs around 20 to 25kg, so an 800W system containing two panels could add approximately 40 to 50kg before any mounting equipment is included.

'That weight could damage an older or weakened fence or shed roof, particularly when combined with strong winds. That’s why it’s essential to check for rot, cracks or sagging and make sure the structure and fixings can safely support both the panels’ weight and wind loading.'

Using unsuitable connectors could also pose a risk, especially if they are not designed for outdoor use.

'Sockets, cables and connectors should also be suitable for outdoor use and protected from water, dust and physical damage,' adds George. 'Never use a standard extension lead, trap a cable through a window or door, or daisy-chain multiple panels. Adding equipment that the system or household circuit isn’t designed to handle could cause components to overheat.'

It's also important to check you have the necessary permissions in place before you attempt an installation. 'Renters should also get their landlord’s permission before drilling into or attaching panels to fences, balconies, walls or sheds,' concludes George.

How to use plug-in solar panels safely

'Anyone considering a plug-in solar system should have their consumer unit and wiring checked by a qualified electrician first, particularly in properties built before the 1990s,' suggests John Collett.

You should also make sure you are only buying panels that meet the required safety standards. Those sold in this country through reputable retailers will meet those standards, but beware if you are buying online and if they look like they may be delivered from overseas. 'Only purchase systems that are certified to UK and EU safety standards,' adds John. 'Check for the CE mark and confirm the system has been tested to EN 62109 standards for inverters.'

In further buying advice, Electrical Safety First says you should only buy from reputable high street retailers and their websites, rather than through third party retailers on online marketplaces, that currently have no legal responsibility for the safety of the products they sell.

You should also make sure that you follow any installation and set-up instructions exactly. 'My advice to anyone picking one up at their local Lidl: keep expectations realistic, follow the manufacturer's instructions to the letter, and don't be tempted to daisy-chain panels or run them through extension leads,' advises George.

With energy prices set to rise yet again in October, and solar panels becoming more readily available than ever before, it's no wonder more and more people are investing whether this kind of technology is right for their home.

For many the price of solar panels could be prohibitive, but with plug-in solar panels now legal in the UK, generating solar power could become a reasonable prospect for more and more homes.

But given the changeable weather we get here in the UK, how do the different weather types affect how well solar panels perform? I asked the pros to find out.

How does the sun affect solar panels?

As solar panels convert energy from the sun into power for your home (albeit at differing levels depending on whether you choose rooftop or plug-in solar panels), sunny weather is usually ideal for them. But the angle of the panels, as well as the time of year and the position of the sun will have an impact on how much power they generate.

'Between April and September, you can expect to generate around 65-75% of your annual solar electricity, with just 25-35% generated between October and March,' explains George Penny, Expert at The Solar Co.

'This is due to shorter days and the sun sitting lower in the sky, which reduces the amount of sunlight reaching your panels.

'Vertically mounted solar panels can also outperform traditional tilted systems in winter by up to 24.5%, making orientation a key consideration for year-round performance. However, even with optimised systems, winter output will always be lower than summer.'

And so it's best to look at the output of solar panels over a longer period of time. 'The practical takeaway is to think of a solar year as one long summer harvest with a quiet winter, rather than expecting a steady monthly figure,' suggests Andreas Pierrie, founder at Go Solar Today. 'Anyone judging their system on its December numbers is looking at the worst four weeks of the year.'

Are solar panels less effective in a heatwave?

While sunny days are good for solar panels, extreme heatwaves can have a negative impact, which may seem a bit baffling.

'It is one of the biggest misconceptions about solar power,' explains George Penny. 'Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity using semiconductor cells, and as these cells become hotter their electrical properties change, making it less efficient for electricity to flow.

'For every degree Celsius above the standard test temperature of 25ºC, solar panels typically lose around 0.3% to 0.5% of their power output.

'During a UK heatwave, panel surface temperatures can reach 65ºC or more, leading to noticeable efficiency losses.

'However, the abundant sunshine during a heatwave usually outweighs those losses, so while each panel produces slightly less, the sheer amount of sunlight means solar panels can continue generating large volumes of electricity.'

How does rain affect solar panels?

Rain itself might seem like the worst for solar panels, but it can actually have its benefits.

'Rain is the one people worry about and really shouldn't,' says Andreas. 'Panels are sealed units and are hail tested to withstand 25mm ice balls fired at around 50mph, so a British downpour is nothing. If anything rain helps, because it washes off the things that genuinely do cost you output: pollen in May, road dust, bird mess. Left alone, soiling can quietly shave a few percent off generation.'

But while the rain may do some of the work, you might still need to rope in the pros for a proper clean every so often. 'In fact, regular rain is often enough to keep panels clean in the UK, though some homeowners schedule professional cleanings once or twice a year to maintain peak performance,' says George.

How do clouds affect solar panels?

'The real ‘danger’ to solar output isn’t heat, it’s cloud cover, which can cut output by 75% or more on overcast days.' says George Penny. However, fear not, they won't stop working altogether. They'll just generate less than on a sunny day.

Having a battery as part of your solar panel set up can help you to store electricity generated on clear sunny days to use on days when it's a overcast, or on shorter days in winter.

How does snow affect solar panels?

While in most parts of the UK, snow is a something of a rarity, when it hits it can cause problems for your solar panels.

'If snow completely covers the panels, it can significantly reduce or temporarily stop generation because sunlight cannot reach the solar cells, explains Simon Bones, CEO of Genous. 'Fortunately, solar panels are normally installed at an angle, so snow will often slide off naturally as the panels warm up.'

Should you worry about the weather when it comes to solar panels?

While certain weather conditions can have a negative effect on your solar panels effectiveness, it's best to look at how well they perform over a longer term before deciding against them.

'Try not to become too obsessed with what your panels are doing hour by hour. Solar generation apps can become really addictive, but hourly generation doesn’t mean much,' explains Kian Milroy, Renewables Electrical Engineer at Heatable. 'The best way to judge efficiency is tracking production across the year.

'UK weather is incredibly variable, one miserable week in January tells you very little about whether your panels are performing properly.

'It’s also worth knowing that Britain is actually better suited to solar than people often assume. We may not have constant sunshine, but modern panels still generate from diffuse daylight. And when you add in that our relatively mild temperatures are good for panel efficiency, and our very long summer days give systems plenty of opportunity to produce electricity, it works out to be a fairly good match overall.

'If you’re considering solar, I’d be much more concerned about whether the system has been properly designed for your particular roof, rather than worrying about whether the British weather is ‘sunny enough’.'

I'd like to begin by saying that I love the heat and, for me, the long hot summers we've enjoyed these past couple of years are most welcome. That said, it has definitely highlighted to me and, I am sure lots of others, that many homes in the UK, my own included, are really badly suited to high temperatures.

It is in my bedroom that these extreme temperatures can start to cause problems, due, in part, to it being west-facing, meaning it is absorbing heat well into the evening. As a result of overheating, we can all end up using more energy trying to make it cooler. After a hot day, walking in there really can take my breath away – or should I say it used to. Now, however, thanks to introducing some passive and active ways to keep a bedroom cool, this is a space that I don't dread retiring to at night.

If you regularly find that you are just too hot to sleep in your bedroom, I'd like to share with you the best tips and tricks I've found to cool it down – so you wake up refreshed and ready to enjoy these balmy summer days.

1. I've started closing the windows at certain points in the day

I am slightly ashamed to say that, up until the beginning of this particular prolonged period of hot weather, I was guilty of flinging open all the windows in the house as soon as I woke up – believing, wrongly, that this was the best way to keep a room cool.

Since then, I have got much smarter when it comes to my summer window opening routine – this is such an easy method but one you really need to get on board with, as Chloe Dacosta, design manager at Blinds2Go explains. 'When you open your windows during a heatwave, you're actually letting warm air into homes that are naturally designed to retain heat. Once that heat gets inside, it's much harder to remove, meaning your home can quickly become warmer than the temperature outside.

'To keep your bedroom cool, it's best to keep windows, blinds and curtains closed during the hottest part of the day – typically between 11am and 3pm – particularly in south- or west-facing rooms that get the most direct sunlight.'

Additionally, thanks to the advice of Andrew Pemberton, Chartered Building Engineer and senior manager of surveying at The Professional Snagging Company, I have also just invested in a couple of thermometers. 'A simple indoor and outdoor thermometer takes the guesswork out of opening windows, letting you see when it’s genuinely cooler outside – don't just rely on your phone's weather app.'

2. I hung thermal curtains and got on board with blind choreography

Thermal curtains and blinds are one of the best investments I've made for my home. In the winter they help keep the draughts at bay and, in the summer, the thermal curtains keep the heat out and make a huge difference when it comes to keeping my bedroom cool, particularly when using the cavemen method.

Ana Zuravliova, trends specialist at Blinds Direct, explains that the timing of when you close curtains and blinds matters hugely. 'People often think thermal blinds are only useful during winter, but they can also help stop rooms heating up. The timing of when you close them is the important part though – once a room already feels hot, it’s much harder to cool it back down naturally. This is where ‘blind choreography’ really comes in. East-facing rooms often need shading much earlier in the day, while south- and west- facing rooms usually become much hotter later in the afternoon.'

Chloe Dacosta, also advised me that 'window stacking' (combining my curtains with a blackout blind) could improve things even further. 'Layering blinds with curtains adds extra depth and shading to a room. This combination also works particularly well for street-facing windows, helping to reduce light entering the room.

'I always recommend blackout blinds with side tracks for the ultimate in shading,' continues Chloe. 'The opaque fabric blocks light from coming through the blind itself, while the side tracks stop light creeping in around the edges.'

3. Made time to research the best fans to keep cool

I know that most fans don't actually cool the air, but I find them a really effective way to make a room feel cooler and the compact model I have on my bedside table makes a world of difference to my sleep quality in a heatwave.

Michael Zohouri, founder of Pyramid Eco, agrees that investing in the best fans you can lay your hands on is a great way to improve the comfort levels in a hot bedroom. 'I'd always recommend using a fan before reaching for portable air conditioning if the room isn't excessively hot. They're much cheaper to run and can make a surprisingly big difference to how comfortable you feel.'

The way in which you use your fan will also go a long way towards helping lower the internal temperature of your bedroom, as Andrew Pemberton explains. 'Put a fan by the open window after sunset to draw cooler air into the bedroom, but keep the door open so warmer air has somewhere to escape. Additionally, if you are home during the day, place the fan low down and point it upwards to move the cooler air that sits near the floor.'

4. Try my best at cross ventilation

Creating some cross ventilation within your home is such an effective way of helping it feel cooler and often works particularly well when trying to cool down a living room. In my bedroom this can be tricky, however, as there is only one window.

'If you can open windows on opposite sides of the house once the outdoor temperature drops, you'll move far more warm air out than opening one bedroom window on its own,' explains Michael Zohouri.

What I find works, in the absence of two windows, is to open up the windows early and late in the day, keep the bedroom door wide open and then to open up all the other windows on the first floor – this seems to create a good cool breeze to swirl throughout the entire space.

'The big thing is to plan ahead,' advises Michael. 'Don't wait until bedtime to start cooling the room. Stop the heat getting in during the day by shutting windows and closing blinds during a heatwave rather than trying to get rid of it all at 10 o'clock at night.'

5. Fitted solar control window film

This one has really made such a difference and couldn't have been simpler. I bought Climate 35 - Solar Control Film from The Window Film Company and installed it in just under an hour, despite my window being a fiddly multi-paned casement design.

This easy job reduced the late afternoon temperature in my bedroom by 4°C, which might not sound like a lot but actually made it feel so much more comfortable.

One small thing to note is that, from the outside, the windows now have a slightly gold, mirrored look, but I'll take that for a better nights sleep.

6. Pull out the portable air conditioner on really hot days

I've been lucky enough to test a few of the best portable air conditioners just lately and I can vouch for them being a brilliant way to cool down a bedroom fast. That said, there are three reasons why I tend not to use this method on a regular basis.

Firstly, they can be rather noisy to run. I actually don't mind the loud humming, but my husband does – definitely something to note when choosing a portable air conditioner. Secondly, they require an exhaust hose to be run to outside, through the window. As our bedroom is at the front of the house this does look a little unsightly, plus as we have side-hinged casement windows as opposed to sliding sashes, sealing the window up is a little more fiddly. Thirdly, they use quite a bit of energy, so I tend to save mine for those really hot nights.

'If you're struggling to sleep because your bedroom is consistently too hot during the warmer months then a portable air conditioning unit is absolutely worth it,' says Michael Zohouri. 'The key thing to keep in mind is the exhaust hose. That hot air has to go somewhere so make sure the hose is properly sealed through a window kit. If the window is left wide open around the hose, you're letting hot air straight back into the room.'

Shop in-stock portable air conditioners

7. Make sure nothing is obstructing air flow

I've found that creating a cooling breeze within the room is far easier following a good bedroom declutter and after rethinking my furniture layout.

It might sound strange, but Melissa Denham, interior designer from Hammonds Fitted Furniture, backs me up on this point. 'Good airflow is essential to keep any room comfortable during a heatwave, and how your furniture is laid out plays an important role in this.

'Wardrobes and chest of drawers should be positioned so they aren’t blocking windows, doorways or natural airflow routes and instead can enhance natural cross-breeze ventilation,' continues Melissa. 'Bringing larger pieces of furniture slightly away from your walls, where possible, can help to cool a room as well. Air can circulate more freely rather than becoming trapped in stagnant pockets. Five to ten centimetres is enough to help airflow or for bulkier pieces, ten to 15 centimetres.'

FAQs

What type of bedroom blinds are best for keeping out the heat?

The window treatment ideas you choose to shade your bedroom windows will play a huge part in how cool it feels – so choose with care.

'The best blinds for your bedroom depends on your style and shading needs,' says Chloe Dacosta. 'Roman blinds are a great choice for adding cosiness to a scheme, and come in a wide range of patterns with a choice of light-filtering, thermal or blackout linings for customisable light control. For a more contemporary look, wooden blinds work well at redirecting light depending on their rotation, though they won't offer the same level of blackout as fabric options.

'Thermal blinds are specifically designed to tackle temperature extremes,' adds Chloe. 'They create a thermal barrier at the window, helping to keep heat out in the summer and retain warmth in the winter.'

Finally, for an additional level of protection, Chloe suggests shading your home externally with awnings. 'Unlike internal blinds or curtains, awnings stop the sun's rays before they reach your windows, preventing heat from building up inside in the first place.'

When looking at ways to keep your bedroom cool, it also makes sense to research the mistakes that could be making your home hotter – even making simple switches such as remembering not to leave appliances on standby can make a big difference to comfort levels.

When we just have the odd day of hot weather, you might not pay too much attention to how much energy your appliances uses. But considering we're seeing a prolonged hot spell in the UK right now, how much energy your portable air conditioner uses will be more of a concern.

And so it makes sense to ensure you are using your portable air conditioner in the most energy efficient way possible, as well as fostering an environment where it doesn't have to work as hard to cool your space.

'There are a number of simple steps people can take to get the most from their cooling appliances, and just as importantly, some common mistakes that can reduce efficiency and lead to unnecessary energy use,' says Ciaran Murphy, CEO of Dimplex. 'By making a few smart adjustments, households can stay cool and comfortable throughout the summer while getting the best value from their appliances.'

1. Keep the heat out

Firstly, the most important part of using your portable air conditioner more efficiently is making sure you have it well sealed when venting it outside.

While there are plenty of ways you can make a portable air conditioner seal look more attractive, it's key that they are fitted and installed well in order to keep as much hot air out of the room as possible, while keeping the cool air in.

'The most important thing is to stop cool air escaping,' explains Jamie Hillard, Gas Safe and F-Gas registered engineer at Heatable.co.uk. 'Keep windows and doors closed, draw curtains or blinds before the room heats up, and seal any gaps around the exhaust hose’s window kit. A poorly sealed window forces the air conditioner to work continuously against incoming warm air.'

2. Focus on cooling a single room

Following on from keeping the hot air out, it's important that you keep the internal door of the room you are trying to cool shut while your portable air conditioner is in use.

After all, a key factor of choosing the right portable air conditioner for your home is to buy a correctly powered unit for the room size you are trying to cool. For example, this 7000 BTU model from ElectriQ at Appliances Direct is only suitable for rooms up to 20m2, where the 14,000 BTU version can cool rooms up to 38m2.

'Portable air conditioners should also be correctly sized for the room, as an undersized model may operate constantly without ever reaching the desired temperature,' says Jamie.

3. Set a realistic target temperature

On a hot day, you might be tempted to whack your portable air conditioner's target temperature to the lowest possible setting in the hopes that it will provide quicker relief. However, this is definitely not the most efficient way to use your appliance.

'Setting a portable air conditioner to 16°C won't cool the room any faster than setting it to 22 or 23°C,' explains Rhys Powell, Director of Operations at WarmZilla. 'It simply tells the unit to keep running for longer in an attempt to reach a much lower temperature.

'Aiming for around 22 to 24°C provides a comfortable indoor environment while allowing the compressor to cycle on and off instead of running continuously. If your unit has an eco mode or sleep mode, they're also worth using because they automatically adjust performance once the room has cooled, rather than operating at full power all the time.'

4. Position with airflow in mind

Where you position your portable air conditioner will also affect how efficiently it runs.

'Position the unit close to the window so the exhaust hose remains as short and straight as possible, while leaving enough space around the air intake for good airflow,' says Jamie. 'Avoid placing it in direct sunlight or next to heat-producing appliances.'

Check the manufacturer instructions for airflow requirements for your specific appliance. It's usually around 50cm.

5. Complement it with a fan

Teaming your portable air conditioner with one of the best fans is a good way to boost it's effectiveness, in an energy efficient way.

'Fans are inexpensive to run and can help circulate cool air more effectively,' says Ciaran. 'Using fans alongside a portable air conditioner can improve comfort without needing to lower the thermostat further.'

6. Be tactical about when you use it

You might not feel like you need to turn your portable air conditioner on until it's uncomfortably hot, but this can mean you're using more energy than you need to. Instead, the experts advise you to be a bit more tactical about when you use it.

'Portable air conditioners are generally more efficient at maintaining a comfortable temperature than dramatically reducing one,' explains Ciaran. 'Turning the unit on earlier can help reduce the effort required later in the day.'

In more practical terms, Rhys says: 'If you know a hot afternoon is coming, switch the unit on before the room reaches its peak temperature and close the windows, curtains and blinds while it's running. That prevents more heat from entering the room so the air conditioner spends less time trying to remove it.'

7. Maintain your appliance properly

As with any appliance, if you want it to keep operating at peak efficiency, then you'll need to keep on top of the maintenance.

When it comes to portable air conditioners, this means keeping them dust-free, regularly cleaning the air filter, and emptying any water that may be collected and stored during the use of dehumidifier modes.

This summer has been a test on the majority of our homes. Unlike previous heatwaves which can be over in a few days, the prolonged 35+º heat for weeks on end really has been something else.

However, without the infrastructure to cool our homes, we’re all stuck with the windows closed and the curtains drawn during the day to keep the hot air outside and the solar gain to a minimum. These passive cooling strategies have been tried and tested for centuries and are a good way to keep energy usage down while limiting the use fans or air conditioners. But, in a prolonged heatwave like we've seen this summer, saving energy and keeping your house cool can also mean it feels like you live in the dark.

While my house has certain features that help it feel cool in the summer, it can still get really hot when a heatwave hits. As I work from home, I've had to keep the curtains closed to maintain a comfortable temperature, but I’ve also tried to come up with ways to make our living spaces feel brighter and less cave like.

1. I use bamboo blinds for dappled light

We have a downstairs bathroom that thankfully faces north. Now, normally we wouldn’t think twice about this space getting too hot, but with the lengthy heatwave, I’ve found having our bamboo blinds closed during this time still lets in a good amount of light. Certainly enough to put on makeup without looking like a clown!

This makes absolute sense, especially when you consider countries like China, Indonesia and India have all been using bamboo to shade their interior spaces for centuries. And as our climate is warming up for what looks to be the foreseeable, we should be taking note of how traditionally hotter regions mitigate overheating.

Ours were really cost efficient as they were a last-minute purchase after our bathroom was finished, but I wish I had researched ones that were treated for moisture as ours are now looking a bit worse for wear from the room's humidity.

Thermal blinds with a honeycomb weave have become a much recommended product to allow light, but not heat into a shaded room. 'Slatted blinds and shutters are also particularly useful because they can be angled upwards, ' adds Caroline Montague at Villa Sartiano. 'That blocks the direct beam but still sends some daylight towards the ceiling, which gives the room a much softer brightness.'

2. I added voile curtains for diffused light

To diffuse harsher sunlight, we use voile curtains alongside thicker ones for nighttime in our bedroom. Now, I know they have a bad rep from our nans’ houses where net curtains made every room feel gloomy and dated, but there are some gorgeous modern designs to be found that bring a more Parisian elegance to this fabric.

The game-changer for us when it is hot, is that we bought thermal voile curtains so the rate at white the indoor temperature rises is slowed down. This also works the opposite way in the winter.

3. I track the sun’s progression over my house

One of the first things we did when we moved into our house was to take note of where the sun begins its day and where it is positioned at the hottest parts. At the time it was to plan our renovation, but I have found it super useful so we can open and close curtains when I know the sun has moved round.

'After more than 30 years of designing homes, one thing I have learnt is that a house rarely overheats evenly,' explains Caroline Montague 'Follow the sun around the building rather than closing everything at once. An east-facing room may need its curtains drawn early in the morning, while a west-facing room often becomes much hotter later in the afternoon.'

A basic timeline would look like this:

• 7am: West and south-facing curtains open, east-facing closed
• 12pm: East and west open, south closed
• 3pm: West and south closed, east open

I generally don’t worry about our north-facing window as this is a great source of constant diffused light.

4. I'm strategic about the positioning of mirrors

Having the curtains closed all of the time can really affect the mood of the house and too much artificial light can serve to make a space feel dour, especially when overhead lights and table lamps are on during the day while working from home.

'The key is to control how daylight enters and bounces around the room,' says Chloe Barrow, Head of Creative Interiors at Laura James. 'I would avoid placing mirrors directly opposite sunny windows during a heatwave, as they simply bounce the heat deeper into the house. It’s better to place them on perpendicular side walls to catch ambient light, without bringing the heat in.'

Using the pattern from the point above, you can do what we do and strategically place mirrors to reflect the light into rooms that are currently shaded. For instance, the north-facing light of our utility is near a large mirror in the otherwise dark hallway. It allows the light to bound around the space and make it feel much less gloomy.

5. I combine internal measures with external shading

Now, if having your curtains closed during the day is simply too much for you to take, external shading might be a better option. Although this isn’t my first port-of-call, I get it; we spend all year waiting for warm and sunny days and the last thing you want to do is shut yourself away from it all.

So, if you really want to have the curtains open during they day, look to what you can do to the exterior of your house to prevent overheating. One such element we love in for our west-facing patio door that don’t have curtains or blinds is to use natural planting either side of the doors.

Sail shades can also be installed so come light passes through, but the harsh direct sun is diluted a bit. Retractable awnings work much the same, but you can also get mini versions for above windows. This is especially good for home offices.

'Awnings are a brilliant investment as they stop heat before it even hits the glass, without making the room look dark and dreary,' says Chloe Barrow. 'You’re still getting a lot of light, but less heat.'

Now that I've been working from home for more than six years, a period which has included some of the hottest days on record, I like to think I've nailed my process for keeping my home cool.

While I have fitted air conditioning in my living room, and a portable air conditioner and a brilliant fan I can use where I need to, I'm also a big believer in more passive (and energy efficient) cooling methods, like solar control, cross ventilation and night flushing.

However, there's one method I've sworn by over the years — keeping all windows closed during the hottest part of the day (as well as blinds and curtains) — that has felt less effective in my home in the most recent and prolonged heatwave.

While this method has undoubtedly been effective when we've had the odd hot days, preventing the worst of the heat from entering my home, the length and intensity of the most recent hot spell has been one of the most extreme I've experienced.

When I'd kept the windows and blinds shut, especially upstairs, the build up of heat felt far more noticeable to me than ever before. If I needed to go upstairs for anything, I would get to about the ninth step before my head would enter a stifling blanket of heat. Something about entering that environment head first made it seem all the more acute.

Then at night, when the temperature cooled slightly outside, I would open all of the windows to get some cross ventilation going, but the heat didn't seem to escape. I'd even point fans out of the open windows to help give the night flushing a helping hand, but it still remained far too hot to sleep upstairs. Fortunately, I have a comfortable air bed (this Silentnight king sized air bed, £57.99 at Amazon that is also the top pick in our best air beds guide) that means I can decamp to the living room for a cooler night's sleep.

After the first couple of days of the heatwave, and the accumulation of heat, I decided to leave the upstairs windows open (but curtains mostly closed, with a small gap in the centre) to see how much of a difference it made. And interestingly, it definitely made the stifling blanket of heat considerably less oppressive as I headed up the stairs.

Admittedly, it was still very warm (and in most cases, when temperatures exceed 30°C, there's only some much you can do before you need to resort to active cooling measures like fans and air conditioning to create a cooler environment), but it didn't feel any warmer than before, when I'd had the windows closed.

And granted, if my home was oriented in a different way, and I had rooms that were naturally shaded and cool despite the heat outside, then keeping the windows closed would be essential to maintain that coolness for as long as possible. However, my home's orientation and position in a little sun trap mean that it seemingly feels the full effects of the sun from the moment it rises until it sets.

By leaving the upstairs windows open, and this may have been due to a bit more of a breeze outside, it felt like the night flushing was more effective too (although I did end up sleeping with two fans — one blowing on me, and one blowing out of the window).

While having the upstairs windows open may have been a bit of a placebo in terms of its effectiveness, managing solar gain by keeping my blackout curtains closed whenever the sun is out is still an absolute no-brainer for me. Upstairs curtains will be closed for most of the day, and I'm tactical about when I close my kitchen curtains so that I can still enjoy the daylight, but just keep the worst of the heat gain at bay.

Shop my summer gamechangers

Plug-in solar panels could be available to buy in the UK soon after the 27 August 2026, when updated legislation comes into effect.

Back in March, the Government announced that plug-in solar panels would be available 'within months', offering households across the UK a chance to offset their energy bills by generating their own electricity at home. Panels like this are already widely used across parts of Europe, and are both renter friendly and considerably more affordable than rooftop solar installations.

But in order for plug-in solar panels to legally sold in the UK, certain regulations around plugs and sockets needed to be updated to allow power generating tech, like plug-in solar panels, to be self-installed and used safely. The government consulted with industry professionals on proposed changes, saying that it wanted to move 'at pace' to bring plug-in solar panels to UK homes.

Even when the new legislation is in place, plug-in solar panels could be dangerous if connected to old or faulty wiring, so it's wise to get them checked by a qualified electrician.

Those legislative amendments have now been laid before Parliament and are due to come into force on Thursday 27 August 2026, and we expect retailers, like Lidl, Amazon, Currys and B&Q, to make their plug-in solar panels offerings available to buy on or soon after that date.

'We are working closely with government and suppliers to understand and help shape the guidance, ensuring any products we offer are safe, compliant and straightforward to install,' says Graham Bell, CEO of B&Q. 'We look forward to making plug-in solar available to our customers as soon as possible.'

There is also hope that these legislative changes are just the beginning, and will open the door for even more affordable and easy to install technology to become available to those in the UK.

'The Government's announcement is a really important step towards making solar energy available to far more people across the UK,' says Aaron James Darvill, Strategic Sales Director at Anker SOLIX. 'Until now, generating your own electricity has largely been limited to homeowners with the right roof and the budget for a full solar installation. Plug-in solar changes that. It gives renters, people living in flats and households without suitable roofs a simpler and more affordable way to get started.'

'While this is a major milestone, battery storage will be the next important step. Plug-in solar generates the most electricity during the day, but most households use the most energy in the evening. Without battery storage, consumers can't store surplus energy to use when they need it most, limiting the savings and flexibility the technology can deliver.

'Across Europe, we’ve seen that people rarely buy their final solar energy system on day one. They start small, see the benefits for themselves and then add more panels or battery storage as their needs grow. We expect the UK to follow a similar path, with battery storage playing an increasingly important role in helping households maximise the value of the energy they generate and reduce their reliance on the grid. We're also encouraged that a regulatory framework for plug-in battery storage is expected to follow, helping ensure these systems can be adopted safely and with confidence.'

If you are keen to embrace plug-in solar panels, make sure you understand how they differ to rooftop solar panels so you make the right choice for your home.

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that VAT will be cut from household electricity bills from 1 October 2026.

The move, which will see 5% VAT reduced to zero, is expected to cut around £45 from typical annual electricity bills over winter, and will be welcome news to those who already go to significant lengths to save energy at home and reduce their monthly bills.

Speaking less than 48-hours into his new role, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: 'I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that’s what I’m announcing on my second day as Prime Minister.

'We’re taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people’s pockets and bring back hope.

'Cutting VAT on electricity bills is expected to take around £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap in October.'

The reduction is set to be passed on to the millions of households in England, Wales and Scotland via their suppliers and is expected to include those on both fixed and standard variable tariffs. While some measures of energy bill relief over recent years have only been available to those in receipt of certain benefits, no such eligibility criteria has been announced for this VAT reduction.

Rules work slightly differently in Northern Ireland, but the government has said that the NI Executive will receive comparable funding to enable it to similarly support households in Northern Ireland.

While the energy price cap figure for the period between 1 October and 31 December 2026 has yet to be announced by the energy regulator Ofgem, current predictions from analysts at Cornwall Insight have the cap sitting at around £1,849 (based on the current typical domestic consumption values of 2,700 kWh per annum for electricity and 11,500 kWh per annum for gas). As a comparison, the current energy price cap is set at £1,862.

The official price cap figure for autumn will be announced on 26 August, and will be calculated using new typical domestic consumption values to reflect a fall in the average household's energy use.

Is it enough to help struggling households?

Is an average £45 annual reduction enough to help households struggling with high electricity bills? In isolation, probably not. But it's a step in the right direction to provide some relief, especially at a time when households are more likely to be using more electricity hungry appliances, like tumble dryers.

When combined with other electricity saving measures, from simply turning off vampire appliances to more involved solutions like investing in plug-in solar panels (when they become available) or a rooftop solar panel array, households can also reduce their energy consumption to lower their bills.

If you are still concerned you won't be able to pay your energy bills over the colder months, reach out to your supplier in the first instance. They will be able to help move you on to a cheaper tariff if applicable, or check your eligibility for further assistance.

On 1 July, the energy price cap went up by 13%. That means that if you aren't on a fixed tariff and are instead on your supplier's standard variable tariff, the price you pay for your energy has gone up.

While you might have already tried a few ways to save energy at home, there's only so much you can do when it comes to those appliances that you have little choice but to use. And in a heatwave, that very well be a portable air conditioner.

But how much more are you actually paying to run a portable AC in this heatwave compare to the heatwaves in May and June? I've broken down it down below for portable air conditioners and other most commonly used appliances. You can also use our new calculator below to see how much any of your appliances are costing you. All you need to know is the wattage.

Portable air conditioner: this is based on a portable AC that uses 1350W in cooling mode. Washing machine: this is based on a machine using 1.13kWh on a standard cotton 60° cycle. Dishwasher: this is based on slimline integrated model that uses 1.12kWh per quick and shine 60° cycle. Tumble dryer: this is based on an 8kg capacity, B-rated condenser tumble dryer, using 4.75kWh per full load on the standard cotton drying programme. Oven: this is based on an example 0.8kW oven. Air fryer: this is based on a 1500W basket air fryer.

To check your specific appliances that may have different wattages to those mentioned in the table above, you can use our brand new tool below.

Simply pop in the wattage of your appliance, tick whether that it's kilowatts or Watts, and if you don't know how much you pay for your energy, our tool will use the current July 2026 price cap figure. If you want to see what you were paying before the price cap increase, simply put in the figure 0.2467 when asked how much you pay for your energy. This is the price (in pounds) for a unit of electricity under the April 2026 price cap which ended on 30 June 2026.

While an extra couple of pence might not seem like a lot, add together the increase of all the appliances you use in your home, and consider how often you use them and how long for and it'll soon tot up.

And so if you're shocked by how much more you are paying now that the new price cap is in effect, there are things you can do to bring the cost down. Firstly, you could look into switching to a fixed price tariff that would reduce how much you pay for the energy you use, and protect you from further price rises for the duration of the fix (usually 12, 18 or 24 months). Use a price comparison website, like our sister brand Go.Compare, Compare the Market or Uswitch.

If you've already done that, or you can't find a suitable deal, then reducing how much energy your appliances consume is another way to lower your bills. I've tried multiple tricks so far this year to reduce my energy consumption, from not using my tumble dryer for a month, switching to a cooler washing machine cycle, or opting for a much more energy-efficient dishwasher mode.

Keeping an eye out for vampire appliances that waste energy and turning them off at the wall is another way to reduce your home's energy consumption, and as a result, your bills.

Thousands of homes in England and Wales will be eligible to receive a £9,000 grant to switch to a heat pump this summer, the Government has announced. This is an increase from the previous £7,500 grant that was available to help homes switch from fossil fuel buringing boilers.

Heat pumps are becoming a more popular heating choice due to the fact that they’re a more energy-efficient choice compared to a standard gas boiler, with lower running costs. They’re already hugely popular in countries with colder climates such as Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Heat pumps are powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels such as oil or gas, and this latest increase in the government's boiler upgrade scheme funding is to help rural households in England and Wales make the move to a heat pump and protect them from fossil fuel spikes. Here’s everything you need to know.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant

On 26 June, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced that from 21 July, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is increasing by 20%, from £7,500 to £9,000, to help rural households switch from heating oil to heat pumps.

The Government says this grant will electrify families’ heating, meaning they are protected from future fossil price spikes and providing greater certainty over energy bills. If the latest Price Cap Announcement has left you worried about your energy bills, investing in a heat pump can be a smart choice if you’re looking to make your home more energy efficient and save money in the long run.

Leaflets about the scheme will be posted to 200,00 eligible households across England and Wales this week (week commencing 29 June), providing more information on how to claim the extra funding. You can also check your eligibility via the Gov.uk website, on the Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme page.

‘This government is determined to bring down energy bills, but I know the war in the Middle East has hit households on heating oil especially hard,’ said Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey.

‘We have already taken action to support these households through confirming over £50 million in support for vulnerable customers on heating oil.

‘Now, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will help thousands of families across England and Wales switch to clean heat to protect them from volatile fossil fuels.’

‘The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to play a vital role in supporting households to adopt heat pumps, and this £1,500 uplift will make the transition significantly more affordable for the thousands of oil-heated homes,' says Charlotte Lee, CEO, Heat Pump Association UK.

‘Many of these households have faced considerable price uncertainty in recent months, without the protection of the energy price cap, and this £9,000 grant will help shield families from volatile fossil fuel costs, by using home-grown electricity, in the years ahead.’

If you’ve been considering installing a heat pump, you should check to see if you’re eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. They are an expensive investment, costing £12,500 on average according to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics. But the new increase in the grant available to certain households makes it a more affordable and accessible option.

Experts have revealed the five household appliances to switch off during a heatwave to help your home stay cool and save money on your energy bills,

If you’ve been wondering whether you should switch off appliances during summer, the answer is yes, you should. Not only do vampire devices cause your bills to add up, but many appliances emit excess heat, which is never a good thing in periods of hot weather.

Turning off household appliances you’re not using is a great, free way to cool your home. These are the five the experts say to turn off now.

1. Countertop appliances

While the best air fryers, microwaves, blenders and perhaps the viral Ninja Creami (£199.99 at Amazon), considering the weather, are great appliances to have on your countertops, they do produce unnecessary heat if not unplugged.

‘The kitchen can easily become the hottest room in the house, especially when cooking or with larger appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers running. This can become unbearable during heatwaves, so there are some small steps you can take to help reduce room temperature,’ says appliance expert at AO.com, Katie Lillywhite.

'Start with smaller worktop appliances, like microwaves, kettles, toasters and coffee machines. Some more modern varieties feature digital displays which can generate more heat alongside internal components. Switching them off at the outlet when they’re not in use can keep the space cooler.

2. Tumple dryers

You should also be avoiding your tumble dryer and drying clothes outside where possible. If you have a small garden or balcony, Argos Home’s £11 retractable line is great for small spaces.

‘Tumble dryers are among the greatest sources of indoor heat generated in UK households. Using tumble dryers produces a lot of warm air in the immediate environment, quickly making utility rooms, kitchens, and adjacent rooms very warm in no time,’ says Max Wilson, co-founder at Pocket Storage.

‘During times of heatwaves, it is worthwhile to make use of the weather and dry clothes outside whenever possible. It not only keeps your house cooler, but it also cuts back on your expenses.’

3. Standby electronics

Another big culprit for excessive heat is standby electronics. From TVs to game consoles, these all emit extra heat you don’t need during a heatwave.

‘Many people underestimate how much heat everyday electronics generate, even in standby mode. Smart TV’s, games consoles and streaming boxes continually draw power and release low-level heat which can subtly raise room temperature when combined with other appliances,’ says Katie.

‘Try to keep them unplugged when not in use on hot days, as this will not only cut energy consumption but also reduce heat that can make a room feel stuffy.’

4. Chargers and adapters

During the most recent heatwave, I was kind of worried my phone was about to explode whilst charging. It is an old model, but I couldn’t believe the heat coming off it - and experts say you should avoid leaving them plugged in when you don’t need them.

‘Mobile phone chargers, laptop chargers and adapters tend to remain connected to the wall socket at all times. If you've ever picked up an adapter that wasn't in use, only to find out that it was still hot to the touch, it's because it was still using some electricity,’ says Max.

‘As insignificant as the effect is by itself, their cumulative effects lead to energy wastage and generate unwanted heat. Unplugging them would be one way of saving some energy.’

5. Lights

Lastly, your lighting can be generating excess heat and wasting lighting. While layered lighting might be a popular lighting trend, ask yourself if you really need it during hot weather.

‘Lighting is something that is often overlooked as a means of generating unnecessary heat. Older bulbs, in particular, can give off a lot more heat when compared to LED alternatives. Be sure to keep lights switched off as much as possible throughout the day and consider swapping incandescent or halogen bulbs for LEDs,’ says Katie.

If you want to stay cool and save money, make sure you keep these appliances switched off when not in use.

Working, walking, eating, sleeping, being - it all felt rather impossible in this stifling heatwave. So, in a way to beat the heat, I’ve been trying the Alison Hammond-approved sock cooling hack, and it’s great for providing instant relief in hot weather.

I’m not one to usually complain about hot weather, but I’m not lying when I say my flat has felt like a furnace this week. It’s south-facing and stuffy, and I’ve been struggling to cool my home, even with the best cooling hacks at my fingertips.

Given that the best portable air conditioners are basically sold out everywhere, and my best fan is pretty much blowing hot air around my home, I’ve had to get creative. And that involves filling an old sock with rice and stuffing it in the freezer.

The rice and sock cooling hack

I’ve not lost my mind, I promise! But a sock filled with frozen rice has been a game-changer and is helping me stay cool this week. Simply pressing it to my wrists and neck has provided instant relief - especially when working from home.

I say it is Alison Hammond-approved because I first became aware of the hack when the presenter, who is a self-proclaimed genius at staying cool, revealed her trick during a segment on This Morning back in August 2020.

It is incredibly simple. You take a clean sock, fill it with rice and tie the end. Then pop it into your freezer for one to three hours. The result feels like an icy bean bag, which moulds easily to the contours of your body, providing instant relief.

This week, I’ve used the hack to keep me cool when working and when I’m trying to sleep. I’ve even taken to placing it on my pillow while I brush my teeth, so my pillow feels nice and cold when I lie down. Speaking to my mum, I found out she even uses this hack to help keep our elderly dog cool in hot weather.

The frozen rice is not harshly cold. Where putting an ice-pack straight to your skin can feel intense, offering a burning cold, the rice hack is far more subtle. It’s comfortable and cool from the get-go. It also feels completely dry, which surprised me. Unlike an ice pack, you don’t have to worry about water beading down your body or pooling around your home.

My main qualm is that the rice doesn’t stay as cool for as long as I’d like it to, and I find myself putting it back in the freezer around three times a day. Because of this, when payday rolls around, I will be treating myself to the Shark ChillPill (£129.99, Amazon) or the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan (£149.99, Currys), which both offer hours of powerful cooling.

Having said that, I do think the rice hack is a great, practically free way to cool down, and is a great temporary solution if you don’t have any other cooling products to hand. However, if you plan on using this hack frequently, place your sock in a ziplock bag before putting it in the freezer to maintain good hygiene.

‘If you regularly put and take out the sock with wet rice in it from the freezer, you will eventually get mould, mildew, and a terrible musty odour in your drawers. In order to make this trick fully hygienic and prevent any moisture in your sheets, you have to place the rice-filled sock in a tightly closed Ziploc bag first before freezing it. The moisture becomes blocked off completely, making sure the rice remains perfectly dry,’ says Max Wilson, co-founder at Pocket Storage.

‘Finally, make sure the fabric is right. Only use socks made of pure, thick cotton. Synthetic materials, such as nylon or polyester, cannot tolerate cold temperatures and would lead to ice burns if placed directly on your skin.’

Shop cooling appliances:

As unconventional as a sock filled with frozen rice sounds, it has genuinely helped cool me down when temperatures have soared. I will be saving this trick for the next heatwave!

Seeing that energy bills are set to increase by 13% on average from 1 July, and the temperature is starting to rise, I'm sure, like me, the cost of running any cooling appliances is on your mind. If you’re looking for cheap ways to cool a home during a heatwave, you’re in luck, as I spoke to several energy experts for their three simple hacks.

As much as I adore summer and warm weather (who doesn’t?)My flat often feels like a furnace when temperatures soar. While the best portable air conditioners are one of the best ways to stay cool, they can be expensive investments, costing hundreds of pounds for a unit.

So, if you want to cool a home on a budget and offset rising energy costs, here are three hacks you should try this heatwave.

1. Keep your curtains and blinds closed

One of the easiest (and completely free) ways to help keep your home cool is by keeping your blinds and curtains shut during the hottest parts of the day. This is because it blocks sunlight streaming into your home and increases the temperature.

‘Windows are one of the main sources of heat gain in a home. When sunlight passes through glass, it turns into heat and gets trapped inside. Closing blinds or curtains during peak sunlight hours can reduce this ‘greenhouse effect’, helping interiors stay noticeably cooler without relying on energy-intensive solutions like fans or air conditioning,’ says Yvonne Keal, product expert at Hillarys.

‘With energy prices still a concern following the latest Ofgem announcement, passive cooling methods like this are a smart way to cut costs. By keeping rooms naturally cooler, you can reduce the need for electric fans or portable air conditioning units, which can cost anywhere from 2p to over 30p per hour to run, depending on the appliance.’

Blackout blinds (such as this £14.40 option at Dunelm) and thermal curtains (£26.66 at Argos) can be particularly effective at keeping heat out. This is because they are specially designed to stop heat from escaping in winter and to stop heat from filtering into your home during summer.

2. Turn off heat generating appliances

It turns out that it’s not just sunshine making your home feel too hot. Left-in plugs can also generate excess heat. So, you should ensure you’re switching off all plugs when not in use to reduce temperature and save money on your energy bill (because vampire appliances will add to your bill even when not in use). If you’re someone who often forgets to turn off plugs, it’s worth investing in smart plugs (£29.99, Argos) so you can control your plugs from your phone.

‘Anything that plugs in and warms up, such as ovens, dishwashers, tumble dryers, gaming consoles, or even phone chargers left plugged in, can add a surprising amount of heat to a room. Try running dishwashers and washing machines early in the morning or late at night, and air-dry clothes outside or on a rack rather than using the tumble dryer,’ says Sam Carter, home heating and cooling expert (HVAC) at Appliances Direct.

‘Also, swap oven cooking for salads, cold proteins or microwave meals during the hottest part of the day. You’d be amazed at how much cooler a kitchen feels when the oven hasn’t been on. Switching to ‘no cooking’ meals costs nothing and saves energy too.’

3. Hang a damp sheet over your window

This free hack turns bedding into an air conditioner. All you need to do is hang a bed sheet, which has been dampened in cold water, over your window, and the air will cool as it passes through.

‘As the warmer air enters your home, the moisture on the sheet helps to lower the temperature, creating a cooler, more refreshing breeze. Make sure that the room is well ventilated so that the evaporated water has somewhere to escape to,’ says Ruth MacEachern, ventilation specialist at envirovent.

‘Keeping your home well-ventilated during a heatwave is key to preventing temperatures from rising too much. Small changes can have a big impact, helping to keep your home cool and manageable during warmer periods.’

Stay cool

If you're still struggling to beat the heat, a portable air conditioner really can make a world of difference. If you've been wondering if portable air conditioners are worth it, experts say they cost between 20p and 68p per hour to run, in line with the most recent Price Cap.

Remember, portable air conditioners are already selling out fast across different brands and retailers. Now is the time to buy if you want one.

Rising energy bills can cause stress for any household. Using free cooling hacks where you can will help, but you should reach out to your energy supplier for support if you're stuggling to pay your bills.

I might be a home energy expert, but that doesn't mean I'm nailing it when it comes to the most efficient use of energy in my own home.

While I've adopted loads of ways to save energy around the house, life gets busy and I sometimes cut corners on my good energy habits for the sake of making life a little bit more manageable.

But now that it's been confirmed that the energy price cap is going up by 13% in July, my attention is well and truly back on ways I might be wasting energy unnecessarily. And right off the bat, I know there's one habit I need to curb, and that's running my dishwasher before it's full.

It's the same story with washing machines and tumble dryers, if you run them before they are full, you are potentially doing more loads that you need to, and your appliance is using the same amount of energy to run the cycle for a half-load as it is a full one.

While I do know this, I hate leaving dirty dishes in the dishwasher while I wait until it's full. And sometimes, especially if I am out and about, I may not have a full dishwasher for a couple of days. If the half load is particularly soiled, I definitely don't fancy leaving that for a couple of days, getting all crusted on and smelly. Yuck.

I've often been tempted to rinse the dishes beforehand, it turns out that is one of the dishwasher mistakes that is also adding to household bills too. If that's not enough, cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch also says it's a waste of time.

So as a result, I've been running my dishwasher on half loads to clean the dirty dishes rather than leaving them sitting in there for days. Yes I could handwash them, but after doing without my dishwasher for a month, it's one luxury I don't really want to go without.

But I also know that these little energy wasting habits build up, and while they may not seem to have huge cost implications individually, add them together and you soon see a sizeable impact on energy bills. According to the Energy Saving Trust, by only running full dishwasher loads and reducing your dishwasher use by just one cycle a week can save £11 a year on your energy bills.

If I do that, and choose a more eco-friendly dishwasher setting at the same time, I could save up to £26 per year. If I go even further, and stop using my tumble dryer entirely (I use it less in summer anyway), that could save my £93 a year, and only wash my clothes on a 30°C cycle, I could save an additional £33. Totted up, that equals £152, which will go a long way to offset the £221 increase in the price cap that's coming into force in July 2026.

But if I do opt for eco cycles in my dishwasher and tumble dryer, I need to make sure my detergent is up to the challenge. I've been using some Ecover dishwasher tablets (£16.40 at Amazon) recently, which have impressed me. I also swear by Fairy Platinum Plus dishwasher tablets. For my washing machine, I've also been using the Ecover Bio Laundry Tabs which are effective at removing stains in even a 20°C wash.

However, if I went even further still and stopped using my dishwasher and tumble dryer altogether, and still washed my clothes on a cooling washing cycle, I could save £231, which more than offsets the price cap increase.

Lidl has launched an affordable solar battery in Germany, at an ideal time to help households offset rising energy prices.

The battery is designed to work with most plug-in solar panels, which are already common across parts of Europe. Neither the battery or the panels are currently available in the UK, but that could change as the government announced plans to upgrade grid codes and wiring rules to allow plug-in solar panels and connected batteries to be used safely.

This tech could be available in the UK in months, which is fortuitous timing given that Ofgem has just announced that the energy price cap will be rising by 13% in July.

By teaming a plug-in solar panel with a battery, you could store energy that you don't use in real time and use it later. This could reduce the amount of energy you need to buy from the grid and lower energy bills as a result.

According to PV Magazine, Lidl's newest solar offering is a 2.24kWh battery, with a 1,000W input and 800W output and is compatible with most plug-in solar panel systems. The battery unit measures 31cm × 17cm × 350cm and weighs approximately 19.8kgs. In terms of price, the Lidl battery costs €299, which is about £260, and there is an app-controlled version that Lidl is also selling for €399 (roughly £345). Those who buy the battery will need to buy the plug-in solar panels and microinverter separately.

While the cost of traditional rooftop solar panel installations can be completely unaffordable for many, plug-in solar options, including those with a solar battery, can be a lot more affordable. But, while both rooftop and plug-in solutions both harness the sun's energy and turn it into usable electricity in your home, there are stark differences between the two set-ups that you should be aware of before you choose one over the other.

If plug-in solar is the right option for you, you'll have to wait a little while longer before you can set it up in your home. There's not yet been confirmation as to when households will be able to buy plug-in solar panels in the UK, and until they are on sale, the associated solar batteries won't be seen on shelves either. While you wait, you could always invest in a portable solar panel and power bank, like the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2+ 100W Solar Panel Portable Power Station (£549 at Amazon).

The weather might be warming up and, like me, many households have switched off their heating, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about your energy bills over the warmer months.

With energy prices predicted to rise in July due to tensions in the Middle East, it’s still just as important as ever to take steps to save energy around the home.

Fortunately, this process doesn’t have to be difficult or involve complicated tasks. In fact, I recently made it my mission to carry out some quick 10-minute fixes around my home to see how much I could save on my bills, and I think they'll work for you too.

1. Swapping to LED bulbs

First up, I decided to ensure all the light bulbs in my home were switched to long, lasting energy-efficient LED bulbs. Having noticed that some of the old bulbs were emitting a lot of heat, I knew that switching to LED bulbs would have several benefits.

‘Traditional halogen and incandescent bulbs need replacing more often and use up to five times more electricity than low-energy alternatives, which means they often cost more to run long-term,’ says energy expert Ben Gallizzi from Uswitch.

‘By replacing every bulb in your home with LEDs of the same brightness, you could save around £40 a year on your electricity bill.’

It was really quick and easy to do and while the savings aren’t massive, it’s pretty decent for a small switch.

2. Switching appliances off at the wall

While there are a few counter-top kitchen appliances you should never leave on standby, there are plenty of other vampire devices that will be unnecessarily sucking energy from your home.

And so making sure no appliances were left on standby mode was another task of mine. It only takes a few minutes to check that all appliances are switched off at the wall.

I tend to do this at the end of the day or if I am going out. It’s surprising how many of my family members leave things on standby!

According to the Energy Saving Trust, this simple task can save around £45 a year.

3. Draught-proofing the windows

My bedroom windows tend to let cold air in through the cracks. However, by investing in some draught-proofing tape (foam strips), £4 from Amazon, I’ve managed to seal up those cracks to keep the room warmer, which is particularly important while the nights are still cool!

This job was a little more fiddly than some, but it certainly wasn’t difficult. The Energy Saving Trust reckons that draught proofing doors and windows should save up to £85 a year. For me, that’s less likely as it’s only two windows but even a saving of £10 a year would help.

4. Filling up the washing machine

In the past I have been guilty of sticking on the washing machine even when it’s not full, just to get a few items of clothing clean. But no more! From now on, the washing machine always has a full load before I switch it on.

‘Running one full load instead of two half-loads can roughly cut the energy and water usage in half for that amount of laundry,’ says Matthew Glynn, appliance expert at Hisense.

‘However, overloading your washing machine means your items won’t be properly cleaned, so always aim to load your washing machine to the point there is roughly a "hand's span" of space at the top of the drum, allowing clothes to move freely through a wash cycle.’

Washing one less load per week and turning the temperature down to 30°C instead of 40°C can save around £27 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

5. Hanging the washing outside more often

Finer weather means it’s now much easier to get my washing out on the line rather than relying on the tumble dryer or one of the best heated airers to dry clothes.

Admittedly it takes a little more time to get it all outside, rather than tossing it into the dryer. But doing so can bring savings of around £50 a year, so it’s definitely worth it. Plus it has the added bonus of making my washing smell fresher.

6. Using the eco setting on the dishwasher

I have also made the switch to using the eco setting on my dishwasher for most cycles. The cycle takes a bit longer but it still gets the dishes clean and it’s saving me around £35 a year for minimal effort. I’m saving on water too, so it’s a double win.

How much will I save on my energy bills with these changes?

On their own, the energy savings I am making aren’t huge, but when you add them together, it works out to be a saving of around £207 a year. That’s pretty impressive when these tasks haven’t taken me long or negatively affected my lifestyle in any way — in fact, many have come with added benefits.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a creature of habit. And that extends into all areas of my life, from where I go on holiday and my outfit choices, all the way to the settings I tend to use on my washing machine and dishwasher.

While many of these habits offer no negative outcome, that may not be the case when it comes to my appliances. After all, different settings use different amounts of energy, and using the wrong one (or not using the right one) means wasting energy unnecessarily. Definitely not a desirable result considering energy prices are likely to rise in the summer as the impact of current world events manifests in the energy price cap.

So I'm trying to be more mindful about how I use my most energy hungry appliances. I went a month without using my dishwasher (which I'm not sure I can stick with long term), which meant it was more important that ever to be more mindful of the settings I was using. And I noticed there was one setting that I never used, but that could actually be a much more energy efficient setting.

The dishwasher setting I always skipped and why

My dishwasher has six different settings, and I usually gravitate towards either the Eco, Intensive or Quick & Shine options depending on how dirty the dishes are and how quickly I want them washed. But if energy bills are going to go up, I also want to make sure I can save energy at home where I can.

I regularly use the Eco setting, which runs at 50°C (10-20°C cooler that the Quick & Shine or Intensive cycles), but takes much longer. Eco takes a whopping 239 minutes, while the Intensive cycle takes a sizeable 164, and the Quick & Shine takes a very speedy 58 minutes.

But in all the years I've had the dishwasher, I have never once used the Mini setting, which runs at 35°C and takes just 30 minutes. I'd always assumed that a Mini wash would either be much more energy intensive than the Eco setting, or nowhere near as effective as one of the other cycles.

But was I right or had I been missing out? I put it to the test. Logic tells me that a quick and low temperature dishwasher cycle is never going to be enough to clean heavily soiled dishes from the likes of oven bakes or roasts. Instead I tried it with light-medium soiled dishes from breakfast and lunch to see how it fared. And honestly, I could see no discernable difference between results from the Eco and Mini cycles.

And so I tried it with slightly more soiled dishes and saw no real difference in outcome between the the Mini and Quick & Shine cycles. I will caveat that by saying that the results may also be down to the detergent I used, which is designed to be effective at lower temperatures. I used Ecover's All-in-One Power dishwasher tablets, (£8.50 at Amazon).

Have I been wasting energy?

While the Eco setting is, unsurprisingly, the most energy efficient cycle my dishwasher has — using 0.73kWh of energy each wash, which equates to 18p per cycle. While that's the most cost effective cycle, sometimes the duration of the programme (almost 4 hours) is off-putting.

Because of that, I do use the Quick & Shine cycle when I want dishes cleaned quickly. While that setting is 3 hours quicker, it runs hotter, which means it uses more energy. Each Quick & Shine cycle uses 1.12kWh of energy, which based on current energy prices, costs just under 28p per cycle.

When I use the Intensive programme, it uses 1.25kWh and costs just under 31p each time.

In comparison, the Mini cycle uses only slightly more energy than the Eco setting (0.74kWh), despite taking 209 minutes less. In cost terms, there is about a quarter of a penny difference between the Eco and Mini cycles. While the Eco and Mini cycles are on par with each other in terms of energy usage, the difference in duration makes the Mini programme all the more appealing.

However, in my desire for speedy dishwashing, there's a 10p difference in the cost of running the Quick & Shine cycle versus the Mini programme. That might not sound like much, but if I swapped using the Quick & Shine setting three times a week for the Mini setting, over the course of a year, I would save more than £15 on my energy bills.

And saving £15 with no real difference in the cleanliness of my dishes feels like a no-brainer for me! That said, I will still use the Intensive cycle when the dishes earn it.

Add this to washing my clothes on a cooler cycle, and I could significantly reduce how much energy I was wasting.

As someone who writes about saving energy for a living, I love setting myself little challenges to see if I can use less energy around my own home.

I've already tackled two of my most used and energy-hungry appliances — I went without my tumble dryer for a month, and then followed suit by switching from using my dishwasher to handwashing for the same amount of time.

Next energy-guzzler on my list? My washing machine. While I definitely cannot do without using my washing machine at all for a month, I did switch from my go-to cycles to a cooler wash for 4 weeks to see how much energy I could save, and importantly whether my clothes came out as clean.

Which washing machine cycles did I stop using?

I tend to use my washing machine 3-4 times a week, and tend to use either a 40° or 60° wash depending on what what I'm washing and how dirty it is (I'm regularly in woods and fields with my dog, who loves to greet me enthusiastically when incredibly muddy).

Over a normal four week period, this is how much energy I'd be using according to my washing machine's instruction manual, and how much it's costing based on the April 2026 price cap of 24.67p/kWh for a unit of electricity.

Totting this up, my washing machine costs £3.94 to run over a four week period, which adds up to £51.22 a year.

But according to E.ON, around 90% of the energy used by a washing machine goes to heating the water, so its safe to say that I could reduce energy wastage and save money on my energy bills by switching to a cooler washing cycle.

How much did I save by switching to a cooler wash?

Instead of using my normal washing cycles, I used my washing machine's Push & Wash cycle, which is describes as being ideal for cotton and synthetic fabrics. It washes at a temperature of 30° with a maximum spin speed 14% less than the cycles I normally use (1200rpm rather than 1400rpm).

This cycle uses 0.35kWh per use according to my smart meter. Used 16 times over a four-week period, this tots up to £1.38 based on current energy prices, £2.56 cheaper than the cycles I was using previously.

Over a year, using only that cooler cycle would cost £17.94, £33.28 (65%) cheaper than the annual cost of the hotter cycles.

Did my clothes come out as clean?

A big concern for many people around switching to a cooler washing cycle, is that laundry won't be cleaned effectively.

Fortunately, more and more detergents are available that work on cleaning clothes on washes as cool as 20°, like Ecover's laundry capsules (£8 from Amazon), that I used.

I've not seen a noticeable difference in how clean my clothes are when they come out of a cooler wash. They smell and feel nice, and any marks are gone. I did use both a bio version of the detergent, which uses enzymes to help break down any stains, as well as a non-bio version, and both seemed effective.

I will say though, that apart from some mud stains, I wasn't dealing with any heavily soiled laundry loads during my experiment. I also don't live in a household with any one who was poorly or works in a healthcare environment, where there is benefit to washing at higher temperatures in order to get rid of any nasty germs.

There's been a lot of buzz around plug-in solar panels but how do they actually compare with more conventional panels on all the things that matter, like price, installation and their impact on energy bills?

With plug-in solar panels soon to be available in the UK amidst a government drive to lower energy bills, this energy-saving technology is becoming more readily available and affordable than ever before.

However there are fundamental differences in how plug-in solar panels work and the savings that can be achieved compared to traditional panels. And it's worth having a handle on how these systems differ before you commit to one.

How do plug-in solar panels compare to traditional solar panels?

Solar panels are available in different types and configurations, with plug-in models soon to hit the UK (following huge popularity in other parts of Europe). But while they all work by capturing the sun's rays and turning them into energy to be used around the home, there are significant differences.

Purchase price

Although plug-in panel kits are not yet available, it's expected that they will have a considerably smaller price tag than rooftop solar panels.

'A full plug-in kit is expected to cost around £400 to £500 and will be available in a range of shops, including Lidl and John Lewis,' explains George Penny, solar panel and energy expert at The Solar Co.

On the other hand, a full rooftop installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels starts at around £5,000-7,000. Including a solar battery and any bird deterrents could add to the cost.

Installation

A huge difference between solar PV and plug-in solar panels is the installation process.

'Traditional solar panels are professionally installed on a roof, connected to an inverter and often paired with battery storage,' explains Charlie Findlay, Managing Director at Mole Energy. 'Plug‑in panels are much smaller, usually 1–2 panels rather than a full array and are designed to be quicker to install with minimal disruption. They don’t replace a full solar installation, but they can offer a simpler entry point into generating your own renewable energy.'

As well as being installed at height, traditional panels are hardwired into your home's electric, both of which should be tackled by a qualified professional. On the other hand, plug-in solar panels are designed to be mounted on fences, sheds or balconies instead and can be plugged into one of your home's electrical sockets, which means they can be installed on a DIY basis for free. However, if your home has old or faulty wiring, then plug-in solar panels could be dangerous, in which case it's a good idea to get your electrics checked by a qualified electrician first.

Energy generating capacity

While the purchase price and easy installation of a plug-in solar panel kit will be hugely appealing to many, it's worth managing your expectations as to how much electricity it can generate.

'A 400W plug-in panel in a reasonably sunny spot might generate around 300–350 kWh per year,' explains John Collett, Director at Quantum Renewables. 'It won't transform your bills the way a full 4kW rooftop system can,' he says, 'but with a payback period as short as four to five years, for renters in particular it's a compelling option that simply hasn't existed before.'

Impact on energy bills

With such a difference in how much electricity plug-in solar panels can generate compared to their PV counterparts, there is also understandably a big variation in how much you can reduce your energy bills by.

'In terms of savings, the government estimates a typical household could knock between £70 and £110 off their annual electricity bill,' says George Penny of plug-in solar panels. 'That works out to a payback period of about four to five years, after which the power you generate is essentially free for the next 15 years or more.

'With savings of £110 per year, this would essentially mean that after an initial £400 outlay, plug-in solar panels could save consumers £1,250 on their energy bills over a 15 year period.'

However if you are a homeowner looking for more substantial savings, conventional solar panels may be a more suitable route. 'A full rooftop system saves you more, with a typical 3-bed house with 10 panels and a battery saving up to £1,700 a year, but you’ll face a longer period of time to break even on that much bigger upfront spend,' adds George. 'For those that are renting or someone in a flat without direct access to, or ownership of, their roof, saving a hundred quid a year on a £400 outlay is a perfectly decent return, especially when you can take the whole system with you when you move.'

FAQs

With the threat of rising energy prices looming, taking steps to reduce how much energy you need to buy from the grid now could help you better deal with price rises down the line.

While reducing energy wastage around the home is always a good idea, another option is to generate more of your own electricity at home with solar panels. But solar panels can be hugely expensive to install and aren't suitable for those who live in flats or rental properties.

However, with the news that plug-in solar panels could be available in shops and supermarkets within months, harnessing solar power to reduce your energy bills is set to become easier and more affordable than ever before. That's why it's worth understanding how this tech actually works to see if it could be the right option for your home. I asked the experts exactly what plug-in solar panels were, how they work, and how they differ from solar panels.

What are plug-in solar panels?

While all types of solar panels will take energy from the sun and convert it into electricity for your home, more traditional panels will need to be hardwired into your home's electrics, which will need to be done by an electrician. Plug-in solar panels, on the other hand and as the name suggests, don't need to be hardwired and can instead be plugged straight into a socket.

'Plug-in solar panels are compact, self-install kits that connect directly to a normal wall socket, rather than hardwiring them into your home’s electrics,' explains George Penny, Solar Panel and Energy Expert at The Solar Co. 'They can be thought of as the entry-level version of solar, typically just one or two panels with a microinverter that turns the sun’s energy into usable power for your kettle or TV.'

Kits will 'typically include one or two panels, a micro-inverter to convert DC to AC power, and a plug that feeds electricity straight into your home's circuit,' adds John Collett, Director at Quantum Renewables. 'They're already hugely popular in Germany and the Netherlands, and the UK is now catching up.'

By using a plug-in solar panel, you will be able to generate some of your own electricity, and reduce how much you need to buy from the grid, bringing down your monthly energy bills.

How do plug-in solar panels actually work?

Unlike more traditional solar panels, which are designed to sit on your roof, plug-in solar panels can instead be installed on balconies, fences, garden sheds or external walls. For maximum benefits, you'd ideally install them on a south-facing structure. Once placed, they simply need to be plugged into one of your home's plug-sockets (either an indoor socket or a weatherproofed external outlet).

Once set up, the solar panels will capture sunlight and convert it into a direct current (DC). But in order to use the power through your home's sockets, the direct current will need to be converted into an alternating current (AC). This is where the microinverter comes in.

'When the panels generate electricity, that power is fed straight into the home and used by appliances running at the time, helping to reduce the amount of electricity drawn from the grid,' adds Charlie Findlay, Managing Director at Mole Energy.

There may also be ways to store the energy they generate, if European set ups are anything to go by. In Germany, Lidl recently launches a solar battery to work with plug-in solar panels, so there is a chance this kind of tech may soon be available in the UK too.

How are plug-in solar panels different from traditional solar panels?

While plug-in and more traditional solar panels both convert energy from the sun into electrical power to be used in the home, there are some sizable differences.

Upfront costs and installation

Traditional solar panels can cost thousands upfront to buy and have professionally installed which prevents them from being a feasible option for many. Plug-in solar panels, however, are likely to be much more affordable, costing hundreds rather than thousands.

The costs and complexities associated with solar panel installation are also removed with a plug-in solar kit, which can be set up on a DIY basis. 'The big difference from a conventional rooftop system is that there's no scaffolding, no structural work, no MCS-certified installer required, and no grid connection paperwork, explains John Collett. 'You buy a kit, attach the panel to a balcony railing, south-facing wall, or flat roof edge, plug it in, and it immediately starts reducing what you draw from the grid. They make solar accessible in a way it simply hasn't been before.'

How much energy they generate

Another huge difference between a conventional solar panel system and plug-in solar panels is how much electricity they generate.

'A standard rooftop solar installation is hard-wired, professionally designed around your property, and can generate several thousand kilowatt-hours a year,' explains Kian Milroy, Renewables Electrical Engineer at Heatable. 'Plug-in solar is much smaller, probably under 800W, and it's designed to chip away at your background daytime electricity use rather than power a whole home. Think fridges, routers, devices you leave running during the day.'

Charlie Findlay adds: 'They don’t replace a full solar installation, but they can offer a simpler entry point into generating your own renewable energy.'

How much you can save on your energy bills

If you want a sizeable reduction in your electricity bills, it's unlikely that you will achieve that with a plug-in solar panel kit. Instead a more traditional set up, including more panels and a solar battery, may be better suited.

Plug-in solar panels are much more likely to offer a smaller reduction in bills by reducing how much electricity you buy from the grid.

Who are plug-in solar panels best suited to?

While plug-in solar panels won't suit every home, they do provide the ideal solar solution for some circumstances and properties.

These include:

• Renters who don't want to make permanent changes to a property
• Those who live in flats or apartments with balconies
• Those with tight budgets could benefit from some savings by using plug-in solar panels
• Those who want to try out solar before committing to a permanent installation.

Can UK homes use plug-in solar panels yet?

While you might be seeing news about plug-in solar panels all over the place, there are some rule changes that need to happen before you can install a plug-in solar panel kit at home.

'The government announced in March 2026 that it plans to update the grid code and wiring rules so sub-800W systems can plug into a normal domestic socket without needing an electrician, but those changes haven't formally come into effect yet,' explains Kian Milroy. 'Products could be on shelves within months once the safety standards are signed off.'

However, plug-in solar panels could pose a danger if connected to old or faulty electrics.

'If a property has older electrics, it's genuinely worth getting a qualified electrician to check the wiring before buying anything, even once the legislation lands,' adds Kian. 'The government's direction of travel is clear, but buying before the framework is in place is a risk people should understand.'

The updated legislation will come in to force on 27 August 2026, with the panels expected to be available for sale soon after.

While you wait for plug-in panels to become available, you could try a portable solar panel, like this one from Argos (£59), to use sunlight to charge your devices.

Be honest. Do you turn your counter-top kitchen appliances off when you're not using them?

Like many people, I like to think I'm pretty good at saving energy at home. I've dealt with draughts, use radiator reflectors and I'm meticulous at turning lights off when I leave a room.

However, I've got to admit I am terrible at turning my kettle, microwave and air fryer off at the wall when I'm not using them. And according to the Energy Saving Trust, I'm wasting £45 a year on my energy bills by leaving appliances on standby instead of turning them off properly.

In a bid to form some habits that people with consistently low energy bills have, I asked the experts about the vampire appliances that sit on kitchen counters that should be turned off when not in use.

1. Kettle

'Your kettle is the biggest energy consumer when it comes to counter-top kitchen appliances, costing £105.45 per year based on average usage,' says energy expert Ben Gallizzi from Uswitch. 'Bad habits drive these costs up even more, with 68% of households admitting to boiling more water in the kettle than needed, costing an extra £38 a year on energy bills. Almost three quarters (72%) also reboil the kettle when forgetting to use the water the first time, adding £56 annually.'

I do my best to only boil the water I need in order to use my kettle in the most energy efficient way, but I never think to turn it off at the wall when I'm done.

Even if I upgraded to one of the best kettles around, if I don't unplug the kettle when it's not in use, I'm wasting energy and paying more on my energy bills than I need to. According to data from Electric Radiators Direct, leaving your kettle in stand by mode will cost an additional 41p per month, or £4.97 a year.*

2. Air fryer

Air fryers are hugely popular with those looking to embrace a more energy-efficient way of cooking. I've been using mine on a regular basis for the last six years, but while I love that an air fryer is cheaper to run than an oven, I don't love the idea of how much energy I'm wasting by leaving it on standby mode.

According to Electric Radiators Direct's data, leaving my air fryer plugged in when not in use is costing me around 32p a month, or £3.89 a year.*

3. Slow cooker

Similar to air fryers, slow cookers are another counter-top culprit for wasting energy when they're not actively being used, also costing 32p a month just in standby mode, or £3.89 a year.

'Putting something into standby mode is not the same as totally switching off a device or unplugging it. You’re only really putting the device to sleep,' says energy efficiency expert Stephen Hankinson from Electric Radiators Direct.

'This means that it will be drawing out some electricity in the background, which is where the phrase ‘vampire device’ comes from.  

'It sounds so simple but switching your appliances off at the wall really is the best way to ensure you’re not spending your hard-earned income on keeping things in standby mode.'

4. Microwave

My microwave has a digital display, which means it's constantly using energy 24/7, regardless of whether I am cooking or not. And considering my oven also has a digital display and I wear a watch, realistically, I don't need to be able to tell the time from three different sources every time I step into the kitchen.

So I'm definitely going to start turning my microwave off at the wall. By doing so, I'll save myself 40p per month in unnecessary energy use, or £4.75 a year*.

5. Coffee machine

Now I'm not a coffee-drinker myself, but I do understand how investing in one of the best coffee machines is a great way to kick your coffee shop habit in favour of something more cost effective.

But while you might be saving on your daily beverages, leaving your coffee machine plugged in when you're not using will eat into those savings you are making — 16p a month, or £1.97 a year*.

This might not seem like much in isolation, but when you add it together with other appliances you might also be leaving plugged in, and beyond the kitchen, it quickly tots up to a more significant amount of money you are paying in wasted energy.

What can happen if you don't switch off these kitchen appliances?

While leaving these appliances switched on at the plug uses energy unnecessarily, it could pose further risks to your appliances and your safety.

'Turning appliances off standby will help protect your equipment in case of a power surge, which can occur after a storm or power cut,' explains Ben Gallizzi. 'Surges can damage electronics, so taking the time to turn them off standby can help avoid costly repairs in the long-run.

'There is also a key safety element to turning kitchen appliances off standby. While the risk is small, electrical faults can occur and cause house fires. While it may not be essential for everyday use, if you’re going away for extended periods, it’s worth unplugging countertop appliances like kettles, toasters, coffee machines.'

How to turn off your appliances

In many cases, switching off your appliances will be as simple as flicking the switch on your plug socket and pulling the plug out of the wall.

However, not all plug sockets are easy to reach on a regular basis. In which case using a smart plug, like the Tapo P100 (4-pack, £27.20 from Amazon) may be a better solution. This is also an option if, like me, you know you will forget to turn them off.

*based on data from Electric Radiators Direct and an average electricity price of 27p/kWh.

With four of us in the house, the dishwasher is often in use. Between juggling work and after school clubs, meal times can sometimes feel rushed, so we end up resorting to using the dishwasher at least five times a week.

The good news is that dishwashers are actually more eco-friendly than handwashing dishes. So I'm already part way there!

However, as energy bills have remained high over the past few years, it has been my mission to find new ways to save energy around the home, which will have a positive effect on our energy bills. Better still, if they are quick 10-minute energy fixes. And that’s meant doing a bit of research around the settings on our dishwasher to see which is most energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective.

Why I switched from the standard to the eco setting on my dishwasher

Around a month ago, I made the switch to using the eco setting on our dishwasher in a bid to save energy.

The eco setting on my particular Hisense dishwasher takes around 1 hour 10 minutes longer than the standard setting, and a total of 3 hours 41 minutes. So it’s natural to assume that the eco setting would use more energy than the standard.

However, after doing some research I realised that because the eco cycle washes dishes at a lower temperature — often around 45° to 55°C instead of 60° to 70°C — it actually uses less energy. And as a result, making the switch to eco is an easy way to lower energy bills.

‘Although the run time can be a lot longer, it is estimated that this setting could reduce your water usage by up to 25% and electricity usage by 33% (based on 260 cycles in one year) due to pumps running for longer instead of heaters,’ says Natasha Payne, heated laundry and dishwasher expert at AO.

‘The biggest bonus of all, is that the total average savings for UK households can amount anywhere between £20 – £50 per year if they regularly use eco mode.’

Do my dishes still come out clean?

Initially I was concerned that the lower temperature might mean the dishes weren’t as clean as before. But so far that has not been the case.

When using the eco cycle, dishes are soaked and rinsed for longer which means dried-on food softens and breaks down before being washed away.

Modern dishwasher detergents are designed to work as effectively in lower temperatures too, using enzymes that target grease, starch and proteins. These enzymes actually work best over longer contact times, which is why eco cycles can still deliver a thorough clean.

Having said that, there are limits to the eco cycle, and a hotter wash is still recommended in certain situations.

For instance, I still use a hotter cycle for items such as roasting trays with heavily baked-on grease, as the hotter, more intensive cycle fully breaks down the fat. For health reasons, it’s also safer to use a higher temperature wash for items such as kitchen chopping boards or utensils that have been in contact with raw meat.

But for general, everyday cooking and normally soiled dishes, for me, the eco setting works just fine.

What impact has it had on my energy bills?

As yet, switching to the eco cycle hasn’t had a huge effect on my energy bills, but that’s because the daily and weekly savings aren’t particularly noticeable. However, over time, the savings should build up.

The eco cycle on my dishwasher uses 0.87kWh of energy. At my current electricity rate of 25.40p per kWh, this works out to be around 22p per cycle, or £1.11 a week if I run it five times.

The standard setting uses more energy, up to 1.4kWh per cycle, depending on factors such as the room temperature and load size. This works out to be around 35.6p a cycle, or £1.78 a week.

That’s a difference of around 67p a week, or around £35 a year, simply by switching between eco and standard settings. So overall, it’s a pretty decent saving for no extra work.

A further benefit of using the eco cycle is the amount of water I save. The eco setting uses 11 litres of water per cycle, while the standard setting can use up to 20.5 litres per cycle. And with that fact that water bills have just gone up, that’s another saving I will happily make.

As someone who writes about saving energy for a living, I like to think I'm pretty good at practising what I preach. But when life gets busy, it's all too easy for measures to reduce my energy bills to get pushed further and further down the to-do list.

While I've rectified the energy-wasting decor mistakes I've been making for years, I know there is always more I could be doing to save energy at home.

And there's one thing I've been putting off for ages, and I'm horrified to discover that over the course of a year, it's been costing me £100s in wasted energy. The one thing? Draught proofing.

How much could I save by draught proofing my home?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, draught proofing around doors, windows and floors could save around £85 a year on energy bills, while draught-proofing an open chimney (obviously while the fire is not in use) can save an additional £60 a year.

Addressing draughts can also mean your home is more comfortable at a lower temperature, so you could also save around £90 a year just by turning the thermostat down a single degree.

That all tots up to a whopping £235 a year spent on wasted energy.

I'm fortunate that my floors and windows aren't really an issue, but I have definitely spotted gaps around my front door (near to where my thermostat is) that could have contributed to higher-than-necessary energy bills over winter. While I don't have a traditional chimney, there is a flue from my capped-off fireplace that whistles on a windy day, suggesting a draught.

And the good news is that in my case, resolving these problems is easy and inexpensive. I'll just need some draught excluder tape for around the door (£5.99 from Amazon) and a magnetic fireplace draught blocker (£11.63, Amazon).

However, older houses with more significant issues with draughts may need more extensive draught proofing with the help of a professional. It's also important not to draught-proof to the point of negatively impacting effective ventilation, which is key for a healthy home and moisture control.

For me, now feels like the ideal time to tackle these issues. While many people wait until the winter to address their draughtproofing needs in order to keep the heat in, I want to get it sorted now to help keep the heat out in summer. Every little bit will help reduce the need to resort to energy-hungry air conditioning!

I'm not ashamed to say that I love my dishwasher and it's easily one of the most used appliances in my home.

But with energy prices potentially going up in the summer, I do want to make some easy changes now that may mean saving energy, and therefore lowering my energy bills, down the line. Plus I write about how to save energy at home for a living, so I do like to practice what I preach, like not using my tumble dryer for a month to see how much I could save.

And so I challenged myself to forgo using my dishwasher for the entire month of March and instead resort to handwashing all of my dishes. While I started off well, and undoubtedly saved myself some money in the process, by the end of the month I was definitely counting down the days until I could use my dishwasher again.

This is why.

How much money did I save by not using my dishwasher?

Switching to hand washing instead of using my dishwasher saved me just under £9 over the course of March. For a bit of context, I have a Beko DIS16R10 integrated dishwasher that I tend to use on average eight times per week. I work from home, so I have dirty crockery and cutlery from breakfast, lunch and dinner, and like to put the dishwasher on each evening. Depending on how much needs cleaning, and whether I've been entertaining, I may run it more often or if I don't have a full load, I'll hold off until the next day.

Over the course of the week, I'll use either the Eco setting, Quick & Shine or Intensive mode depending on how dirty the dishes are. For the sake of working out how much energy I saved by not using my dishwasher, my best estimate is that I use the intensive setting twice a week, and the other two modes three times a week each.

According to the instruction manual for my dishwasher, this is how much energy each of the programmes uses, and how much each cycle costs based on the April 2026 energy price cap for electricity (which is 24.67p per kWh):

And so each week, with three Eco programmes, three Quick & Shines, and two Intensive, my dishwasher costs £2 to run, and over the course of the month of March, that adds up to around £8.86 per month. Over the course of a year, that tots up to more than £106.

Was the saving worth it?

While the thought of saving more than £100 on my energy bills over the course of the year is definitely appealing, the reality of switching to handwashing completely, for me, is not.

Firstly, ever since childhood, I have had a bizarre aversion to certain kinds of foam which extends to things like bubbles from washing up liquid. And that meant I hated every second of actually doing the washing up (but I'm a grown up, so I persisted).

Secondly, combine that aversion with a lack of motivation especially after a particularly yummy and filling dinner (where I'd seemingly used every single pan and pot I own) and I'd quickly find myself with a stack of dirty dishes on the side, which I hated. If I got distracted after entertaining friends of family, I'd go into the kitchen just before bed and be faced with the dreaded stack, and then feel like I wouldn't be able to sleep properly until I'd scrubbed my way through it.

Frankly, I'd willingly pay £9 a month to avoid that.

Thirdly, I felt like I was washing up all the time. Even with a brilliant Scrub Mommy sponge (£7.49 for two at Amazon) in tow, Fairy Skip the Soak Power Spray (3.86, Amazon) at hand and a brand new pair of washing up gloves (£2.85, Amazon) to keep my bubble ick at bay, I very quickly got sick of even more washing up stacking up.

Lastly, the dishwasher was right there. I'd gone to the expense of buying and installing the dishwasher and it seemed like a waste not to use it. And on those nights where there was a mountain of stuff to be tackled and a severe dip in my enthusiasm, I was definitely tempted to use it 'just once'.

While I'd stuck to the challenge I'd set myself, I don't think this is an energy-saving measure I would adopt long-term. Plus, there's the cost of water to consider. When comparing the water cost of running a dishwasher to handwashing, dishwashers actually come out cheaper.

I could actually be more energy efficient when it comes to the setting I use when I do need to run the dishwasher. I've recently realised the cycle I never use could actually be the key to lower energy usage.

However, if the dishwasher was costing significantly more per month to use, then it's highly likely I'd feel differently, and the potential cost saving would massively outweigh the inconvenience of handwashing.

I've been doing my best over the last three years to improve the energy efficiency of my home. But while I've tackled some big jobs like replacing my conservatory roof for something insulated and swapping my old boiler for a newer, more efficient model, I know I'm making some mistakes when it comes to my home decor choices that are not doing me any favours when it comes to my energy bills.

As someone who writes about how to save energy at home for a living, I do my best to share all the changes and habits to adopt to become a person with consistently low energy bills.

But as a homeowner myself, I also understand that embracing some of these tips can require paying for things upfront or making lifestyle changes that can both take time. So I do my best to change what I can when I can, especially if they don't cost anything.

And now it's time to address these decor mistakes that have been making my home feel colder, which means I've been tempted to put the heating on for another hour.

1. I have thin curtains in some rooms

I've opted for blackout curtains, like these from £15 at Dunelm, in the master bedroom and living room, and highly rate their ability to keep my home a comfortable temperature, meaning I am less likely to resort to an extra hour on the heating in winter (especially when I follow Martin Lewis' 4pm rule), or using my air con for longer than necessary in the summer.

However, I haven't got blackout or thermal curtains or blinds in any other room, which feels like a mistake. According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, around 18% of heat loss occurs through windows. While having any sort of curtain up will help, my thin curtains didn't feel like they were doing much to help over winter and I potentially missed an opportunity to turn my thermostat down a degree and save around £90 a year on my energy bills (according to the Energy Saving Trust). And with summer fast approaching, I know they won't do much to keep the heat out, which means I'll likely have fans or my air con running longer than I perhaps need to.

2. I don't have many rugs

Next up is rugs. While I have a rug in the hallway and one in the living room (that I've actually decided is too small), the fact that I have hard flooring on the entire ground floor of my home, including my home office and kitchen diner, which could be contributing to wasted energy.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, 10-20% of heat is lost through the floor. While I'm fortunately to not be in an old house with suspended timber floors where this heat loss can be most noticeable, the reality is that walking around my home on the hard floor can make me feel cold. And that feeling means I'm all too tempted to turn on my electric heater, or stick the heating on for an extra hour.

To put a price to that, let's say I used an electric heater, like our top rated Morphy Richards HeatFlux Ultra Thin 2kW Ceramic Tower Fan Heater, to boost the heat in my home for an hour every day for the six months between 1 October and 31 March. Based on current energy prices under the April 2026 energy price cap, the cost of running the electric heater would be £89.80.

If I, instead put my central heating (powered by a 24kW boiler) on for an additional hour a day, that would cost about £1.38 per day, and would tot up to £250.72 over the course of the six colder months.

While some homes will need proper floor insulation to solve their cold floor issues, for me, it's much more of a case of either wearing slippers, (I have these £21 slippers from Next that do the job), whenever I'm walking round, or investing in a couple of additional rugs or runners.

3. I leave blinds slightly closed on sunny days

While 2026 has had a very soggy start to the year, the sun is starting to make a regular appearance. And this is definitely an area where I'm missing a trick for lower energy bills.

I've got sensitive eyes, so I regularly tilt my blinds or partially close the curtain in the room I'm in if it's too bright. I also hang things in the windows in a couple of rooms in my home. But that means I could be missing out on one of the major benefits of solar gain — free heat. This again could mean I use my heating or an electric heater for a blast of heat during the day when I potentially don't need to. Even if we only had sunny days for a third of the time between 1 October and 31 March, I could potentially save around £90 by reducing the thermostat by a single degree, up to £250 by not using my central heating for an hour at lunchtime each day.

Instead, I'm going to move into a different room if the sunlight gets a bit too bright and leave the curtains open to benefit from as much solar gain as I can until temperatures are regularly in the high teens. Once temperatures start rising further, I will start strategically closing the curtains at different times of the day to keep my home as cool as possible.

I'm also going to find an alternative spot for my window hangings to maximise the solar gain over the next couple of months.

Thinking about other ways I could reduce energy wastage, I could also follow fellow energy saver Rachel and switch to a smart kettle too.

It's also time I finally tackle a simple task to avoid wasting energy unnecessarily.

Working from home (as I do) comes with a raft of benefits, such as saving money on commuting costs. But it has also meant that I'm using more energy than I would if I were in an office, which means higher energy bills.

So that means I do what I can to save energy at home, and try to make energy savvy choices. And I love making quick 10-minute fixes that can have a real positive impact on my energy usage. One habit I initially hadn’t paid much attention to was how often I was boiling the kettle. My husband and I both work from home and between us we drink around eight to 10 cups of tea and coffee each day - often at different times. This means the kettle is pretty much constantly being boiled throughout the day.

After watching my smart meter turn red every time the kettle was switched on, I decided it was time to invest in a new kettle, a smart one with a keep-warm feature, to see if it would reduce our energy bills in any way. I ended up plumping for the Xiaomi Smart Kettle 2 Pro (£43.99 at Amazon). While it was a bit of an investment, I was hopeful it would save me money in the long run.

Why did I opt for a smart kettle?

The switch to a smart kettle made sense because my husband and I boil the kettle several times a day and we don’t always use it particularly efficiently.

I can fill my smart kettle with water, boil it and then keep the water warm for a few hours, so there’s no worry about using more water than I need or wasting energy.

Plus it’s convenient to simply top up my mug straight away, rather than waiting around for the kettle to boil each time I want a cuppa.

How does the smart kettle help reduce energy usage?

Different to a conventional kettle, smart kettles keep the water it contains at a set temperature, so you don’t need to regularly boil the water from scratch, reducing the amount of energy consumed.

Once the kettle has boiled, you simply select the temperature on the kettle screen or through an app, and the water remains at this temperature for as long as you need it. While the most cost-effective way to use a kettle is to only boil the water you need, with a smart kettle, you could boil a full kettle once, and use less energy to keep it warm (than bring it to the boil).

‘Smart kettles are the next generation of electric kettles, equipped with Wi-Fi or bluetooth connectivity that allows them to be controlled remotely through an app on your phone,’ says Scott Byrom, energy expert at The Energy Shop.

‘Your standard kettle simply boils water to 100ºC every time, whereas a smart kettle introduces precision settings and automation that helps tackle the biggest sources of energy waste in the kitchen.’

With my kettle, the keep-warm temperature can be set between 40ºC and 90ºC, making it ideal for different drinks. According to the UK Tea & Infusions Association, the ideal water temperature for brewing is 90-98ºC for black tea and around 80ºC for green tea.

What difference has it made to my energy bills?

As much as I was hoping for a sizable reduction in my energy bill, the reality is the savings have been a lot smaller. But at a time when energy prices could start to creep back up, even small savings count.

My previous kettle used around 3kW of electricity, and boiling half a kettle of water took around a minute and a half. My current electricity rate is 25.40p per kWh, working out at roughly 1.9p a boil. Using it six times a day would cost about 11.46p.

By contrast, the new smart kettle consumes 1.5kW of electricity, but it takes longer to boil. Half a kettle of water takes around 2.5 minutes to boil, costing about 1.6p a time.

On its own, this doesn’t save much, but the difference comes from the keep-warm function. This uses around 30W of electricity, costing around 0.76p an hour. If I keep the kettle warm for three hours a day, that’s around 2.29p.

Because I am not waiting for it to reboil each time, I tend to boil the kettle only three times a day, rather than six. That brings the total cost to around 7.09p - a saving of around 4.4p a day, £8 for the six months I've been using it or £16 a year compared to my old kettle.

Those savings are potentially boosted by no longer overfilling the kettle and boiling water I won’t use.

‘If your household boils the kettle 10 times a day and habitually overfills by just one cup each time, that wasted energy adds up considerably over a year, reaching up to £40 - £50 annually,’ says Scott.

Was the kettle worth it?

While the savings aren’t huge, there are other benefits to having a smart kettle. For a start, it means I can grab a quick cuppa after the school run without hanging around waiting for the kettle to boil. It’s also useful when we have family over who often ask for hot drinks at different times.

Overall, I don’t regret buying a smart kettle. But whether it’s right for you will depend on your situation. If you work from home and the kettle is always boiling, a smart kettle has its benefits. But if you only boil the kettle a couple of times a day, the savings you could make are unlikely to be worth making the switch.

In other methods of reducing how much gas and electricity I use, I'll make sure I'm not making any energy-wasting decor mistakes that are costing me money without realising it. I could also follow the example Sarah Handley (Ideal Home's Home Energy Editor) and see what happens if I stopped using my dishwasher for a month.

The Government has announced that ‘plug-in’ solar panels could be available in shops within months, as they step up their efforts to help household to cut their energy bills.

The announcement came last week (23rd March) alongside new rules to make solar panels and clean heating standard in new homes. The ''plug-in' solar panels are directed at current homeowners as an affordable alternative to installing solar panels.

Solar panel installation can be a huge expense, with brands such as E.ON Next quoting £4,995 as the starting rate for a small solar system. 'Plug-in' solar panels, in contrast, are easy-to-install alternatives that can be plugged into an ordinary plug and mounted on fences or balconies.

These 'plug-in' solar panels are already widely used in households across Europe. In Germany, they are commonplace, with half a million new devices plugged in per year. They involve no installation cost as they are simply plugged into a household socket, and then the free solar power can be used directly through a mains socket like any other device.

Current UK regulations prohibit this type of solar panel from being plugged into household sockets, but legislative amendments are set to come into force on 27 August 2026. But the government has said it is working with retailers like Lidl and Iceland, alongside manufacturers such as EcoFlow, to change this and make them available to the UK market, soon after.

Georgina Hall, Corporate Affairs Director at Lidl GB, said: 'At Lidl GB, we are committed to making sustainable living affordable for everyone, and we welcome the government’s move to modernise regulations in the UK. Updating the regulatory landscape for this ‘plug-and-play’ technology is a positive step towards empowering British households to manage their energy costs and support the nation’s net-zero ambitions.'

'Cutting red tape on plug-in solar is an encouraging move, and we will help ensure it works alongside, or as part of, whole-home solutions that genuinely empower people to take control of their energy use and cut bills,' Chris Norbury, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, added.

The i Paper has reported that Sainsbury’s, Currys and John Lewis are some of the other companies considering supplying the panels in stores if regulations change. The plug-in panels cost around £400, and the Government estimates a typical UK home could save £70 to £110 a year on their energy bills with one, so they should pay for themselves in about 4 years.

While they are more affordable than the cost of a standard solar panel system, they also produce less energy as they're significantly smaller, so you'll need to carefully consider whether plug-in solar panels or a traditional rooftop installation will better suit your home. The positioning of the panel is also important to ensure it's getting the maximum amount of daylight to work efficiently.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said of the new rules implementing the future homes standards building regulations: 'The Iran War has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security, so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.'

'Whether through solar panels fitted as standard on new homes or making it possible for people to purchase plug-in solar in shops, we are determined to roll out clean power so we can give our country energy sovereignty.'

So if you've been considering solar panels, but couldn't afford the installation, in a few months, a cheaper alternative could be landing in the middle of Lidl. You may also be able to get a solar battery to go with them.

With the looming threat of rising energy prices hanging over our heads, it's the ideal time to cut energy wastage and ensure you are only paying for the energy you actually need.

While it's not yet clear when exactly energy bills will go up, and how much by, acting now means you have the best chance of limiting the impact of any potential increases.

And for the most meaningful and positive impact on your own bills, take inspiration from what those with low energy bills always have.

1. They use smart heating controls

Investing in smart heating controls is a good idea to save energy at home. They'll allow you to control your heating room by room, ensuring you don't waste money by heating rooms that you don't that often to the same extent that you heat the rooms you use most regularly.

'Installing a robust set of controls, including a programmer, a thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves can save up to £110 a year*,' says Martyn Bridges, Director of External Affairs at Worcester Bosch. 'For even more assurance, why not install a smart thermostat? A smart thermostat is connected to an app, turning your phone into a remote control allowing you to manage your home heating from anywhere. You can also control your heating zonally, ensuring you’re paying to only heat the rooms you need to.'

*Figure correct as of July 2025, source: Energy Saving Trust

Beyond your heating controls, smart plugs can help you control all of your appliances from your phone and make sure that they aren't needlessly wasting energy when not in use. This 4-pack of Tapo P100 smart plugs (£27.20 from Amazon) is especially well-reviewed.

2. They have a well-insulated home

When you consider the fact that heating and hot water accounts for a large portion of the monthly energy bill, those with low bills always make sure that their home is capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature. And that comes down to insulation.

'Good insulation keeps warmth in during winter and prevents excess heat in summer, reducing the amount of energy your home needs year-round,' says Simon Bones, the founder and CEO of Genous. 'Topping up loft insulation to recommended depths can make a noticeable difference to both comfort and bills. If you live in a property with older, unfilled cavity walls, professional insulation can significantly improve heat retention and overall efficiency, as long as it’s suitable for your building type and location. Consulting an expert ensures the right materials and methods are used for the best long-term results.'

Addressing pesky draughts around windows, doors and loft hatches will also help to keep heat in during the winters months, and out during the summer months, all without using any gas or electricity.

3. They adopt good habits

For the most impact on energy bills, you will need to make some relatively easy lifestyle changes. And those with low energy bills adopt lots of new daily habits, and stick to them.

'Small habit tweaks around appliances give strong returns with almost no effort,' says Shay Ramani, Founder & Managing Director of Free Price Compare. 'Wash at 30°C, run full loads, and use the eco programme on the dishwasher so the machine heats less water and runs more efficiently. In the kitchen, put lids on pans, size the hob ring to the pan, and use the microwave or an air fryer for small portions, which cuts preheat and wasted heat compared with a full oven.'

Turning off vampire appliances is also a key way to avoid wasting energy. 'Kill standby on TVs, set‑top boxes and games consoles overnight with a master switch or smart power strip so they aren’t sipping power for hours you’re asleep. If you dry clothes indoors, place the rack in a room with some airflow and, if needed, run an extractor briefly to move moisture out so you don’t reach for the tumble dryer.

'These changes take seconds to set up, cost little or nothing, and quietly chip away at daily consumption without affecting comfort.'

Conflict in the Middle East has seen disruption to global fuel supplies, which in turn, has caused wholesale energy prices to spike.

There's been a lot of volatility in the energy market over the last few years, with households facing high energy bills as a result, so it's not surprising that current tensions are causing worry around how to save energy at home and how to afford energy bills.

To help ease any anxiety you might be feeling, I've spoken to the experts and broken down when price increases may hit households, how you can minimise the impact and what you should do if you are worried you won't be able to afford your bill.

When are energy prices going up?

While wholesale energy prices have shot up, it will be a while before that increase hits our energy bills. And that is due to the energy price cap.

The energy price cap is represented as an annual figure for the average household based on typical energy use, but it effectively caps the amount you pay per unit of gas and electricity you use during a certain period. The price cap is adjusted every three months to reflect a multitude of factors, including wholesale energy prices.

The current cap is in place until the end of March, and the cap for the period from 1 April until 31 June has been confirmed, and the good news is, it's lower than the current price cap.

However, the energy price cap for the period from 1 July until 30 September (and beyond) has yet to be confirmed, and it's at this point that households could see their energy bills go up as a result of Middle East tensions. Latest predictions suggest an increase on the April 2026 cap of 10-20% for the July 2026 price cap.

The July 2026 price cap is due to be announced by Ofgem on 27 May 2026, and until that time, there is a chance that tensions may ease and prices stabilise.

'We are already seeing volatility in global energy prices following the escalation involving Iran, which increases the risk of higher household bills later in the year,' explains Angus Struthers, Managing Director at home heating and cooling company BOXT.

'For most households, the impact will not be immediate, as UK energy bills are set by Ofgem’s price cap, which adjusts every three months. The current cap for April to June is already fixed, so if wholesale prices stay high the earliest most households would feel it is from July, when analysts say bills could rise again. However, those on variable tariffs who are looking to fix may already be seeing this reflected in the quotes they are being offered by suppliers.'

What can you do now if you are worried about your energy bills?

Usually, if you want to reduce your energy bills there are two pretty straightforward options:

1. Try to switch to a cheaper energy tariff

If you are already on a fixed price tariff, you will be protected from any changes to the price cap. But once your fixed period ends, you will likely be moved on to your suppliers variable rate tariff, which will fluctuate.

Alternatively, you could look for another fixed price tariff. However, when wholesale energy prices show lots of volatility, energy suppliers may remove their fixed price tariffs from the market in order to reprice them.

'In terms of switching, the current volatility means suppliers may adjust or withdraw fixed‑rate deals and we’ve already seen some tariffs come off the market as providers respond to wholesale movements,' explains Gareth Kloet, spokesperson for Go.Compare energy. 'That’s why it’s important for households to keep checking the whole market regularly. Good‑value fixes do appear, but they may only be available for a short time. For anyone on a standard variable tariff or approaching the end of a fixed deal, reviewing options now could offer welcome price stability ahead of the summer.'

'If you’re not already on a fixed tariff and want certainty about your energy bills, you may still want to consider locking in reasonable rates for a year or more to avoid volatility caused by global events,' adds Ben Gallizzi, energy comparison expert at Uswitch.com.

'It’s important households do not feel pressured into taking just any fixed tariff. They should assess their options by running a quick comparison using their postcode to see tailored options available to their personal energy usage.'

2. Try to reduce how much energy you use at home

Taking steps to reduce your energy consumption at home is what those with low energy bills do consistently.

There are lots of ways to save energy at home, from unplugging vampire appliances to avoiding using energy-hungry tumble dryers and turning your thermostat down a bit. But for the biggest impact on your bills, a combination of multiple methods is needed.

Here are the short term options to try that will have the biggest impact on reducing how much energy you use, and therefore lowering your energy bills.

• Dry clothes outdoors if you can
• Use eco mode on your dishwasher and washing machine, and only run them when you have a full load
• Stop leaving your devices on stand-by or on charge when the battery is full
• Take shorter showers
• Get your boiler serviced. If you do this now, when the weather is warming up, future you will be grateful come autumn
• Don't leave lights on in rooms you aren't in
• Use an air fryer over your oven
• Use blankets or an extra layer of clothes rather than nudging your thermostat up.

For longer term reduction in your energy usage:

• Invest in smart heating controls
• Check your home's insulation
• Address any draughts that are allowing heat to escape from your home in winter

What to do if you're worried you can't afford your energy bill?

If you've tried reducing your energy consumption and you are still concerned that you won't be able to afford your energy bills, then it's definitely worth getting in touch with your energy supplier. You should be able to find their contact details on your latest bill or online.

Not only may that be able to help guide you to a cheaper tariff that may better suit your needs, but they may also help arrange a payment plan, offer you emergency credit (if you have a pre-payment meter), or help arrange a hardship fund grant.

Read our guide for more energy bill help.

When we bought our strange renovation project (a 1700s stone cottage with a dated 1970s extension) we had firm energy-efficiency goals that we wanted to achieve.

The first port of call was insulating the walls, solving the damp issues and to make the home less wasteful. The second was to replace our 30-year-old oil boiler with a renewable solution. And the third was to install solar panels on our flat roof to further reduce our energy bills.

I’ve written about solar panels for almost a decade now, so I’m fairly well versed in their benefits, costs and installation requirements, which is why my partner and I were so keen on them for our home. Being in a Conservation Area, I knew we'd need planning permission for solar panels, which I'd assumed would be relatively straightforward. However, when I spoke with the architect organising the technical drawings for our house and our structural engineer they both suggested we wait a few years for pretty common reasons.

Why did we want solar panels in the first place?

The 70s extension section of our house has a flat roof that faces north west, and with the help of some ballast boxes positioned correctly, we hoped we could pick up the light needed for solar panels to collect energy almost all day. From a planning consent point of view, it also helps that the flat roof is at the back of the house so the panels would be mostly hidden from street view.

This is our second renovation project and one that we are able to stay in long-term so investing in infrastructure such as solar panels, insulation and renewable heating seemed like a no-brainer to me. Solar panels would reduce our bills over the course of the years we reside here, eventually breaking even in around 8/9 years, depending on their cost.

However, when we were drawing up our planning permission technical drawing with our architect, he suggested that it may be better to put in a separate application for the solar panels, independent of the one for the new windows, render and driveway we were seeking permission for. Speaking shortly after with our structure engineer, they also suggested waiting a few years before looking to install the panels would be best, but for entirely different reasons to the architect.

What were the potential issues with installing solar panels from the architect’s perspective?

Firstly, our architect’s concerns were for our planning permission application. In Conservation Areas many remedial works that usually fall under Permitted Development in other areas need approval from the local planning department. Unfortunately, this meant a lot of our external renovations were tied into the planning process.

I had assumed that getting planning permission for solar panels would be as simple as adding them to the proposed plans for the other work, but our architect commented that adding too much to the proposal meant that there might be a higher risk of getting a refusal from the council, with all of the proposed changes being rejected as a result. And that's definitely not what we wanted.

His solution was to apply a ‘first batch’ with the things that needed remedying sooner rather than later and, after a few years, apply separately for the solar panels alone.

‘In most standard properties, solar falls under permitted development,’ begins Martyn Fowler, founder of Elite Renewables. ‘In Conservation Areas and especially with Listed Buildings, things become more sensitive. Visibility from the street, impact on the character of the building and the type of mounting system all come into play. Sometimes it makes sense to separate applications if you're planning a larger renovation project so one element does not jeopardise the other. That said, every local authority interprets guidance slightly differently.’

‘In conservation areas and for listed buildings, the local authority has a statutory duty to give special regard to preserving the building and its setting, or the character and appearance of the wider area,’ agrees Cerys Atchinson, Chartered Town Planner at Planning By Design. ‘This means even relatively minor additions can receive closer scrutiny than they would elsewhere.’

Very few properties in our village have solar panels, so we weren’t overly optimistic if we did take the gamble of adding them to our planning application, and looking back at the nearly seven month process of simply agreeing on the style of replacement windows, we decided not to further complicate matters.

What were the problems from a structural engineering view?

Another spanner in our building works came from our structural engineer when we casually discussed that we would like to invest in solar panels on our flat roof. After inspection, he concluded that the current material covering the roof would be in need of replacement in the next few years. That meant that installing solar panels on the decaying roof fabric would be completely nonsensical, but it’s an issue that often trips people like us up.

‘You need to look at the condition of the roof. If the covering is near the end of its lifespan it will need to be replaced first,’ says Martyn Fowler. ‘There is no point installing solar on a roof that will need redoing in a few years.’

Logically too, if we waited until our covering if due a replacement, we could also diagnose if the roof structure is in need of reinforcements. As we have a flat roof, we could use a mounting system or ballast boxes to position the solar panels to an optimal position, but they naturally increase the weight of the panels and therefore additional support would be needed.

‘When considering the installation of solar panels, it is important to assess the suitability of the roof structure,’ explains Ezgi Cebi, Architectural Designer at Planning by Design. ‘If a significant number of solar panels are to be installed, or if there is any concern that the existing roof structure may be old or insufficient to support the additional load, it is advisable to consult a structural engineer.’

‘Where the roof is flat, panels are usually mounted on angled support frames to achieve an appropriate orientation toward the sun,’ she continues. ‘There are proprietary mounting systems available that allow the inclination to be optimised.’

With so many other elements to our renovation, and a budget to manage, replacing what is currently a functioning roof seemed silly, so we followed the engineer’s advice and have decided to wait a few years. Plus, replacing the roof covering will add around £6,000 to our solar panel costs, so we need time to address more urgent issues before we prioritise these funds for solar panels.

So, where does that leave us?

Unfortunately, we’re no further forward with our solar panel goals than we were when we first moved in, but that’s fine with the amount of surprise costs we have uncovered through the rest of the renovation!

The rest of our plans are underway to make the house more efficient and future-proofed, so although we’re not looking at any short-term solution at the moment, we’re still holding out hope that we will be able to power our home without the use of fossil fuels one day.

I had also hoped to add a heat pump to my home, but sadly that wasn't a viable option so I was looking into alternatives instead.

As someone who writes about all aspects of home energy for a living, I do try to practice what I preach.

This is especially true when it comes to saving energy at home. But one place I struggle with this is not using my tumble dryer. While I do embrace methods to use my tumble dryer in the most cost-efficient way, I've always struggled to go without it during the winter.

So I set myself a challenge of going without using the tumble dryer for the whole of February to both see how I got on with other (less-expensive) clothes drying methods, and to see how much money I was potentially wasting by forgoing those other methods in favour of my tumble dryer. But while I managed to save a bit of money, I did have to sacrifice how my house looked.

How much money did I save by not using my tumble dryer?

I have an energy efficient A++ 7kg Beko tumble dryer, which I tend to use on average three times a week in winter, for bed linen, towels and thicker items of clothing, like jumpers, sweatshirts and jeans.

I'd say it's a pretty safe assumption that I would have used it 12-14 times in February if I factor in washing my dog's blankets too.

For a full-load on the standard setting, which lasts 174 minutes, my tumble dryer uses around 1.68kWh of electricity. But as I sometimes use a non-standard and more energy intensive setting, or find myself putting it on the standard setting for an extra 30 minutes to get the result I want, I'd say it's probably closer to 2kWh each time I use it. (As the actual wattage can depend on the load, moisture and ambient temperature, this is the closest I can get to accurate).

That means that each time I use it, my tumble dryer's running costs are just under 56p based on the January 2026 energy price cap. If I'd used it 14 times in February, it would have cost me £7.75. Not quite the mammoth saving I was expecting.

But this is where the efficiency of your tumble dryer matters. Had I got a similar 7kg Beko tumble dryer that was C-rated (so less energy efficient) rather than A++ rated, the standard cycle would use 4.2kWh, which would cost just over £1.16 each time I used it, and £16.28 over the course of 14 February loads.

Was the saving worth it?

While the idea of avoiding both energy and money waste is always appealing, in this case, there's one main reason the £7.75 saving isn't really worth it. And that reason is finding somewhere else to effectively dry these bulky and or large items.

I use a bog-standard airer to dry lighter items like underwear, socks and t-shirts, which dry quite quickly, especially when the central heating comes on, so I don't feel like they are too much of a hassle to dry.

But I have a king size bed, so the bed linen is sizable, and towels seem to take ages to dry, so it feels like there is constantly laundry on display wherever I look around my home, which I hate. I actually found myself feeling a bit stressed about it, which is definitely not the vibe I want from my home.

There's also something about the softness of towels out of the tumble dryer that I'm not sure I'm prepared to give up in winter.

However, I realise that I feel that way because of the relatively low running costs of my tumble dryer. If I had a lower energy-rated tumble dryer and was doing more laundry loads each week, I'd definitely be more likely to try alternative ways to dry things like bedding indoors in winter.

Fortunately, we're creeping ever closer to spring and summer, which means I'll definitely be giving my tumble dryer a break and drying my laundry outside. Bring on the days when it dries in about 45 minutes!

Next up, I'm challenging myself to go without my dishwasher for a month. Wish me luck!

To help reduce my energy usage further, I've rectified the energy-wasting decor mistakes I was making and am considering switching to a smart kettle.

I've also decided it's time to stop putting off this simple task that help reduce wasted energy even further.

Now that may parts of the UK are seeing temperatures creep into double figures, your home's energy efficiency may not be as high a priority as it was in the middle of winter.

However, if you do want to save energy at home, the most significant savings are achieved by choices or changes you make all year round. But if, like me, you have a busy life, then it's all too easy to push those energy-saving habits to the bottom of the priority list.

That's why I'm a huge fan of changes you only have to do once, then you can lighten the mental load, sit back and settle in the knowledge that your home is doing the work while you focus on other aspects of day-to-day life.

1. Address any draughts

While my senses are definitely picking up on the signs of spring, it's still not warm enough to go without a burst of central heating, at least a couple of times a day. And that means preventing heat loss should still be a priority if you want to keep your home's energy consumption (and therefore your bills) under control.

‘Draught-proofing is one of the quickest ways to make your home heating system more efficient, resulting in savings of around £85 a year*,' says Martyn Bridges, Director of External Affairs at Worcester Bosch. 'Look out for any gaps, holes, or cracks in your windows, doors and floorboards where heat might be escaping and cover using foam strips or a brush draught excluder.’

Draught excluder tape like this from Amazon (£3.99), is effective, quick and easy to apply. Tackling draughts now can also help keep your home a more comfortable temperature in the summer too.

If your home is significantly draughty, especially around windows and doors, you may find you need to replace the tape every so often, or for a permanent solution, you could look into replacement windows or a new front door.

2. Swap to LED bulbs

Now that we're getting more hours of daylight, it's the ideal time to address any old incandescent bulbs you may still be using around your home, because you can actually see what you are doing!

'Modern LED lamps use 75-90% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. Not only that, they typically last up to 25 times longer,' says Sam Garbutt, lighting expert at LED & Power.

And once you've changed them all over, it's definitely not something you need to worry about on a day-to-day basis.

3. Smarten up your heating system

Even though we're getting closer to spring and summer when you're heating gets to have a bit of a rest, it also means it's a good time to upgrade your heating controls before next winter.

'Smart thermostats and zoning systems let you heat only the rooms you’re actually using, improving comfort while lowering bills,' says Simon Bones, the founder and CEO of Genous. 'Many modern systems also allow different temperatures in different areas of the house, which can even help improve your EPC rating.

'With app-based controls, you can adjust settings remotely, keep temperatures consistent, and avoid leaving the heating or lights on unnecessarily. Pairing smart controls with smart bulbs or automated lighting further reduces standby energy use and trims monthly costs.'

Smart heating controls to consider

Now you can enjoy lower energy bills without even thinking about it!

*Figure correct as of July 2025, Energy Saving Trust.

While you might be toasty warm with your central heating on at home, when it goes off, low outside temperatures mean you probably won't stay that way for long.

A popular solution is to complement your central heating with a portable electric heater than can provide a burst of heat as and when you need it.

But unless used tactically, these appliances can be energy hungry, which means electric heaters can be expensive to run. Fortunately, these expert tips will help you use it in the most energy efficient way possible and keep your bills under control.

1. Choose a model with the right features

Electric heaters of old would have had a simple on-off switch, maybe a couple of power settings, and a dial to adjust the temperature. And while there's nothing wrong with that in terms of functionality, it'll leave you with very little control over it's energy consumption.

'Beyond selecting the right size heater for your home, there are other features to look out for if you are looking to buy a heater. Choosing models with thermostats and timers can help avoid unnecessary energy use,' says Will Jones, Home Expert at Currys. Many modern models will also automatically switch off when the desired temperature is reached, and offer energy monitoring via app controls.

It's worthwhile also carefully considering the type of heat emitter you choose too. After all, there is a wealth of difference between electric heaters and oil-filled radiators. If you want instant heat and can cope with a bit of noise, then a fan heater may be all you need. However, this may not be the most energy efficient option, as Will adds: 'Alternatives like oil-filled radiators or ceramic heaters can also offer better heat retention and lower running costs.'

Models to consider

2. Place it correctly

Correct placement is crucial whether you want your electric heater or oil-filled radiator to work more efficiently. And there is an ideal way to position your heater.

'Positioning the heater away from draughts, open windows and external doors helps the heat stay in the room for longer, improving efficiency and reducing wasted energy,' reveals Stuart Middleton, Consumer Energy Expert at So Energy.

3. Don't use it a primary heat source

To use it most efficiently, you need to know how long your electric heater should be on for, and it's crucial that you don't use it as your primary source of heat.

'Think of portable electric heaters as a top-up rather than your main source of heating,' explains Stuart. 'They’re great for warming up a room for a short period, but pairing them with warmer clothing, blankets and simple energy-saving habits will keep you cosy while keeping your bills in check.'

Remember too that these appliances are designed to provide a boost of heat in the room you are in, rather than a whole-house solution. I use my electric heater to complement my central heating when I need to, and it's kept me cosy all winter.

4. Keep windows and doors shut

Using your electric heater to heat the room you are in is key to it running in the most energy efficient way. And so you'll need to keep doors and windows closed to keep the heat where you need it and prevent your heater from working harder than it needs to in order to warm a too-big space.

Small changes around your home can also help your heater work more effectively as Stuart explains: 'Closing curtains in the evening, blocking gaps around doors and windows, and using rugs on hard floors can reduce heat loss, meaning your heater doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature.'

5. Make use of the right settings

Using any eco or smart settings your electric heater has will ensure you are using it in the most efficient way.

'Many electric heaters come with WiFi control to make scheduling even more convenient,' says Stephen Hankinson, heating expert at Electric Radiators Direct. 'These enable you to manage your heating no matter where you are in the world, so if you happen to pop out and leave the heating in your home office on, you can use your phone to switch it off.'

'Using built-in thermostat, timer or eco settings can further reduce running costs, agrees Stuart from SoEnergy. 'Setting the heater to the lowest comfortable temperature rather than running it at full power continuously, and programming it to switch off automatically, can prevent unnecessary usage.'

FAQs

Make sure you know what you should know before buying an electric heater so that you can make the right choice for your home.

Storm Chandra is here, battering the UK with high winds, lashings of rain and even snow in some areas. And while this weather makes me want to hunker down under a blanket and wait for it to pass, I realised that it actually poses an opportunity to make my home more energy efficient.

I've been on a mission to save energy at home ever since the energy price cap skyrocketed as we came out of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While my New Year's resolution is to kick some energy-guzzling habits, I still want to make sure that my home is as draught-free as possible.

And while storms bring their own set of dangers and disruptions, the amplified weather conditions can also make any gaps that could be leaking heat much more obvious. This is how I'm using Storm Chandra to my advantage.

1. I'm listening out for whistling and rattling

While strong winds always fill me with dread thanks to the havoc they can wreak on my fence panels, plants and roof tiles, they do have their plus side.

So while the winds are raging, I'm listening out for signs of whistling or rattling that suggest draughts are getting in, and locating them for either some DIY draughtproofing, like this £4 draught excluder tape from Amazon, or professional intervention.

I'm paying particular attention to my windows, loft hatch and fireplace. If I spot any signs of draughts, the good news is it may not be an expensive fix.

2. I am feeling for draughts I may have missed

This stormy weather also provides the ideal opportunity to feel for any draughts around windows, doors, and letter boxes. With stronger winds than normal, these draughts will fortunately be much easier to spot.

I'm also checking around where I already have some draught proofing tape to make sure it's still doing it's job. If not, I can replace it.

Even though it's a gloomy day, I'm also checking if I can see any daylight coming through were it shouldn't. I have suspicions about my front door frame so I will definitely be paying special attention to that while the storm has hold.

3. I am looking for water on window cills

Whenever we have heavy rain and strong winds that lash at the front elevation of my home, I always check for any signs of water on my window cills, which could also indicate a gap that is letting both draughts and rain in and heat out. Neither of which I want.

I also take a good look at the ceilings in the upstairs bedrooms and in the garage conversion to see if I can spot any signs of water damage that could mean a more serious issue in the loft space above.

I also pay attention to what I can smell. If I notice a weird musty aroma that could be a sign that there is a damp and mould issue that needs resolving.

FAQs

Where should you look out for signs of draughts?

You'll likely notice particular cold spots in your home without too much investigation, but it's getting to the root cause that can be the tricky part. That's why having a good look around your home when the elements are stronger is a good idea as it can make them much easier to spot.

Particular areas to check include:

• Window and external door frames
• Chimneys
• Letterboxes
• Loft hatches
• Cat or dog flaps
• Internal doors to stairways (this one tends to be cause by the physics of warm air rising, but a draught excluder might be all that's needed to resolve the issue and keep the heat downstairs where you want it).

Once I've got draughts covered, I am also investing in more smart plugs as an easy way to help reduce my energy usage.

The cost of energy has been a hot topic ever since the energy crisis took hold as we came out of the pandemic. Now the government has announced the Warm Homes Plan which aims to improve the energy efficiency of the nation's homes, and bring down energy bills as a result.

While many households will be doing all they can to save energy at home and reduce their bills, for many, changes that can drastically move the dial come with a high initial cost that makes them unfeasible.

This new government plan aims to tackle the issue by providing access to low-interest loans and grants to make them more affordable. This is what we know so far.

What is the Warm Homes Plan?

The Warm Homes Plan is a £15 billion government initiative to help address the issue of energy affordability. The plan will ensure households in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland benefit from energy saving measures that will ultimately make their homes warmer and reduce their energy bills.

It is being touted as the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history. Under the plan, there will be a 'universal offer' for all households to upgrade their homes if and when they want to, as well as specific help for low-income households, upgrades for social housing and new protections for renters.

'A warm home shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be a basic guarantee for every family in Britain,' says Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He adds that the plan 'will help to slash energy costs and lift up to a million people out of fuel poverty.'

'It is a scandal that millions of people in our country do not have the security of a home that is warm, affordable and safe,' adds Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. 'With this investment, we embark on a national project to turn the tide - waging war on fuel poverty and taking another step forward in tackling the affordability crisis for families throughout Britain.'

It is hoped that the plan will lift one million households out of fuel poverty and tackle long-term energy costs.

What energy efficient measures are included?

Under the Warm Homes Plan, people will be able to choose the most suitable technologies for their home, including:

• solar panels (Photovoltaic and thermal)
• heat pumps (ground source, air source (including air to air))
• home and heat batteries
• smart controls
• insulation (wall, floor, and roof)
• draught proofing

With the plan in place, homeowners will be able to apply for government-backed, low and zero interest loans to install these measures. For those with a low income or those in fuel poverty, they may have the cost of having suitable measures from this list covered by the scheme.

There will also be new rules that mean every new home will come with solar panels by default.

Who is set to benefit from the Warm Homes Plan?

Everyone in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from the plan in some way, but the support may depend on a few factors including your income and whether you own or rent your home.

For all homeowners

Under the plan, all homeowners will have access to government-backed zero and low interest loans to get solar panels, heat pumps and batteries installed. It has not yet been confirmed how people will access these loans. In addition to the loans, homeowners can also benefit from a £7,500 universal grant for upgrading from a boiler to a heat pump.

For low-income households

£5 billion of the funding under the plan will go towards free packages of upgrades, depending on what best suits the home in question.

For social housing residents, entire streets may be upgraded at the same time to improve warmth and comfort.

For renters

The government has estimated that 500,000 households will be lifted out of fuel poverty by the end of 2029 by upgrading protections for renters and supporting landlords in making the necessary upgrades in a fair way.

FAQs

One thing I keep noticing this January is the emergence of the stylish draught excluder, with brands like Next leading the charge when it comes to giving this home-energy-saving hack a modern makeover. And listen, if it’s pretty and going to save me money in the long run, you can count me in.

When the temperatures drop, we see more and more of the old school energy-saving pieces of decor making a comeback. But in 2026, draught excluders look as pretty as they do functional.

I’ve been on the hunt for ways to save energy at home, and a humble draught excluder is an affordable method that works. But with retailers like Next proving they can be pretty, too, I’ve rounded up my favourites just for you.

My favourite pretty draught excluders right now come from Next. With soft, faux fur and neutral colourways, Scandi-style draught excluders look incredibly cosy. And given that I’m applying William Morris's ‘beautiful and useful’ quote to my home in 2026, I want all the home items I buy this year to be pretty and useful.

Draught excluders can easily look bulky and ugly, and if you’re putting one to good use, you will see it constantly around your home. Honestly, the last thing I want to see is a large pile of sagging fabric cluttering up my doorways.

But not only do the Next draught excluders look pretty, but they work well, too. One review states the Oyster Aspen Faux Fur Draught Excluder Doorstop (£18) : ‘Looks exactly like it does in the photo. It’s the perfect length for my door & keeps the draft out.’

‘According to The Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing your doors, windows and floors could save up to £85 annually on your energy bills,’ says Jo Trotman, Sales and Marketing Manager at The Residence Collection.

‘At their core, draught excluders act as a physical barrier tо prevent the uncontrolled movement оf air. Warm air іs less dense and rises, while cold air іs denser and sinks. In an unsealed room, cold air ‘pushes’ its way under doors оr through window gaps, creating a current (a draught).

By filling the air gap with a dense material (like foam, brush strips, оr weighted fabric), you stop the ‘air exchange’ between a heated room and a cold hallway оr the outdoors.

Draught excluders are affordable, with different shapes and sizes, and new designs available on the market, making it a truly easy way to keep a home warm during winter. While they’re not a permanent solution, they do make a difference. Just make sure you insulate your home if heat loss is a consistent problem.

If you’re looking for extra ways to keep the heat in and the cold out, I’ve rounded up a few more of my favourite stylish draught excluder designs.

Draught excluders are a fuss-free way to save on your energy bills, and the right choice can be a stylish addition to your home, too.

Old houses are known for many things – their character, charming imperfections and original features to name but a few – but being warm is not one of them.

As the owner of an Edwardian cottage, winters are all about telling the kids to 'layer up', insisting everyone closes doors as they enter and exit a room and asking my husband throughout the day 'is the heating even on?' In short, it is a cold house (even in summer).

One of the main reasons for the glacial temperatures in our house is heat loss – its inability to retain heat – and there are several key areas where the warmth we try so to hard to generate escapes. I spoke to the experts about the main five culprits and here's how they suggested I fix the problem.

1. The single glazed bay window

There is a really pretty original timber bay window in our living room. We have a little loveseat nestled into it and from afar it looks like the perfect cosy spot to settle down in. However, to do so in the colder months requires piles of blankets and a hot water bottle or two. Why? It is single glazed and just a little draughty.

'Single glazing and early double glazing are still very common in older homes,' picks up Michael Zohouri, founder of Pyramid Eco. 'Even where the glass has been upgraded, the seals around the frames often haven’t been touched for decades.

'Draught proofing around windows, upgrading seals and using thermal blinds or heavy curtains at night all help reduce heat loss.'

Becky Lane, CEO at Furbnow had some more advice for me. 'Look to replace single-glazed windows with energy-efficient double or triple-glazed units,' advises Becky. 'Alternatively, use secondary glazing if replacing windows is not feasible due to conservation restrictions.”

Shop draught proofing methods

2. The poorly fitting front door

Another original feature that I definitely wouldn't replace is the front door – a hefty solid timber design with three panels of coloured rippled glass at the top.

However, for all its charm it is one of the leading areas of heat loss in our home and the reason why our entrance hallway quite happily doubles up as an overflow fridge freezer at Christmas. It is extremely poorly fitting – so much so that in some areas between the door and its frame you can see daylight .

'Poorly fitting doors allow warm air to escape and cold air to pour in,' explains Michael Zohouri. 'You often feel cold draughts around front doors, letterboxes, and keyholes. Simple draught proofing strips and door brushes can make a noticeable difference straight away.'

In addition to these steps, we also plan on hanging a thick, thermal-lined curtain in front of it – a technique used to keep old houses warm without central heating in the past.

3. Through the open chimneys

We have two chimneys in our house. One serves the log burning stove in the open plan dining area and the other the open fire in the living room. While both fires act as really effective ways to heat the house, when not in use, the chimneys are also an area for heat to leave the premises.

One of the best ways to solve this issue is to use an inflatable chimney balloon or chimney draught excluder to keep the chills at bay. These are placed inside the chimney when it is not in use to seal any gaps and prevent heat loss.

According to Energy Saving Trust, using a chimney draught excluder could lower your heating bills by £60 – this is definitely something I'll be investing in.

4. From the uninsulated floors

On the ground floor of our house we have solid floors, while upstairs we have suspended timber floors, now carpeted. While our timber flooring is not a huge source of heat loss, in some properties it can be.

'Many older homes have suspended wooden floors with cold air flowing freely underneath,' explains Michael Zohouri. 'This chills rooms from the ground up and makes homes feel cold even when the heating is on. Insulating a floor beneath the floorboards and sealing gaps between boards helps stop cold air movement and keeps heat where it belongs.'

Solid floors can be a little trickier to insulate as adding insulation on top will raise the floor levels. For this reason, ours remain uninsulated and are very cold underfoot in the areas we chose tile over timber, which is inherently warmer.

5. Old solid walls

Many of the original external walls here are solid brickwork with no insulation. The wall featuring the bay window is a good example – it is freezing to the touch, further ruining the cosy nook we had planned.

'Most older properties have solid brick walls with no cavity, which means heat passes straight through the brickwork,' explains Michael Zohouri. 'You can feel the chill coming off them on cold days.

'External or internal wall insulation can significantly improve comfort and reduce heating demand, but it has to be designed properly or it can create damp issues later on.'

FAQs

How do you check for heat leaks in your home?

There are several methods you can use to pinpoint the main areas of heat loss within a house – something that will save energy at home as well as keep you warmer.

'Borrow or rent a thermal imaging camera if you can,' suggests Becky Lane. 'Or simply run your hand around doors, windows and floorboards to feel where warm air is escaping.

'Period properties often have architectural features protected by heritage conservation regulations,' adds Becky. 'Work with conservation officers and heritage experts to preserve the character of the house and consider reversible or sympathetic retrofitting techniques that can be easily undone if necessary. The goal is to create a home that maintains its historical character but is still cosy.'

What areas tend to lose the most heat in a house

I've revealed by top five heat loss spots in my house – and it seems that these also happen to be some of the most common.

However, there is another, perhaps less obvious, area to address too, according to Michael Zohouri.

'By far the biggest heat loss we see is straight up through the roof,' he says. 'A lot of older homes either have no loft insulation at all, or it has been pushed aside over the years and no longer does its job. We also regularly find loft hatches that are completely uninsulated. When that happens, warm air just pours straight into the roof space. Getting the loft properly topped up and sealing the hatch is one of the fastest ways to make a home feel warmer.'

Obviously addressing the areas our house loses heat will help keep it feeling cosier, but we also made other upgrades to keep our house warmer this winter – take a look at what they were to see if they could help you beat the chill too.

I'm not necessarily a New Year's Resolution kind of gal, but I am a big fan of adopting easy habits that can both make my life easier and save me money. And January seems the ideal time to kickstart these new routines.

I've already decided on the energy-guzzling habits I'm ditching in 2026, and after making numerous energy-saving changes to my home over the last 12 months, I'm keen to continue this into the new year.

And the first step is to add more smart plugs to my home, like this four-pack of Tapo smart plugs (£24.90 from Amazon). Being able to turn off lights, devices and appliances via an app on my phone or via my well-used smart speaker will not only reduce how much energy I waste needlessly (and therefore lower my energy bills), but it will also mean that I no longer have to contort myself into weird and wonderful shapes as I try to reach plug sockets down the side of sofas or chests of drawers.

How I'm choosing the right smart plug

I have an Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker, so it's important that I choose a smart plug that is compatible with Alexa so that I can control it how I want to.

Many smart plugs on the market that are 'Matter certified' will work with the likes of Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit or Samsung SmartThings but it's always worth just double checking to avoid disappointment.

In my research, these were the best options I came across:

In addition to compatibility, it's worth looking at the size of the plugs. Smart plugs will be bigger that the plugs you're used to, which can be problematic when it comes to double sockets.

Fortunately, some are smaller than others and even state that they can be used without disrupting the other plug socket, so that's definitely something to look out for too.

Are smart plugs worth it?

When you consider that vampire appliances are wasting energy and costing you money unnecessarily (£45 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust), smart plugs can be the solution.

Rather than leaving devices on stand-by, or your phone charging way past when the battery is full, using a smart plug will allow you to effectively turn them off at the socket from wherever you are. You can also set timers and schedules which is very helpful if you tend to leave things charging and forget about them.

Beyond the energy saving measures, smart plugs are also incredibly handy if you've ever had that dreadful feeling that you've left your straighteners on while you're out and about. Using a smart plug, you can double check on your phone whether you've turned it off, and that peace of mind is priceless.

While smart plugs can help save money, when it comes to the best ways to save energy at home, the answer is a combination of measures that all work together to offer the most significant savings.

From the moment I bought my 1970s home a decade ago, I knew I wanted to change the conservatory.

It was a sizeable 4x3m space off the kitchen-diner but, as I discovered in my first year of living there, the glass roof meant it was utterly freezing in winter and roasting hot in summer — neither of which were conducive to being able to use the room year round. Over the years, I spent more than £3,000 trying to make the space usable, but nothing really worked as I wanted it to.

The previous owners had also removed the doors that should have been between the conservatory and the rest of the house, which meant whatever was happening temperature-wise in the conservatory happened in the rest of the house. In winter, I could just visualise all the heat my radiators were kicking out vanishing straight out of the conservatory roof. This meant that as a temporary measure, I had to resort to hanging a thermal curtain between the conservatory and the rest of the house. This was surprisingly effective, but definitely not what I wanted aesthetically.

Beyond that, whenever it rained, it sounded like I lived in a car wash. No gentle pitter patter of rain drops that you'd think sounded quite relaxing. This was a roar of noise that was so loud you'd struggle to hold a normal volume conversation if you were nearby.

How I finally solved the problem of my cold conservatory

2025 is the year that I finally solved the problem of this freezing and unusable space — I replaced the conservatory roof. The old glass panels are no more and instead, I have a pre-fabricated, lightweight, insulated solid roof in it's place.

And I wish I hadn't waited so long to do it as the difference has been incredible. The conservatory is now a warm and functional space, whatever the weather outside. Even when there has been frost on the ground outside, I have been able to sit in the conservatory, which after 10 years of not being able to do that, feels like such a luxury.

The whole process of replacing the roof took about eight days, which included, removing the old roof (which took an impressive 45 minutes!), putting the new one on, adding the roof covering and new guttering. Then there was first fit electrics, plastering and a couple of days drying time, then finally second fit electrics and clean up.

Was it worth it?

While replacing the conservatory roof was by no means a cheap fix, it is the only solution I've tried that solved the temperature issue that left the conservatory unusable for about six months of the year.

Having better insulation in the roof not only resolves the noise issue, but it also prevents so much heat from escaping from the connected rooms. I'm yet to compare my energy usage from December 2025 with the same period in 2024, but I am in no doubt that it will be an improvement!

While lower energy bills are understandably desirable, it's the comfort level (and recovery of the space) that has thrilled me the most.

If you've had the similar issues over the winter, then I highly recommend looking at ways to modernise your conservatory and make it better suited to modern life.

I might write about all things home energy for a living, but while I spend day in day out researching or trying out ways to use less energy, I'll admit, I don't always follow my own advice (no matter how much I want to).

While I've tried lots of ways to save energy at home over the years, especially since the energy crisis saw the price cap exceed £4000 a year, there's still more I can do to stop wasting energy needlessly around the house.

So I've got a plan for the new year. I've picked three bad habits I know I have when it comes to my energy usage and I'm going to tackle them head on, with the goal of ditching them for good.

1. Leaving the shower running while I do my skincare

There's no way that I'm jumping in a cold shower while I wait for it to warm up. Zero. Zilch. And so I've got into a habit of turning my shower on and starting my skincare routine while I wait for it to warm up.

But what I'm starting to realise is that my routine is not as quick as I thought it was, and that by the time I'm done and am getting in the shower, a good couple of minutes has passed, and the shower has probably been warm for a while. And all that hot water is just going straight down the drain.

And when you consider that I could save £60 per year by keeping my shower to less than 4 minutes (according to Uswitch), this is definitely something I need to be more conscious of if I want to reduce my energy usage.

2. Forgetting to close the window

One of my more pointless talents is being able to tell whether a house has had a window open recently. Don't ask me how that works, it just one of life's mysteries.

I love giving my home a blast of fresh air. But what usually starts as an intention to burp my home, quickly turns into forgetting to shut the windows and realising later that the heat from my radiator has probably had a jolly old time floating straight out of the open window.

But no more. Ultimately, I would love to have a smart heating system that either alerts me, or turns off the heating if it detects a window is open. But until then, I am going to make use of setting up reminders on my smart speaker, to remind me to close my windows after 10 minutes so that I get all the benefits of fresh air, without letting all the heat out.

3. Using my tumble dryer on a dry day

We all know that tumble dryers are energy guzzling appliances, sometimes drying clothes without a dryer just doesn't work for me.

While I try to use it in an efficient way (I use these £8.49 wool tumble dryer balls from Amazon, dry similar fabrics together and don't over fill it), I've got it in my head that drying clothes outside in winter is out of the question.

So my mission in 2026 is to remind myself that isn't necessarily the case. A dry and mild day with a bit of a breeze is entirely possible at this time of year and will still get my washing dry. And it's free.

I'm a big believer that to stick with energy-saving measures, they can't be overwhelming. One of my favourites that I've tried so far is the radiator reflectors I installed more than three years ago. I don't have to think about them at all, I just sit back and enjoy the benefits.

Next on my list is to tackle the vampire appliances that are wasting energy.

Now that we've all reached the season where our energy bills are likely the highest they will be all year, it's no wonder that we can't get enough of hacks that promise to keep our home warmer and our bills lower.

While it's always a good idea to look for ways to save energy at home, it's important to research any popular methods or hacks that claim to reduce your usage and costs to make sure they don't inadvertently cause other more costly problems.

One such tip is to use your extractor fan less in winter to prevent it from extracting warm air from your home, which in turn causes you heating to work longer and harder to keep you cosy. I put this method to the experts to see whether it actually works, or if it could potentially do more harm than good.

Does using your extractor fan less in winter keep your home warmer?

Technically, if you use your extractor fan less in the winter, you minimise the chance of your extractor pulling warm air out of your home. However, in practical terms, the answer is more complicated.

'There is a common belief that switching off your bathroom or kitchen extractor fan in winter helps keep your home warmer and reduces energy bills,' explains Samantha McDermid, Brand Manager from Nôsa Bathrooms. 'Technically, there is a small element of truth to this - extractor fans do remove warm indoor air and replace it with colder outside air. However, the impact on overall home heat loss and energy costs is extremely small.

'In winter, your heating system is already working harder, and while extractor fans do remove warm air slightly faster due to the increased temperature difference, the increase in heating demand is minimal.'

While there may be a small impact on how warm your home feels, any slight increase in your energy bills shouldn't dissuade you from using your kitchen or bathroom extractor fan.

'Extractor fans are crucial for removing moisture to prevent condensation and mould,' adds Katie Lillywhite AO’s air treatment expert. 'Cooking or showering can release a lot of moisture into the air so if this moisture isn’t extracted, it can lead to condensation, damp and even mould.' And as anyone who has had to get rid of damp can attest, it'll be more expensive than the small amount of heat lost while using your extractor fan.

Is there a sweet spot between extracting odours and moisture while retaining heat?

Energy bills are highest at this time of year, thanks to shorter, colder days meaning we all need our lights and heating on more. And so for those concerned about using more energy than they need to, it will be important to strike the ideal balance between extracting moisture and odours while retaining as much heat as possible.

'The ‘sweet spot’ is to use the fan only when necessary for example, only during cooking and for 10 minutes afterwards, depending on what you’re cooking explains Katie. 'This will be enough to clear moisture and odours without losing unnecessary warmth.'

Keeping internal doors closed while your extractor fan is running can help prevent moisture from travelling to other areas of your home while also ensuring the fan works most efficiently.

As a longer term solution and what you should look for in a cooker hood, Sophie Lane from Miele GB says: 'If heat retention is a priority, a recirculating cooker hood is ideal because it cleans and returns air to the kitchen rather than venting it outside, meaning there’s no heat loss.'

FAQs

If you are worried about heat loss in your home, there are budget-friendly draught-proofing measures you can try to keep the heat in, while allowing your extractor fans to expel moisture as they need.