At the start of January, the UK experienced some of the coldest temperatures of the winter so far, leaving many households feeling the pressure of rising energy costs. With countless energy-saving tips circulating online, it can be difficult to know how to reduce energy bills in winter and which changes genuinely make a difference.
Home insurance specialists here at Norton Insurance Brokers analysed hundreds of Reddit discussions and real-world experiences shared by UK homeowners to identify the habits that appear to deliver the most meaningful savings.
The findings suggest that the biggest reductions in energy bills do not come from using less energy across the board, but from preventing heat loss, timing energy use more effectively, and understanding what uses the most electricity in a home.
Preventing heat loss delivers the biggest impact
Heating remains the largest contributor to household energy costs, which is why many homeowners ask how to keep heat in your home during winter. Rather than dramatically lowering thermostat settings, many households reported better results from keeping warmth inside the home.
Simple measures such as sealing draughts around doors, windows, keyholes and floor gaps can significantly reduce heat escaping, particularly in older properties. Thick curtains, thermal blinds and secondary glazing can also help retain warmth and are often recommended as low-cost ways to improve home insulation.
Some households reported heating cost reductions of up to 25% after improving insulation and addressing draughts, highlighting how reducing heat loss in older homes can deliver immediate savings.
Short, daily ventilation also plays a role. One Reddit user said, “Do open windows and doors for 15 minutes per room every day. This helps with damp and circulating the air. Even if it’s raining or snowing, just do it, but in series rather than all at once.” Opening windows for 10 to 15 minutes per room helps reduce damp and humidity, allowing homes to feel warmer at lower temperatures and reducing the need for higher heating settings.” This approach can help homeowners wondering how to prevent damp while saving energy.
Timing energy use can reduce bills without reducing comfort
When energy is used can be just as important as how much is used, particularly for households asking how to save money with off-peak electricity tariffs.
Households on time-of-use tariffs who shifted high-demand activities such as laundry, dishwashing and water heating to off-peak hours reported noticeably 25% lower monthly bills. In electricity-only homes, hot water systems can account for more than half of total electricity use, making overnight heating a particularly effective adjustment for those researching the best time to run appliances to save electricity.
Smart meters and half-hourly usage data are helping more households identify expensive peak periods and adapt their routines accordingly, making it easier to understand when electricity is cheapest in the UK.
Measuring usage helps households make smarter decisions
Many homeowners found their assumptions about energy use changed once they began monitoring it, especially those trying to identify which appliances use the most electricity.
Energy monitoring plugs revealed that always-on devices, particularly computers, televisions and screens left running continuously, were among the largest electricity users in some homes. Meanwhile, appliances often assumed to be inefficient, such as older freezers, frequently consumed far less power than expected.
One Reddit user said: “Buy an energy monitoring plug. Put it on each appliance and allow it to gather data for a week. Switch the plug to another device and repeat. You’ll very soon realise what is consuming most of your energy and you can make cuts as necessary.”
Access to clear data allows households to make targeted changes rather than cutting back unnecessarily, answering a common concern about how to track home energy usage effectively.