Keep warm
for less.

Heating accounts for around 60% of a typical UK household's energy bill. Before you spend money on upgrades, there's a surprising amount you can do for free or under £50 that makes a real difference. Here's what actually works.

Free: things you can do right now

Set your thermostat to 19°C

The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of 18°C for healthy adults. Most UK homes are set to 21–22°C. Every degree you drop saves roughly 10% on your heating bill — so going from 21°C to 19°C saves around £150–£200/year for an average gas-heated home. You probably won't notice the difference if you're wearing normal indoor clothes.

If you have elderly or vulnerable household members, keep their rooms at 21°C — but that doesn't mean the whole house needs to be that warm.

Use your programmer properly

Set heating to come on 30 minutes before you wake and switch off 30 minutes before you leave or go to bed. A warm house has thermal mass — it doesn't go cold the moment the boiler stops. If you're out during the day, there's no reason to heat an empty house. The myth that "it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day" is exactly that — a myth. The Energy Saving Trust has tested this repeatedly.

Bleed your radiators

If the top of a radiator is cold while the bottom is warm, there's trapped air inside. A radiator key costs under £2 from any hardware shop. Bleed all your radiators at the start of winter — it takes 10 minutes and can make a noticeable difference to how quickly rooms heat up.

Don't block radiators

Sofas, curtains, and drying racks in front of radiators absorb the heat before it reaches the room. Pull furniture at least 15cm away. If your curtains hang over a radiator, tuck them behind it or use a shorter curtain.

Close curtains at dusk

Up to 20% of heat loss in a typical home goes through windows. Closing curtains as soon as it gets dark creates an insulating air pocket. Lined curtains or thermal curtain liners (£10–£20 per window) make this even more effective. During the day, open south-facing curtains to let solar gain warm the room for free.

Under £50: cheap wins that pay for themselves

Draught-proof doors and windows

Self-adhesive foam strip costs around £5–£8 per roll and seals gaps around doors and windows in minutes. A draught excluder for the bottom of external doors costs £5–£15. Together, draught-proofing can save £60–£90/year according to the Energy Saving Trust. The payback period is usually under three months.

Key spots to check: front and back doors, letterbox, cat flap, loft hatch, gaps around pipes and cables entering through external walls, and old sash windows.

Radiator reflector panels

For radiators on external walls, reflective panels fitted behind the radiator bounce heat back into the room instead of warming the wall. Ready-made panels cost £5–£10 each, or you can buy reflective foil on a roll for less. This is one of the simplest upgrades with measurable results — particularly in uninsulated solid-wall homes where the wall behind the radiator gets warm to the touch.

Chimney draught excluder

An open chimney in a room you're heating is like leaving a window open. A chimney balloon or chimney sheep (£15–£25) blocks the flue when the fire isn't in use. If you never use the fireplace, this is one of the best-value draught fixes available — chimneys can account for up to 40% of a room's heat loss.

Hot water cylinder jacket

If you have a hot water tank and it's not insulated (or has a thin jacket), a British Standard cylinder jacket costs £15–£20 and saves around £35–£45/year. It should be at least 80mm thick. This is a 6-month payback — hard to beat.

Heating smarter, not harder

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)

If your radiators have old manual valves (just a numbered dial), replacing them with TRVs lets you set different temperatures in different rooms. No point heating the spare bedroom to 21°C when nobody's in it. A set of TRVs costs £5–£10 each and can be fitted without a plumber if you're comfortable with basic DIY. Smart TRVs (£30–£60 each) let you schedule room-by-room from your phone.

Switch to a time-of-use tariff

If you have a smart meter, tariffs like Octopus Go or Cosy offer cheaper off-peak rates. Run your heating harder during cheap periods and let the warmth carry through — particularly effective if you have good insulation or a heat pump with a buffer tank. Use our tariff comparison calculator to see if switching saves you money.

Smart thermostat

A smart thermostat (Hive, Nest, tado°, Drayton Wiser) typically costs £150–£250 installed. The savings come from better scheduling, geofencing (turning off when you leave), and learning your routine. Realistic savings are £75–£150/year — so the payback is 1–3 years. Worth it if you have an irregular schedule or often forget to adjust the heating.

Free upgrades you might qualify for

If you're on a low income or receive qualifying benefits, you may be eligible for free insulation, heating upgrades, or both through government schemes:

ECO4 — free loft, cavity, and solid wall insulation for eligible households. Closes December 2026 — read our guide and apply soon.

Warm Homes Local Grant — up to £15,000 for insulation and renewables, delivered through your local council. See how it compares to ECO4.

Warm Home Discount — a £150 one-off discount on your electricity bill, usually applied automatically if you receive Pension Credit. Check with your energy supplier.

Run our grants eligibility checker to see what you qualify for.

Published October 2026. Savings estimates based on Energy Saving Trust and Ofgem data for a typical UK household.