Guides

What every appliance costs to run: the full UK list

Forty-six appliances, ranked by what they cost you a year. The gap between the top and the bottom is the whole point.

Is it cheaper to leave the heating on all day?

The myth that leaving heating on low all day saves money, tested against current UK gas rates.

What temperature should I set my thermostat?

Most UK homes are comfortable at 18 to 21C. Here is how to pick your number and what each degree costs.

Is it cheaper to heat one room or the whole house?

Heating one room sounds cheaper, but the fuel you use matters more than the floor area. Here is the real maths.

How much does it cost to run a heated clothes airer?

What a heated clothes airer really costs per hour, per load and per year, with the figures behind it.

How does the energy price cap work?

What the Ofgem price cap actually limits, why the headline figure is not your bill, and how to read your real rates.

How to sleep in a heatwave without air conditioning

Practical, low-cost ways to keep your bedroom cool and sleep through a heatwave, no air con needed.

Hot tub running cost: what it really costs to keep one hot

A hot tub costs money even when nobody is in it, because it keeps a few hundred litres hot day and night. Here are the real numbers and how to bring them down.

Ground source versus air source heat pumps

Both pull heat from outside, but from different places. Which type suits your home, garden and budget.

Solar water heating: still worth it next to solar panels?

The older solar technology heats water directly and does it efficiently. Whether it still beats solar panels comes down to your roof and demand.

Electric car versus petrol: the running-cost comparison

An EV usually wins on running cost, especially charged at home off-peak. Here is the real per-mile maths and the caveats.

Your EPC explained: what the energy rating means

The A-to-G rating on your home: what it really tells you, where it matters, and how to improve it.

The energy cost of working from home

Home working moves energy onto your bill, mostly daytime heating. What it adds and how to trim it.

Loft insulation: the best-value upgrade

Pound for pound the best home energy upgrade there is. How deep to go, how to lay it, and what it saves.

Draught-proofing: the cheap heat you are losing

Cheap, quick, and it makes a cold house feel warmer at once. How to find every gap and seal it properly.

Cavity wall insulation: is it worth it, and is your cavity already full?

Filling a cavity is one of the higher-value insulation jobs, and grants often halve the price. Here is how to check your house qualifies.

Insulating a solid-wall house

Solid walls lose more heat than any cavity, so insulating them is the biggest fabric improvement an older home can make, and the most involved.

Insulating under the floor: what it costs and what it saves

Cold floors leak heat and let draughts rise through the boards. Here is how to fix it, from a tube of sealant to a full insulation job.

Is double glazing worth the money?

Double glazing genuinely cuts heat loss and transforms how a room feels, but as a pure money saver the payback runs into decades. Here is the honest maths.

Secondary glazing: warmth without new windows

A second inner layer of glazing traps a pocket of still air that does the insulating. It costs a fraction of new windows and keeps your originals.

Curtains for warmth: the cheapest window insulation there is

A good pair of lined curtains, drawn at dusk, traps a layer of still air against cold glass. It is about the cheapest insulation there is, and mostly free.

Radiator reflectors: do they actually work?

Reflective panels behind a radiator sound like a gimmick but have a real, if modest, basis on the right wall. Here is when they pay and when they do not.

Thermostat settings: the cheapest tool in the house

The thermostat costs nothing and controls the biggest bill. Used well it saves real money; used out of habit it quietly overspends.

Smart thermostats: do they actually save money?

A smart thermostat is genuinely useful, but it does not save energy by itself. Here is where the money is really saved, and who should bother.

Radiator valves and zoning: heat only where you live

Most homes heat every room to the same temperature whether anyone uses it or not. TRVs and zoning fix that for free.

How to bleed radiators (and why it cuts your heating bill)

A radiator that is hot at the bottom but cold at the top has trapped air. Bleeding it out is a five-minute, no-cost job that lets your heating do its work.

Turn down your boiler flow temperature

A free setting on most gas combis that can cut gas use noticeably, and almost nobody touches it. Here is exactly how.

How condensing boilers work, and how to make yours cheaper to run

Nearly every gas boiler sold for years has been a condensing model. Understand the one trick it relies on and you can cut your gas bill for nothing.

Heat pumps explained without the jargon

A plain-English guide to what a heat pump is, how it can beat a boiler on energy used, and why the house matters more than the kit.

Heat pump running cost vs a gas boiler

It hinges on efficiency and the gap between electricity and gas prices. The cost per unit of heat, worked out honestly.

Should you get rid of gas and go all-electric?

Losing the gas standing charge is the easy win; replacing the heating cheaply is the hard part. When going all-electric adds up.

Portable electric heaters: what they really cost

Cheap to buy, dear to run. When a plug-in heater saves money and when it quietly drains your wallet.

Electric blanket versus heating the whole house

Heat the person, not the building: an electric blanket runs for pennies an hour where central heating runs for pounds.

Storage heaters: getting the cheap heat right

Cheap, even heat if you run them right; expensive if you don't. How to set the dials and feed them the right tariff.

Oil central heating: what it costs to run

Around four million UK homes heat with oil. Here is how to price a tankful, where it goes, and how to spend less of it.

Wood burning stove running cost

A stove can be cheap heat or dear heat depending almost entirely on how you buy your wood. Here is the real arithmetic.

Hot water savings: the second biggest energy use

Heating water is the second biggest energy use in most homes, and much of it runs on habit. Plenty to trim without cold showers.

Cylinder jackets and pipe lagging: the cheapest saving in the house

A cylinder jacket and a few pounds of foam pipe lagging pay for themselves in weeks. Here is exactly what to buy and where it saves.

How much does it cost to run an immersion heater?

A tankful costs around £2 at the standard rate, about half that overnight on Economy 7. The figures, and the trap to avoid.

Low-flow showerheads: save water and the energy to heat it

Most of the cost of a shower is heating the water, not the water itself. A cheaper showerhead cuts the bill twice over, but only on the right plumbing.

Bath vs shower: which actually costs more to run?

The label on the door tells you almost nothing. What decides the cost is how many litres of hot water you draw.

Hot water: cheaper on a timer or left on constantly?

The answer depends entirely on whether you store hot water or heat it on demand. Many people are saving on a system where the timer question does not even apply.

LED lighting: the fit-and-forget saving

LED bulbs sip electricity and last for years. The swap pays for itself fast, then keeps paying with no further effort.

Standby power: the full story

Standby power is real money for almost no effort to reclaim, but it is widely exaggerated. Here is which devices matter and which are a waste of your time.

How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?

A conventional dryer costs around 80p a load; a heat-pump model about half that. The figures, and the cheaper ways to dry.

Fridge-freezer efficiency: cutting the cost of the one appliance that never switches off

A fridge-freezer is modest minute to minute, but it never switches off, so small improvements repay themselves every single day.

Is washing at 30 degrees worth it?

Heating the water is nearly all of a wash's energy cost, so turning the temperature down is the easiest laundry saving there is, with no loss of cleaning.

What does it cost to run a washing machine?

A washing machine feels like a steady background cost, but the spending is lopsided. Almost all of it is heating water, and that is the one thing you control.

Running a dishwasher cheaply: eco mode, full loads and the pre-rinse myth

A dishwasher run sensibly can cost less than washing up under a running tap. Here is how to get the cost per load right down.

Is a dishwasher cheaper than washing up by hand?

It comes down to how you heat the water, not whether you own a dishwasher. Here is when each option wins.

Boiling the kettle for less

A kettle is one of the most powerful things in the house. No single boil costs much, but the daily habit adds up, and the fix is free.

How much does it cost to run an electric shower?

A 9 to 10 kW monster used for minutes. A typical shower costs 30 to 40p; the lever is time, not the wattage.

Air fryer running cost: the hype and the reality

Air fryers were sold as bill-slashers. There is truth in it for small meals, but the saving is pence, not pounds, and only on the right jobs.

Oven, microwave or air fryer: which is cheapest to cook in?

None of the three is cheapest for everything. The trick is matching the appliance to the size of the job, and here is the maths to do it.

Slow cooker economy: cheap cooking that runs all day

Running for eight hours sounds expensive, but a slow cooker sips power. Here is the actual cost and where it beats the oven.

Induction vs gas hob: which is actually cheaper to run?

Induction wastes almost no energy, but electricity is dearer than gas. The running cost gap is smaller than you would think. Here is the maths.

Using a plug-in energy monitor: measure, do not guess

Most energy advice asks you to estimate. A plug-in monitor replaces the guesswork with measurement, so you chase the things that actually cost money, not the ones you imagine do.

Television and entertainment energy: what the living room really costs

The television is rarely the villain. The real waste hides in consoles and boxes left half-awake. Here is what the whole entertainment corner costs and how to trim it.

The broadband router and other always-on devices: what they really cost

The router never sleeps, and neither do half a dozen other little boxes. Small per hour, real per year. Here is the honest figure and when to bother switching off.

Drying clothes without a tumble dryer

The dryer is one of the thirstiest things in the house. Several cheaper ways to get a load dry, and what each really costs.

Dehumidifier running cost: what it really costs to run

A modest electricity user that can save money by replacing the tumble dryer. The real numbers, plus when it only masks the damp.

Energy labels: reading the rating before you buy

The letter grade is the least useful part. How to read the annual kWh figure and buy the model that's cheaper to run.

What uses the most electricity in your home

Lighting and gadgets rarely move the bill. Heat is what costs. Here is what really drives a UK electricity bill, ranked.

Do smart plugs save energy? Where they help and where they do not

A smart plug saves money only when it stops something wasteful or moves a load to a cheaper hour. Here is how to tell the useful cases from the pointless ones.

Understanding your energy bill

Energy bills are written to be paid, not understood. Here is how to read every line and check you are not being overcharged.

How much electricity does a typical home use?

A typical medium home uses around 2,700 units of electricity a year, but the spread is wide. What sits behind the headline figure.

Switching energy suppliers: how to compare the right things

Switching supplier is one of the few savings that needs no lifestyle change, just a bit of admin. The trick is comparing the right things.

Smart meters: what they do and what they do not

They end estimated bills and make cheaper tariffs possible, but the meter itself saves you nothing. Here is the real story.

Economy 7 and night-rate tariffs: are they worth it?

Cheap electricity overnight, dearer by day. Brilliant for some homes, a quiet loss for others. How to tell which you are.

Time-of-use tariffs explained

Cheaper electricity at the right hours, dearer at the wrong ones. Whether load-shifting pays depends entirely on your household.

Standing charges explained, and what you can do about them

The fixed daily fee you pay before using a single unit. What it covers, and the narrow cases where you can dodge it.

Solar panels: the basics, in plain English

How a roof full of panels actually works, what drives the output, and why using your own power matters most.

Is solar worth it in 2026?

What a system costs, what it generates, and a worked payback at 2026 prices. No hype, no doom.

Solar battery storage: worth adding or not?

A battery stores your midday sun for the evening. It makes solar more useful but rarely pays back faster.

Do solar panels work better or worse in hot weather?

Panels love light, not heat. Why a scorching day isn't their best, and why summer still wins overall.

The Smart Export Guarantee explained

Solar panels can earn you money for the power you send back to the grid. Here is how the SEG pays, and why self-use still beats export.

Do solar panels work in winter and on cloudy days?

They keep generating in winter, just a lot less. What a grey British December actually does to the output.

Hypermiling: cutting your fuel bill without becoming a hazard

Hypermiling is the art of driving to use as little fuel as possible. Taken sensibly it saves a useful margin; taken to extremes it is dangerous. Here is the worthwhile middle.

Keeping your car cool without wrecking fuel economy

Air con or windows down? The honest answer depends on your speed. How to stay cool for the least fuel.

Petrol vs diesel: which is cheaper to run?

Diesel wins on fuel economy but not always on total cost. Here is how to work out where the line falls for your own mileage.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?

The cost of a full charge and the cost per mile, worked out for off-peak, standard and public rates.

Is it cheaper to charge an EV at home or in public?

Home wins by a mile, literally. The cost per mile of home versus public charging, and when public is still worth it.

EV electricity tariffs explained: the overnight rate that changes everything

The single biggest lever on EV running cost. How the cheap overnight window works, and what to compare.

Charging an electric car without a driveway

No driveway means no cheap overnight tariff, so charging costs more and needs planning. The options, honestly.

The best time to charge an electric car

The cheapest time to charge is the overnight off-peak window. How to make sure your car always uses it.

How many miles per kWh do electric cars get?

The efficiency figure that decides your cost per mile. Real-world numbers by car type and what drags them down.

Do you need a home EV charger? 3-pin plug vs 7kW wallbox

A granny cable adds about 8 miles an hour; a 7kW wallbox three times that. When the slow plug is enough, and when it isn't.

EV charging in winter: range loss and how to limit it

Cold can cut range by a fifth or more, mostly through cabin heating. Preconditioning and a few habits claw most of it back.

Does hot weather affect EV range? What a heatwave does

Heat cuts range too, just less than cold. Why a heatwave costs you miles, and why a heat pump won't save you this time.

A year of EV charging vs a year of petrol

The annual fuel bill, worked out: a few hundred pounds on an off-peak tariff against four figures for petrol.

Plug-in hybrid running cost: are PHEVs cheaper to run?

Only if you plug it in. Why a PHEV's real cost swings from 2p to 16p a mile on charging discipline alone.

How long do electric car batteries last?

Longer than most people fear. The real degradation data, the warranty backstop, and how to make a pack last.

Winter energy checklist: an afternoon's work that pays off all winter

Most of the year's energy spending lands in the cold months. Work through this checklist before the first real cold and your house holds heat instead of haemorrhaging it.

Keeping cool in summer without air conditioning

Block the sun by day, flush the cool in at night, and use a fan not a compressor. Cool rooms for pennies.

How much does it cost to run air conditioning?

A compressor draws thirty to fifty times what a fan does. The cost per hour and per day, and how to keep it down.

How much does it cost to run a fan?

Almost nothing. A fan costs about a penny an hour, so a whole night runs to a few pence. The figures by fan type.

Portable air conditioner vs fan: which is worth it?

One moves air for pennies; one removes heat for pounds. What each is really for, and how to choose.

Why your fridge and freezer cost more to run in summer

A hot kitchen makes the fridge work harder. Why summer raises the cost, and the easy fixes.

Energy-saving myths that cost you money

Leaving the heating on low all day, unplugging chargers, turning lights off for seconds: which advice is just wrong.

Do plug-in energy-saving boxes actually work?

The little 'power saver' boxes sold online cannot cut a household bill, and the physics says why. What works instead.

Cutting energy bills when you rent

Renters have more levers than they think: free habits, cheap removable kit, a tariff switch, and things the landlord can be made to fix.

Energy-saving quick wins under a tenner

A shopping list of cheap fixes, none more than a takeaway, that each pay for themselves in a season or two.

How much does it cost to charge a phone?

Under a penny a charge, and around a pound or two a year. The actual numbers, and why the plugged-in-charger worry is a myth.

How much does it cost to run an air purifier?

What a HEPA air purifier costs to run in the UK, by fan speed, with a clear cost table and ways to trim the bill.

How much does it cost to run a microwave?

What a microwave really costs to run per minute, per meal and per year, plus why it usually beats the oven.

How much does it cost to run a toaster?

What a toaster really costs to run in the UK, with per-use and yearly figures at the current price cap.

How much does it cost to run an electric oven?

What an electric oven really costs to run per hour, per roast and per year, and the simple habits that trim it.

How much does it cost to run a hair dryer?

What a hair dryer really costs per use and per year at 2026 UK electricity prices, plus simple ways to spend less.

How much does it cost to run a games console?

PS5, Xbox and Switch running costs in the UK, plus the rest-mode habit that quietly adds to your bill.

How much does an aquarium cost to run?

A typical 100 litre tropical tank costs around £2.60 a week, and the heater is most of it. The figures, and the safe ways to trim them.

How to set your central heating timer

Getting the schedule right matters as much as the temperature you choose. Here is how to program the timer well.

Is my energy direct debit too high?

A simple way to check whether your fixed monthly payment matches your real usage, and how to get it lowered.

Why is my electricity bill so high? How to find the cause

A shock electricity bill almost always has one identifiable cause. Work through the checks in order and you can usually name it within an evening.

What happens when your fixed energy deal ends?

A fixed deal ending is the moment your bill can quietly jump. Here is exactly what happens, the free switching window you get, and how to decide what to do next.

Summer energy-saving checklist: cutting bills in the warm months

Warm-weather checklist to trim your UK energy bills: cheap cooling, fridge tips, daylight habits and the costs that hide in summer.

How much does it cost to keep a flat cool in summer?

Real summer cooling costs for a UK flat, from fans to portable air con, priced at the current cap.

Do evaporative coolers work in the UK?

Cheap to run, but do swamp coolers actually cool a damp British home? The honest answer, with running costs.

Ceiling fans: running cost and are they worth it?

Ceiling fans cost pennies an hour to run. Here is the real UK figure and whether one is worth fitting.

Can a heat pump cool your home in summer?

Some heat pumps run in reverse to cool your home. Here is which types cool, and what it costs.