Save Money on Your Energy Bills ULTIMATE GUIDE 2026

Everything You Need To Know

Stop wasting time searching the internet for energy saving tips – we have them all here in one article!!

Fast tips to bring down bills immediately
Small investments that reduce bills without turning your house into an icebox
Longer term investments for a warm house without massive energy bills

Target gas bills AND electricity bills with our handy guide.

small model house with Energy Rating coins and a calculator

Is Your Household Using Too Much Energy?

If you want to reduce your energy bills, and reduce your energy usage, it’s useful to know why your bills are high.

If your usage is above average, you can concentrate on energy saving behaviours around the house – see Sections 2-3 of this guide.

If your usage is about average, and you still want to reduce your bills, then you probably need to look into upgrading your BER.

Ireland Household Energy Usage Statistics

According to switcher.ie, in Ireland we fall broadly into three groups:

Energy Usage	Type of Household	Electricity Usage (annual KWh)	Gas Usage(annual KWh)
Low	1-2 bed flat, 1-2 people Only at home weekends & evenings	2,900	6,900
Medium	3 bed house, 3-4 people At home most of the day & night	4,200	11,000
High	4+ bed house, 5+ people Home all day	5,400	13,700

Table adapted from this page on switcher.ie

UK Household Energy Usage Statistics

In the UK, it looks more like this:

Energy Usage	Type of Household	Electricity Usage (annual KWh)	Gas Usage, (annual KWh)
Low	1-2 bed flat, 1-2 people	1,800	8,000
Medium	3 bed house, 2-3 people	2,900	12,000
High	5 bed house, 4-5 people	4,300	17,000

Table adapted from this page on britishgas.co.uk

What Kind of Savings Can I Expect?

Appliance	KWh
Electric shower	9.5
Immersion heater	3
Tumble dryer	3
Electric oven	2.5
Iron	2.5
Kettle	2.5
Hair dryer	2
Toaster	1.5
Microwave	0.8
Desktop computer	0.2
TV	0.2
Fridge freezer	0.18
Laptop	0.1
Router	0.01

Table adapted from this page on bonkers.ie

Save,Heating,Costs,And,Energy,,,Piggy,Bank,And,Money

Any website that gives you an exact figure is probably incorrect. We all have different living conditions, different sized houses, modern houses, old houses, different lifestyles and habits, and different tariffs from different utility providers, so we’ll all have different costs.

It’s really impossible to give hard and fast figures. However, we can compare the energy usage of various electrical items so that you can get an idea of which appliances use the most and where to focus your efforts. You can also compare with your own tariff as quoted on your energy bill to calculate how much you stand to save.

FYI: What is a kilowatt hour (KWh)? This is the amount of energy you’d use if you kept a 1 kilowatt appliance running for one hour.

Fast Tips to Start Saving Instantly

Things you can do RIGHT NOW to bring your bills down.

How To Reduce Your Gas Bill Right Now

Staying Warm

Selective heating

Turn the heating off while you sleep or are not in the house. Turn off radiators and close doors to the rooms you’re not using (be on the lookout for mould in unused rooms - if you start to see signs of this, scale back a little so that the room isn’t quite so cold).

Turn your thermostat down

Check your radiators

Make the most of sunlight

Get cosy!

Stay Active

In The Kitchen

Use saucepan lids

Use lids on your saucepans when you cook on the stove top and turn down the heat as soon as they reach temperature. This reduces energy usage and also reduces condensation in the kitchen, so you won’t have to open the window or keep the fan on as long.

Watch pan size

Match your saucepan size to the ring size on the stove. Using small pans on large rings means some of the heat gets lost around the saucepan.

Use less water

Use less water for boiling vegetables or steam instead. Using more water than you need will waste energy heating extra water unnecessarily.

Limit preheating

Don’t leave your gas oven preheating for a long time. Many gas ovens actually reach full temperature very quickly. You can check this using an oven thermometer which can be purchased quite cheaply, and may end up saving you money on your gas bill.

Eco cycles for washing

Choose eco washing options on your washing machine and dishwasher.

Selective dishwasher use

Wash large pots by hand to reduce dishwasher usage. Wash up in a sink full of water rather than running the tap while you wash.

In The Bathroom

Short showers

Avoid baths. Instead opt for showers and keep them as short as possible. Try a shower hourglass to keep kids and teens on time.

Turn off the tap

Don't leave the tap running while you're cleaning your teeth. Use reward charts to help small kids remember to turn of the tap when not in use.

Fix leaks

Make sure your taps are not leaking or left dripping when not in use to ensure that your boiler isn't heating water unnecessarily.

How to Reduce Your Electricity Bill Right Now

Using Appliances

Learn about appliances

Be aware of which appliances use the most electricity. As a general rule, appliances that have some kind of heating capacity require more electricity, eg tumble dryers, electric showers, ovens, kettles, hair dryers.

Lower temperature

Wash clothes and dishes at a lower temperature most of the time (but do put on hot washes now and again to prevent the washing machine and dishwasher pipes clogging).

Turn it off!

Don’t leave lights and other electrical appliances on in rooms that are not being used.

Use fewer lamps

Use one lamp rather than every light in the room wherever possible.

In The Kitchen

Use a microwave

Use the microwave to reheat food rather than the oven as it will use less energy.

Watch the oven

Don’t take too long preheating your oven. Take a note of how long it takes to get to temperature rather than turning it on half an hour before you need it. Try not to open the oven door too often during cooking.

Plan ahead

Try to organise your cooking so that you’re using more than one shelf in the oven at the same time to make the most of the expense.

Close the door!

Don’t leave the fridge or freezer door open for long periods.

Minimise kettle use

Don’t overfill your kettle or you’re heating extra water over and over again. Consider heating water on the stove.

Move the fridge

If possible, move your fridge or freezer to a cooler spot in the house out of direct sunlight.

Washing

Wash less

Make sure that your washing machine and dishwasher are full before putting them on so that you're making the most of every wash and reducing number of washes overall.

Smart washing

If you have to use a dryer, try to choose the best cycle on your dryer for the contents. If you only have a small load, make use of time selection features to reduce the cycle time. Take out the washing as soon as it’s dry to avoid the dryer continuing to run on the wrinkle prevent feature.

Avoid the dryer

Air dry your clothes on a washing line whenever possible.

Clean the filter

Clean out the tumble dryer filter regularly.

Avoid overloading

Contrary to washing machines and dishwashers, don’t overload the tumble dryer. Let smaller or thinner items air dry and only use the tumble dryer for thicker or larger items, but leave plenty of space in there to allow air to circulate.

Making sure appliances are not on standby overnight is often recommended but only represents a small saving for the extra effort of going round your house turning everything off at night. Every household needs to decide for themselves how far they’re willing to go. Where it’s easy, there’s nothing to lose. For example if you’re going on holiday or away for the weekend, turn everything off before you go. But if turning everything off every night seems like too much effort for too little gain, you could instead consider timer switches on select appliances.

*Handy Tip
Don’t turn off your wireless router on a regular basis – your internet provider may interpret this as a fault on the line and slow down your internet speed to compensate.

Small Investments for Sustained Reductions

Things you can do with little investment to bring your bills down within weeks.

Good Deals

Shop around

Spend a little time investigating utilities providers to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Sites like bonkers.ie and switcher.ie can be useful.

Get a better deal

See if you can find a utilities package that offers cheaper rates during the hours that you’re at home, using the most energy.

Look for discounts

See if your chosen provider has any discounts for paperless billing and direct debit payments.

Reduce Wastage

Reduce draughts

Check for draughts and try to eliminate them. Seal cracks in floors and skirting boards, draught proof your letterbox, and block unused chimneys. Install draught excluder tape around door and window frames or draught excluder cushions at the bottom of doors. (Do not take this task further and block all your air vents – these are important for airflow to avoid mould growth.)

Insulate the tank

If you have a hot water storage tank / immersion tank, ensure that it is well insulated. See if you can insulate your hot water pipes.

Service the boiler

Get your boiler serviced every year to ensure it maintains energy efficiency.

Heavy curtains

If you are saving up to replace windows and doors to reduce drafts, consider heavier curtains to reduce heat loss through windows as a stop gap measure. Installing a curtain behind outside doors can also help.

Get a new thermostat

Update your thermostat to ensure that it’s accurate – even a 3-5° delay in your boiler switching on can impact your bills. Smart thermostats can also be operated via an app on your mobile phone, which means you can turn the heating on or off even when you’re out of the house.

Reduce Usage

Thermostatic valves

If you don’t have them, install thermostatic radiator valves. They allow you to change the temperature of every radiator individually so you can turn off the heating in rooms that aren't being used.

Get dryer balls

Buy a set of wool dryer balls. These help to separate clothes in the dryer so that they dry faster.

Efficient shower head

Change to a water efficiency shower head, which will reduce the flow whilst still providing a pleasant shower experience.

Slow cooker

Invest in a slow cooker. You may be surprised to learn that leaving a slow cooker on all day uses a lot less energy than putting the oven on for an hour!

Get LED bulbs

Exchange halogen and CFL bulbs for LED bulbs, which use only a fraction of the electricity.

Get Smart

Smart meter

If you don’t have one already, get a smart meter installed to ensure that your meter readings are always accurate.

Home energy monitor

Invest in an in-home smart meter display or home energy monitor so that you can monitor your electricity usage in real time and learn what energy saving measures work best in your own home.

Smart systems

Investigate smart light bulbs, smart plugs, and smart systems on offer from your utilities company. These devices allow you to turn off unused appliances via your phone, or schedule the hours that they’re on. With a smart system you can have your heating turn on just before you get home so that it’s already warm, instead of being tempted to turn it on full blast when you walk in the door.

Heating controls

Heating controls – heat only the parts of the home that need it, set different temperatures for different areas of the house. Helps you avoid frozen pipes if you’re away without the need to leave the heating on daily. Get more information here.

Effective Long Term Solutions

The great news about this section is that despite a larger investment, you’re going to save a lot more with a lot less effort. Savings start instantly once new appliances or insulation is installed and you’ll feel the extra warmth in the house too! Not only that, but you may be able to get government grants towards the cost of work on your house!

For more information on home energy upgrade grants in Ireland, visit this page.

For more information on home energy upgrade grants in the UK, visit this page.

Did you know?! Here at Complete Insulations, we take the value of your SEAI grant off your bill UPFRONT! Find out more about our services here.

Woman on laptop holding a small house model with Energy Rate

Upgrading Your BER

The energy efficiency of your house is measured by a Building Energy Rating (BER). A1 is the highest rating and G is the lowest.

Your BER is a measure of how energy efficient your home is, how good it is at reducing energy usage, which is determined by things like whether you’re losing heat through walls, windows, or old pipes, through an outdated heating system, etc.

Appliances:

If your dishwasher and washing machine are old you may want to consider upgrading to a more modern, energy efficient model that will use less electricity and water. Look for eco wash features so you can control the water level or temperature.

Boiler:

Consider changing old boilers for new A rated condensing boiler – These are more efficient, meaning you get more heat out of less gas. They also heat water only when it’s needed, so there’s nothing wasted./li>

Heat Loss:

Check the depth of your attic insulation. If your insulation hasn’t been upgraded in a few years, it may not be thick enough. If it’s old insulation and less than 30cm deep, chances are you need an upgrade. Get more information here.
Install additional home insulation to prevent heat loss through walls. Get more information here.
Replace draughty windows.

Go Green:

Consider switching to renewable energy sources for your home, like heat pumps or solar panels.

If you need further advice to help reduce your energy bills via a home upgrade, please contact our office on 01 8954908.

Save Money on Your Energy Bills - The Ultimate Guide