10 quick wins that actually cut your bill

Start with the big three

Heating, hot water and the tumble dryer are where nearly all your money goes. Fiddling with your phone charger is not going to save your bill.

• Drop your heating by 1°C — around £90 a year, and most people never notice.
• Cut the immersion or boiler hot water to 60°C — plenty hot, less wasted.
• Dry one load a week on the line or an airer instead of the dryer — about £30 a year.

Then the easy habits

None of these cost you anything, and they add up quietly in the background.

• Wash at 30°C — same clean clothes, roughly a third less electricity.
• Boil only the water you need in the kettle.
• Use the microwave or air fryer for small meals instead of the big oven.
• Switch the shower down by a minute each — a family of four saves about £60 a year.
• Turn off the second fridge or freezer in the garage if it's half empty.
• Pull plugs on the telly, console and set-top box overnight.
• Bleed your radiators so the heat goes into the room, not the pipes.

And the one everyone forgets

Being on the wrong deal costs more than every tip on this page put together. If you haven't compared in the last twelve months, that's the first job.