How to Reduce Your Gas Bill This Winter — 10 Cheap Fixes for UK Homes

Air trapped in radiators means the top stays cold while the boiler works harder to compensate. Bleeding takes 2 minutes per radiator and costs nothing.

If your radiators gurgle or have cold spots at the top, this is the first fix you should try. Turn off the heating, use a radiator key to open the bleed valve at the top until water flows out, then close it. That's it.

Need a radiator key? See our recommendation in our cold house guide.

Instead of heating every room equally, smart TRVs let you heat only the rooms you're using. The Energy Saving Trust estimates 15–25% savings on gas bills.

A set of 4 valves costs £150–£200 and pays for itself within one winter. You can schedule each room independently — bedroom warm at 7am, off during the day, warm again at 6pm. No more heating the spare room because it's on the same circuit as the living room.

See our full guide: Best Smart Radiator Valves for UK Homes.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates draught-proofing saves £60 per year on a typical UK home. Self-adhesive strips cost £5–£10 and take 15 minutes to fit around a door or window frame.

The most common leak points are the gap under external doors, around window frames, and through letterboxes. Foam or brush strips for doors, silicone sealant for window gaps, and a simple letterbox cover can eliminate most unwanted airflow.

See our full guide: Best Draught Excluders for UK Doors & Windows.

If your radiators are on external walls, up to 40% of their heat goes into the brickwork rather than into the room. Reflector panels bounce that heat back into the living space where you actually feel it.

Radflek panels are thin, unobtrusive, and install without tools — just hook them behind the radiator. They pay for themselves within one heating season.

See our recommendation in Why Is My House So Cold Even With Heating On?.

Triple-weave thermal curtains reduce heat loss through windows by 15–17% according to the Energy Saving Trust. Close them as soon as it gets dark — open curtains at night are one of the biggest heat leaks in UK homes.

They don't need to look industrial. Many modern thermal curtains are indistinguishable from standard blackout curtains but with a thermal lining woven in. Focus on south- and north-facing windows where heat loss is greatest.

See our full guide: Best Thermal Curtains for UK Homes.

A standard UK letterbox is a direct hole to the outside. Even when the flap is closed, cold air streams through. A letterbox cover with a brush seal blocks 100% of the draught.

Keyholes on old doors are another tiny but real leak. A simple keyhole cover costs under £2 and takes seconds to fit. These are the cheapest fixes on this list and surprisingly effective.

If you have single-glazed windows, insulation film creates an air barrier that mimics double glazing for £15 per window. It's invisible once fitted and removes cleanly in spring.

The film attaches to the window frame with double-sided tape, then you shrink it tight with a hairdryer. The trapped air layer dramatically reduces heat loss and condensation. Best suited to windows you don't need to open during winter.

See our condensation guide for film recommendations: How to Stop Condensation on Windows in a UK Home.

The Energy Saving Trust says reducing your thermostat by 1°C saves approximately £80–£100 per year. Most people won't notice the difference between 21°C and 20°C, especially if you draught-proof first so the home retains heat better.

Try it for a week. If you genuinely feel cold, add a layer before reaching for the dial. The savings from this one habit change alone exceed the cost of most products on this list.

You might be running appliances that cost far more than you think. A £10 energy monitor plugged into each appliance reveals the truth in real-time watts and running costs.

Old fridge-freezers, electric heaters left on standby, and gaming PCs are common culprits. Once you know what's costing what, you can make informed decisions about what to replace, what to schedule, and what to unplug.

See our full guide: Best Energy Monitors for UK Homes.

Despite the myth, it is NOT cheaper to leave heating on low all day. The Energy Saving Trust confirms that using a timer to heat your home only when needed is cheaper for most UK homes.

Your home loses heat at a constant rate determined by insulation and outdoor temperature. Leaving heating on low means you're constantly replacing lost heat. It's far more efficient to heat quickly to target temperature, then let the home cool naturally while you're out.