Stop wasting money on these household habits
Think you’re being careful with money? You might be surprised at the everyday habits that are quietly draining your bank balance.
Think you’re being careful with money? You might be surprised at the everyday habits that are quietly draining your bank balance.
We all like to think we’re savvy around the house, but some of the easiest ways to waste money are hiding in plain sight.
A glowing red standby light here, an overfilled kettle there and suddenly your bills are creeping up without you even noticing.
The good news? Small tweaks can make a big difference.
From shutting down energy-hungry gadgets to keeping the heat where you actually need it, we quizzed the experts about some everyday fixes that are simple, practical and kinder on your wallet.
When you switch off an appliance these days, you’re often not really switching if off. That little red light is actually costing you.
“Despite laptops, TVs and games consoles consuming relatively small amounts on their own, household electronics can account for around 6% of your energy bill,” say the experts from the Energy Saving Trust.
They explain that switching devices off standby – and yes, that can mean switching them off at the wall – can help save up to £55 a year, depending on their energy efficiency.
“For example, a 60-inch F-rated TV costs around £45 a year to run in Britain and £50 in Northern Ireland, while a smaller 40-inch F-rated TV costs £20 a year to run in Britain and £25 in Northern Ireland,” they say.
Smart plugs and smart bulbs are always in standby mode, waiting for a signal so while they are convenient and great for automating things, they’re still using a trickle of power.
“Smart plugs can still save you energy if they’re controlling something that uses a lot of unnecessary power throughout the day, but smart lights are very unlikely to save you anything at all,” says the Energy Saving Trust. “If in doubt, just turn things off when you don’t need them.”
For small meals, skip the oven and instead try your microwave or air fryer, which due to their size and the quicker cooking times generally use far less energy than preheating a big oven.
If you’re feeding a crowd or batch cooking, though, the oven can still make sense, especially if it’s gas-powered. Right now, gas works out at around a quarter of the price of electricity.
And whenever you do use the oven, make it count. Cook in batches, keep lids on, resist opening that door and peeking too often and switch it off a few minutes early to let the residual heat finish the job.
Most of us boil enough water for a small army when we’re only making one cuppa, all of which adds to your bill. In fact, the experts at Energy Saving Trust calculate that if you only boil what you need, it could save you up to £12 a year.
And while we’re here, keep an eye on limescale. A furred-up kettle takes longer to boil, wasting both time and energy. A quick descale now and then helps your brew taste better and your bills stay lower.
These small gadgets with tiny holes attach to your tap spout, reducing the flow without affecting how well it washes or rinses. They’re cheap, easy to install, and according to the Energy Saving Trust, could save you around £20 a year in water costs.
According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), UK households waste around 17.5 billion tonnes of food each year, which works out at approximately £1,000 for a household of four. That’s not to be sniffed at. So, how can you ensure that you’re not literally throwing away money?
A few small shifts can really help. Planning your meals for the week helps you only buy what you’ll actually use, reducing the need to throw out-of-date items away.
A well-stocked freezer is also a leftover food lifesaver. Last night’s chilli, half a loaf of bread, even that bag of wilting spinach, can all be frozen and revived later, instead of heading straight for the compost.
Other handy tricks? Grate cheese before it goes mouldy and freeze it in portions, chop up overripe bananas for smoothie bags or whizz herbs with a splash of oil and freeze them in ice-cube trays.
And if you’re staring at a random mix of leftovers wondering what to do, Love Food, Hate Waste has a recipe search tool where you pop in an ingredient and out come tasty ideas.
It’s tempting to keep the whole house snug, even if you’re only using a couple of rooms, but that cosy spare bedroom or little-used bathroom could be quietly draining your bank account.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends fitting thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) so you can control the temperature in each room. Keep them low, around 2–3, in rooms you’re not using and you could shave pounds off your bill.
Turning the heat down by just 5°C in two unused rooms can cut overall heating demand by about 7%. In a typical home using 8,000 kWh of gas for heating, that’s a saving of roughly 560 kWh a year or another £35-£40 at today’s prices.
That little in-home display isn’t just there to look clever – it shows exactly what you’re spending, right as you’re using it. Handy for spotting which gadgets are the real power guzzlers.
It can also help you figure out if you’re on the right tariff. Some suppliers offer “time of use” deals, where electricity is cheaper overnight or in off-peak hours. Great if you can safely shift things like tumble drying or charging the car, less so if most of your energy use is during the day.
Us Brits love a cleaning product! The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reckons the average household spends about £150 a year on cleaning products. Yet research from eco-brand Smol suggests a big chunk of that money goes straight down the drain, with Brits collectively splashing out £868 million a year on products that never even get used.
Instead of wasting money on expensive cleaning products, though, Josh Clarke from Clear It Waste recommends using whatever you have in your cupboards instead.
“One of the best all-purpose cleaners is completely natural and may already be sitting in your cupboard: vinegar,” he says. “With its antimicrobial properties and ability to dissolve mineral deposits, grease and grime due to the high acidity contents, vinegar is a cheap and effective solution for many cleaning tasks in the home.”
He suggests mixing it with water in a spray bottle to make a great all-purpose cleaner – just choose the white distilled version so it won’t stain surfaces.
Other at-home options he recommends include lemons (great for lifting stubborn stains and neutralising odours), bicarbonate of soda for scrubbing tricky marks or deodorising carpets, and cornstarch, which can soak up grease and freshen up fabrics or rugs.
It’s tempting to pop the dishwasher on after dinner or run the washing machine when you’ve only got a handful of clothes, but those half loads come at double the cost. Each small wash uses exactly the same amount of water and energy as one full one, meaning you’re literally washing money down the drain.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that cutting out one run of your washing machine each week could save around £11 a year on energy. The same goes for your dishwasher.
For the washing machine, aim for a drum that’s about three-quarters full, that way your detergent and softener can do their job properly. Short of a full load? Keep a basket of small items like tea towels or gym gear handy to top things up.
And for the dishwasher? Play Tetris. Use every rack and slot so you’re not wasting a cycle on a handful of mugs. If it’s only half full, give the plates a quick rinse and wait until it’s loaded – it’s cheaper, greener and your dishes will still come out sparkling.
Curious whether the using the dishwasher or washing by hand saves you more? We’ve crunched the numbers.
Heat loves an escape route and in a typical uninsulated home it finds plenty. About a quarter of your home’s heat drifts out through the roof, a third through the walls and another 10-20% slips through the floor. Add in gaps around doors, windows and chimneys and your heating system ends up working overtime just to keep you comfortable.
The Energy Saving Trust puts it simply: “Draughts let warm air out and cold air in, meaning your heating system has to use more energy to keep your home warm.”
Thankfully, they say the fixes aren’t complicated or expensive:
Think insulation for the bigger wins – Cavity walls (common in homes built after 1920) cost about £2,700 to insulate in a semi-detached, gas-heated house but can save up to £240 a year.
Solid walls (found in homes built before 1920) are pricier to insulate but could save around £330 a year.
Whether you're looking for straightforward insurance or cover that's packed with extras, our home insurance has plenty of options for people over 50.
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