6 Quick Wins to Cut Your Energy Bills in 2026

Energy bills in the UK have been on a wild ride over the past few years. And while things have calmed down a bit since the peak of the crisis, most of us are still paying significantly more than we were in 2021. The good news? There's genuinely quite a lot you can do about it. Not all of it involves putting on an extra jumper.

Here are six practical wins that can take a real chunk off your energy bill in 2026. Some take five minutes, some take a weekend, but they all add up.

1. Understand the Ofgem price cap (and what it means for you)

The Ofgem energy price cap sets the maximum amount that suppliers can charge per unit of gas and electricity. It changes every quarter and applies to anyone on a standard variable tariff. As of early 2026, the cap sits around £1,738 per year for a typical household, but your actual bill depends on how much energy you use.

Here's the important bit: the price cap is not a cap on your total bill. It's a cap on the unit rate and standing charge. So if you use more energy, you pay more. That's why reducing your usage matters just as much as being on the right tariff.

If you're not sure what you're currently paying or whether you could be on a better deal, Steward's money quiz can break down your bills and show you where the savings are.

2. Switch tariffs (yes, it's worth it again)

For a long time during the energy crisis, there was no point switching because every deal was worse than the price cap. That's changed. Fixed tariffs are back, and some of them are genuinely competitive.

Here's how to think about it:

• Variable tariff (default): Follows the Ofgem cap. Goes up and down every quarter. You're never locked in, but you're also never protected from price rises.
• Fixed tariff: Locks your unit rate for 12 or 24 months. If you find one below the current cap, you're protected if prices rise. If prices fall, you might pay slightly more, but you get certainty.

The trick is comparing what's available right now against the cap. If a fixed deal is at or below the cap rate, it's worth considering. If it's significantly above, stick with variable for now and keep checking.

Check what's out there by browsing Steward's comparison page. It takes about five minutes and could save you hundreds over the year.

3. Get a smart meter (and actually use it)

Smart meters themselves don't save you money. What they do is show you exactly how much energy you're using in real time. And once you can see that, you start making different choices.

That little in home display showing you it costs 40p an hour to run the tumble dryer? Suddenly you're a lot more interested in using the washing line. The spike when you boil the kettle with two litres of water for one cup of tea? You start filling it less.

Studies suggest smart meter users reduce their energy consumption by 3 to 5%. On a £1,700 bill, that's £50 to £85 saved per year. Not life changing on its own, but combined with everything else on this list, it adds up.

Smart meters are free to install. Your supplier is legally required to offer you one. If you haven't got one yet, just ask.

4. Sort out your draughts

This is one of those things that sounds boring but makes a genuinely noticeable difference. If your home is draughty, you're basically heating the outside. And then paying for the privilege.

The easiest wins:

• Draught excluders on external doors: £5 to £15 each. Takes two minutes to fit. Can save £25 to £50 a year.
• Seal gaps around windows: Self adhesive foam tape costs a couple of quid and stops cold air creeping in around the edges.
• Chimney balloons: If you've got a fireplace you don't use, a chimney balloon or chimney sheep stops warm air escaping up the flue. Around £20 and it makes a surprising difference.
• Letterbox draught excluders: Your letterbox is basically a hole in your front door. A brush or flap cover costs under £10.
• Insulate your loft hatch: Often overlooked. A few strips of insulation tape around the edges stops a lot of heat loss.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, draught proofing can save a typical home around £60 a year. The materials to do the whole house cost less than that.

5. Rethink your heating schedule

Most people have their heating on a simple timer: on at 7am, off at 9am, on again at 5pm, off at 10pm. And for a lot of homes, that schedule was set when they moved in and has never been touched since.

Here are a few things worth trying:

• Drop the thermostat by 1 degree. You probably won't notice the difference. But your bill will. Each degree costs roughly £80 to £100 a year for a typical home.
• Only heat the rooms you're in. If you've got thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs), turn them down in rooms you're not using. No point heating the spare bedroom to 21 degrees when nobody's in it.
• Set your timer around your actual routine. If you work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, your heating schedule should reflect that. If you're out all day Saturday, turn it off.
• Don't preheat for ages. Modern boilers can heat a room pretty quickly. Setting your heating to come on 30 minutes before you wake up is usually plenty. Two hours is just wasting gas.

6. Check if you're eligible for government support

There are several government schemes designed to help with energy costs that a lot of people don't know about or assume they don't qualify for:

• Warm Home Discount: A £150 one off discount on your electricity bill, usually applied between October and March. You might qualify if you receive Pension Credit or are on a low income. Check with your energy supplier as it varies.
• Winter Fuel Payment: If you were born before a certain date (currently being reviewed), you could get £100 to £300 to help with heating costs over winter.
• ECO4 scheme: Free or heavily subsidised insulation and heating upgrades for qualifying households. This can include loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and even boiler replacements.
• Great British Insulation Scheme: Aimed at middle income households in less efficient homes. Covers single measures like loft or cavity wall insulation.

You don't lose anything by checking. If you're on a low income, receiving benefits, or living in an older property, there's a decent chance you qualify for something.

How much can you actually save?

Let's add it up for a typical household:

• Switching to a better tariff: £100 to £200
• Smart meter behaviour changes: £50 to £85
• Draught proofing: £30 to £60
• Heating schedule adjustments: £80 to £150
• Government support (if eligible): £150+

That's potentially £400 to £650 a year. Real money, not pocket change. And none of it requires you to sit in the dark eating cold beans.

If you want to see exactly how much you could save across all your bills, not just energy, take the free Steward money quiz. It takes five minutes and gives you a personalised breakdown of where your money's going and where the easy wins are.