Energy bills can be frustrating for both homeowners and tenants, especially with costs slowly rising.
If you’re a tenant looking to lower your energy bill, read our tips and advice on making the most out of your energy without breaking the bank.
How much is electricity in the UK?
Electricity prices aren’t the same for everyone.
There are lots of different energy providers in the UK, like OVO, Octopus and E.ON, all with varying prices for different customers.
Where you live in the UK can also affect your energy rates, as well as economic things like inflation.
The Energy Shop has found the average price of energy (pence per kWh) for different regions of the UK:
- Midlands: 24.19p
- Southeast England: 25.60p
- Southwest England: 24.53p
- Northern England: 23.51p
- South Wales: 24.85p
- North Wales: 25.76p
- Scotland: 24.79p
These figures are always changing and could be different from one month to the next.
Do tenants pay more for electricity than homeowners?
Whether you rent or own a property doesn’t affect the price a provider will quote you.
However, some landlords already have electricity providers in place for tenants, with the price being added to your monthly rent.
In this case, your landlord might not be using the most affordable electricity provider, which might mean you pay a higher rate than you would if you’d chosen your own provider.
If you’re worried about this, talk to your landlord about the electricity provider they’ve chosen for your tenancy.
How to save money on energy as a tenant
Just a few small changes can help you save on your monthly or annual electricity bill.
Use a smart meter
Some energy providers, like OVO, give customers a smart meter that shows their daily and weekly usage of electricity (and gas if you have a gas boiler or stove).
A smart meter is a great way to keep track of how much electricity you’re using. They often let you set a daily or weekly budget, too, so you don’t overspend.
Keep an eye on your boiler
Electric boilers can eat up a lot of energy if they’re left on all day or overnight. We all love a warm home and hot water, but this around-the-clock heat comes at a high cost.
If you have a gas boiler, your gas bill can also shoot up if you leave it on all day.
To avoid this, try scheduling when you’ll put your heating and boiler on each day.
For example, you may only need hot water to wash the dishes and take a shower in the evening, which doesn’t need the boiler to be on all day.
Use eco wash settings
It’s tempting to pop your washing machine on a high-temperature setting for the most thorough wash, but using higher water temperatures can take a toll on your energy bill.
Try using wash temperatures of 30°C or lower to save on your energy bill.
Most washing machines and dishwashers have an eco or ‘green’ setting that you can choose before starting a cycle.
Lower temperatures can also reduce the chance of colour bleeding during laundry cycles.
Check your radiators
Your energy bill can suffer if your radiators aren’t working properly. Try bleeding your radiators.
Switch halogen bulbs with LEDs
LEDs are popular because they only emit a very small amount of heat when they’re on, so they use less electricity than older halogen bulbs.
If you’re using halogen bulbs, consider switching to LEDs to save on electricity.
If your landlord has already installed halogen bulbs, you can take them out and put them in a safe location until you move out.
Turn off standby mode
Popping your electrics on standby mode may feel like you’re doing your bit to save on electricity, but it still uses electricity.
It helps to take that extra step to unplug your appliances or turn them off at the wall.
Ask your landlord about your provider
If you pay for your energy as part of your monthly rent, you could talk to your landlord about the energy provider they use.
Your landlord doesn’t have to switch providers if you’ve signed a tenancy agreement saying they’ll handle your energy provider instead of you. But it’s worth asking to see if they’d be open to looking into lower rates if they’re available.
Try non-permanent insulation
As a tenant, you can’t make permanent changes to your rental property to insulate it, but there are other methods you can try, like thermal curtains and thermal tape on your windows.
Even draught excluders under doors can save you a lot of money over time.
Insulation in rental properties
If you’re buying a house, the real estate agent often lists the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) of the property.
EPCs let you see how energy efficient a property is. Each property is given a rating between A and G, with A being the best efficiency and G being the worst.
Before signing a tenancy agreement, check the EPC of the property you want to rent.
If it has a very low rating (F or G), this is a warning sign that you could end up paying higher energy bills for heating, especially in the winter.
