10 Ways to Save Electricity This Winter

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A cosier home, smarter everyday habits and fewer wasted kilowatt-hours.

Winter brings more time indoors, more laundry to dry and longer evenings with the lights on. A smaller electricity bill can start with the things you already own: your heating controls, washing machine settings and everyday cooking habits. These ten ideas help you choose changes that fit your home, without assuming you need a new gadget.

All euro examples below use an illustrative electricity price of €0.35 per kWh unless stated otherwise. They are calculations, not current tariff quotes or promises of savings. Use the unit rate on your own bill. Standing charges are excluded.

01 Make cheaper electricity hours work for you

Check whether your plan actually offers a lower night or off-peak rate, and confirm the hours with your supplier. “Night rate” does not mean the same hours for every household. Moving electricity use to a cheaper period can reduce its cost even when the number of kilowatt-hours stays the same. Compare the whole tariff, including daytime prices and standing charges, before switching.

For example, moving 30 kWh a month from €0.35 to €0.15 per kWh would save €6 on those units. Run washing machines, dryers and dishwashers only while you are at home and awake; a cheap rate is not a reason to leave them running overnight unattended.

02 Put on a cosy layer before turning up the heat

A thermal base layer, warm socks and a jumper can make a cooler room feel more comfortable. Merino wool is one option, but start with clothes you already own. If your room is usually 21°C, try 20°C first. If everyone is still comfortable, 19°C may suit your household. There is no guaranteed bill reduction from wearing a particular fabric.

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Keep the home warm enough for everyone. NHS advice recommends at least 18°C in regularly used rooms if possible, and some people need more warmth. These heating changes reduce electricity use directly when your home is heated electrically; gas or oil heating savings mainly affect that fuel bill.

03 Wash cooler when the load allows it

For everyday clothes that are not heavily soiled, a suitable 30°C programme can reduce the energy used to heat water. Follow fabric labels and use a hotter wash where hygiene or the item requires it. Wait for a sensible full load, but leave the movement space specified in the machine manual.

Check your machine’s programme guide rather than assuming the shortest cycle is cheapest. Eco programmes can run longer while using less energy. Pick the programme for the fabric and load, and compare the stated energy use where your manual provides it.

04 Remove more water before using the clothes drying rack

Try the dry towel spin trick: Want to remove even more moisture before hanging your clothes? Once the main cycle finishes, toss a large, dry cotton bath towel into the drum with your damp laundry and run a quick extra spin cycle. The dry towel absorbs a huge amount of excess water during the spin, leaving your clothes significantly drier and cutting down indoor drying time on your clothes drying rack!

05 Give the tumble dryer some days off

Use an outdoor line when the weather allows, or an unheated indoor clothes drying rack in a suitably ventilated space. An unheated clothes drying rack uses no electricity itself, but extra room heating or a dehumidifier can add to the total cost. Manage moisture and condensation; do not block ventilation or cover heaters with clothes.

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Here is a simple example: a dryer cycle using 2 kWh costs €0.70 at €0.35 per kWh. Avoiding ten such cycles saves €7 before any extra indoor drying costs. Your machine may use much less or more, particularly if it is a heat-pump dryer. Check its label, programme information or measured consumption instead of treating this example as a typical cycle.

Try this week: choose one suitable wash, use an appropriate spin and dry it on the clothes drying rack. See whether the drying time and moisture levels work for your home before changing every load.

06 Match the appliance to the portion

An air fryer can use less electricity for a small meal because it heats a smaller space. A full oven may make more sense when you cook several dishes together. If using an air fryer means cooking many separate batches, compare the total energy for all batches. You do not need to buy one simply to start saving.

Which? tested the following meals in particular appliances. The costs below are recalculated at €0.35 per kWh. Compare the complete cooking task, not an arbitrary hour of running time.

Meal and appliance	Time	Energy	Electricity cost
Chicken 1.3–1.4 kg · oven	76 min	1.157 kWh	€0.40
Chicken 1.3–1.4 kg · air fryer	53 min	0.540 kWh	€0.19
A portion of potato wedges ~200 g · oven	68 min	1.084 kWh	€0.38
A portion of potato wedges ~200 g · air fryer	48 min	0.392 kWh	€0.14

These test results include preheating where required. They are not cooking instructions: times and safe doneness depend on your appliance and food. Costs are rounded; other models and portions will differ.

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07 Boil and cook only what you need

Measure the water for your tea or coffee instead of filling the kettle every time, while respecting its minimum fill level. Put a suitable lid on a saucepan and match the pan to the hob ring. Turn the heat down once the food reaches the required simmer. Small routines are easier to maintain when they fit something you already do.

If the oven is already on, consider cooking tomorrow’s portion alongside today’s meal when practical. Include reheating in your energy comparison and store leftovers safely. The saving comes from reducing the total cooking work, not simply from preparing a larger quantity.

08 Match heating to the time you spend at home

Are you heading out to work for the day, or spending the weekend on a long outdoor trip? Don’t heat an empty house! Turn your heating down or switch it off when you’re away, and turn it back up when you get home.

• Heading to work? Lower the thermostat or turn the heating off during working hours. There is no point paying to heat rooms when nobody is home.
• Going on a trip? Drop the temperature or keep frost protection active so your pipes don’t freeze, but avoid keeping full comfort heat running while you’re miles away.

Just remember: for short errands or a quick walk, it’s usually not worth changing the settings drastically, as reheating a cold home from scratch can sometimes take more energy. Find a smart balance that works for your daily routine!

09 Shorten your showers and save on hot water

Try shortening a shower a little and avoid leaving a hot tap running while you do something else. If your hot water is heated electrically, this can directly reduce your electricity use. For other systems, most of the saving is on the fuel that heats the water.

As an illustration, two minutes less at a constant 9 kW uses 0.3 kWh less electricity, worth about €0.11 at the example rate. Actual shower power varies. Follow your system’s instructions for safe water storage temperatures; shortening use is different from turning stored water temperatures down.

10 Tackle lighting and unnecessary standby use

Switch off lights in empty rooms and choose suitable LED replacements for frequently used older bulbs. Compare brightness in lumens so that you still get the light you need. Turn off equipment you genuinely do not need in standby, while leaving fridges, freezers, essential medical equipment and required safety systems powered.

For example, replacing a 60 W bulb with an equally bright 8 W LED, used five hours daily for 90 days, saves 23.4 kWh — about €8.19 at the example rate. That calculation excludes the bulb’s purchase cost. A correctly rated plug-in energy meter can help you investigate compatible appliances before buying replacements.

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• 🔗 Plug-in Electricity Usage Monitor / Power Meter: View on Amazon — Stop guessing which appliances are driving up your electricity bill! Plug this monitor into any socket to see real-time power consumption, calculate exact running costs, and spot hidden “vampire” energy-drainers in standby mode.
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Choose your first three changes

Start with a tariff check, one suitable cooler wash and a small heating adjustment that keeps everyone comfortable. Record your meter readings or check your energy app. Compare similar periods and remember that colder weather, visitors and longer days at home change demand. You can use less electricity and still see a different bill if your tariff changes.

Sources and calculation notes

Home Finds Hub • Prepared October 2026. This guide combines published energy advice with clearly labelled arithmetic examples. No product purchase is required to follow it. Savings from different examples should not be added into a promised household total.

1. SEAI — Smart living and electricity tariffs DOCX
2. Electrical Safety First — Fire prevention DOCX
3. SEAI — Heating controls checklist DOCX
4. NHS — Keeping warm in winter DOCX
5. SEAI — Energy saving tips DOCX
6. SEAI — Reduce your use DOCX
7. Energy Saving Trust — Cold weather tips DOCX
8. Energy Saving Trust — Quick energy saving tips DOCX
9. Which? — Air fryer and oven test results DOCX
10. Energy Saving Trust — Heating controls DOCX
11. Energy Saving Trust — Saving energy in the bathroom DOCX

How to use the examples with your own bill

Electricity cost = energy used in kWh × your price per kWh. For a device drawing constant power, kWh = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours used. Appliances with thermostats or variable cycles do not necessarily draw their rated maximum power continuously; use measured or programme energy for a fair comparison

For off-peak savings, multiply the energy shifted by the difference between the two unit rates. A rechargeable battery also has charging losses, purchase costs and wear, so its savings cannot be calculated as though all stored energy were free. This guide does not assume a battery or solar installation.