- Millions of households admit to having bad energy habits – like leaving lights on or not switching to a fixed deal – that could add more than £600 a year to bills[1]
- One in three homes (32%) confess to not switching to a fixed energy deal[2], costing the average household £260 a year based on the current cheapest offers[3]
- Nearly half of households (46%) leave the heating on all night during the colder months[2], potentially adding £122 a year to their energy bill[4]
- More than three-quarters of households haven’t signed up to schemes that give them free electricity[2] which could cut bills by up to £187 a year[5]
- Nearly seven in ten people (68%) boil more water in the kettle than they need[2] adding £38 a year to bills[6], while two-fifths (38%) leave the shower running while they’re not in it[2], potentially costing £21 a year[7]
- Uswitch is urging households to switch to a fixed energy deal now to save more during the coldest months of the year.
Getting into good energy habits could save households more than £600 a year on their energy bills on average[1], according to research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Nearly every UK household (99%) admits to having at least one bad energy habit that could be costing them money[8], such as leaving devices switched on when not in use, not using appliances efficiently or putting off getting a fixed deal.
One in three households (32%) confess they haven’t fixed their energy tariff[2], missing out on the chance to save an average £260 a year based on the cheapest offers currently available[3]. One in four bill-payers on standard tariffs (25%) plan to get a fixed deal, but a similar proportion (24%) have no plans to do so[9].
Another expensive habit is leaving the heating on through the night when everyone is tucked up in bed. Nearly half of households (46%) admit to keeping the heating going 24/7 during the colder months[2], but this potentially adds £128 a year to an average home’s energy bill[4].
Many energy suppliers now offer free electricity schemes to households with smart meters, but nearly three-quarters of bill-payers (74%) haven’t signed up[2]. These schemes give you free electricity during certain off-peak times and are estimated to cut bills by up to £187 a year[5].
Nearly seven in 10 people (68%) boil more water in the kettle than they need[2], which is estimated to add £38 a year to bills[6]. Reboiling the kettle when you’ve forgotten to use it could be adding £56 per year, with one in six households (16%) guilty of doing this every day. Two-fifths (38%) leave the shower running while they’re not in it[2], potentially costing £21 a year[7].
Kitchen appliances like tumble dryers, washing machines and dishwashers are among the most energy-consuming devices in UK households, but if households use these appliances more efficiently or less often, they could make significant savings
More than seven in 10 households (71%) set their washing machine at more than 40oC, potentially costing £19 a year more than washing at 30oC, while half (53%) run it when it’s not full[2].
With washing machines costing households £27 a year on average in electricity, an extra wash every week could add an extra £7 to yearly bills[2]. If households then run the tumble dryer to dry the extra load, that would increase bills by a further £40.
Table: The extra annual cost of energy bad habits
| Energy habit | Percentage of households that do this | Cost per household |
|---|---|---|
| Not sign up to a fixed energy tariff (remaining on a standard tariff) | 74% | £260 |
| Not sign up to a free electricity scheme (offers that give you free electricity or cash back for electricity during certain time periods) | 74% | £187 |
| Keep the heating on all night during colder months | 46% | £128 |
| Keep the heating on when I leave the house for the day during colder months | 53% | £128 |
| Reboil the kettle when I forget to use the water the first time | 72% | £56 |
| Not sign up to an energy demand shifting scheme (which rewards you for moving your energy use away from peak times) | 78% | £50 |
| Boil more water in the kettle than I need | 68% | £38 |
| Use the tumble dryer when it's a hot day outside | 42% | £30 |
| Let the hot/warm shower keep running while you are not in it | 38% | £22 |
| Run the washing machine at 40oC or more | 71% | £19 |
| Run the tumble dryer when it’s not full | 52% | £18 |
| Let the hot/warm tap keep running while washing up | 51% | £12 |
| Leave lights on when not in the room | 59% | £9 |
| Run the dishwasher when it’s not full | 48% | £9 |
| Run the washing machine when it’s not full | 53% | £8 |
| Leave TV on when nobody is watching | 53% | £2 |
| Leave the fridge door open for longer than needed | 38% | £2 |
| Leave my phone charging when it is reached maximum battery | 72% | £2 |
| Leave gadgets on standby | 74% | £2 |
| Total cost of bad habits for average household | £625 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Running the dishwasher when it’s not full adds an average of nearly £9 a year to energy bills – while not using the appliance’s eco mode could also increase costs by £18[3].
Nearly 20 million households admit to leaving the TV on when no one is watching, potentially adding £1.94 a year to bills[4]. Nearly three-fifths (58%) leave the lights on when no one is in the room, which could add almost £8 to annual bills. Leaving devices on standby is the most common bad habit, with 73% of households saying they do this[5].
Uswitch is urging households to switch to a fixed deal now to make the most of energy savings while the heating is on during the coldest months of the year.
Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Energy prices rose on New Year’s Day for millions of people on standard tariffs, so now’s a great time to make a New Year’s resolution to cut your bills.
“We’re all guilty of overfilling the kettle and leaving lights on, but the best habit to get into this year is switching to a fixed energy deal.
“If you’re on a standard tariff, taking a fixed deal could currently save you £260 a year. Take a moment to run a comparison online and see how much you could cut your bills by.”
Track your energy usage with the free Uswitch app
For more information
Rianna York | Energy PR Manager
rianna.york@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium, 16th - 24th December 2025, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Cost of each bad habit added together. Total is £625 per household.
2. Respondents were asked ‘How frequently, if at all, do you do any of the following?’’ See table for percentage of households which answered ‘yes’ to each bad habit and an estimated cost per household. 99% of respondents answered ‘yes’ to one or more bad energy habit.
3. Uswitch data. Cheapest fixed deal across whole of market is currently Outfox Energy New Year Fix 2026 v1.0, typical household annual cost £1,496 (£260 cheaper than price cap rate, as of 8am 08/01/2026).
4. The average household uses 8,214 kWh of gas in the coldest six months of the year, with about 75% of this used for heating. This means that the typical home uses 6,171 kWh of energy for heating in the coldest months. If heating is used equally throughout 24 hours, eight hours a day would be 6,171 / 3 = 2,057kWh = 2,057kWh x 5.93p/kWh = £121.98
5. The Sun: Energy giant launches first-of-its kind tariff offering FREE electricity – and it could save you £187 a year
6. Boil extra water in the kettle: The average household spends £76 on electricity every year boiling water for tea. Overfilling the kettle by 50% every time would increase the bill by £76 x 0.5 = £38.
7. Leave the shower running: The average household spends eight minutes in the shower and has six showers a week. 8/60 hours x six x 52 weeks in a year x 0.2769£/kWh x 7.5kW = £86.39 electricity bill per year. Assume they leave shower running for two minutes at a time for each shower. £86.39 / 4 = £21.59 extra cost.
8. 99% of respondents admitted to one or more of the bad habits.
9. Respondents were asked ‘Which of the following, if any, have you done, or do you plan to do in the future?’ Asked about signing up to a fixed deal, 26% said ‘I have done this already’, 21% said ‘I have not done this, but I plan to do so’, 23% said ‘I have not done this, and I do not plan to do so’, while 30% said ‘Don’t know / not sure’.