System 04: Energy bills
Heating, hot water, cooling and the appliances in between: read your bill properly, then work the levers in the order they matter.
The system guide
Working guides in this system
Energy bills A Thermostat Schedule That Suits Your House How to build a thermostat schedule from your household's real week: wake, away, home and sleep settings, weekday and weekend patterns, and how to test a change fairly. Energy bills Comparing Electricity and Gas Plans Without the Traps How to compare energy plans on the numbers that survive contact with your real usage: unit prices, fixed charges, exit terms, and the introductory traps to read slowly. Energy bills Heating Costs: The Biggest Lever in the House Why heating usually dominates a home energy bill, and the practical levers: schedules, maintenance, drafts and the settings that match how the house is lived in. Energy bills Hot Water: The Hidden Energy Cost Why water heating quietly ranks near the top of home energy use, and the household levers: temperature setting, shower time, laundry choices and standby losses. Energy bills Laundry and Dishwashers: Energy Habits That Add Up The laundry and dishwasher routines that use less energy and water: full loads, cold washes, eco settings understood, and drying that suits the weather and the fabric. Energy bills Lighting: LEDs, Habits and the Rooms That Matter How to prioritise lighting savings: the rooms and fittings used longest, LED choices at replacement time, and the habits that matter more than perfection. Energy bills Read Your Energy Bill Like an Inspector How to read each line of an electricity or gas bill: units, tariffs, standing charges, estimated readings and the patterns that tell you where your money goes. Energy bills Sealing Drafts and Quick Insulation Wins How to find the drafts that make rooms feel cold, seal the quick ones safely with basic materials, and know which insulation jobs are worth saving for a professional. Energy bills Standby Power and Vampire Loads: Small, Real, Worth Fixing What standby power is, which devices draw it around the clock, and the switchable, sensible ways to cut it without unplugging your life every night. Energy bills Summer Cooling Costs, Under Control How to keep summer cooling costs under control: shade and airflow first, sensible settings, fans used properly, and the maintenance that keeps cooling working as designed. Energy bills What Costs What: Energy Use by Appliance How to estimate what each appliance costs to run, using its wattage and your unit price, and how to rank the household list so effort lands where the money is.