Stop wasting money on these household habits, from Saga, 2025 10 16
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Colin Howard
Oct 16, 2025, 3:06:00 PMOct 16
to post AVIP list
Greetings,
a lot here to learn and consider! In many cases, it is "teaching the
experienced to 'suck eggs'" but I'm sure we can all learn something, even if
we live in rented accomodation.
Think you're being careful with money? You might be surprised at the
everyday habits that are quietly draining your bank balance.
By Jayne Cherrington-Cook | Published - 25 Sep 2025
We all like to think we're savvy around the house, but some of the easiest
ways to waste money are hiding in plain sight.
A glowing red standby light here, an overfilled kettle there and suddenly
your bills are creeping up without you even noticing.
8 everyday habits that are costing you money
The good news? Small tweaks can make a big difference.
From shutting down energy-hungry gadgets to keeping the heat where you
actually need it, we quizzed the experts about some everyday fixes that are
simple, practical and kinder on your wallet.
1. Leaving devices on standby
When you switch off an appliance these days, you're often not really
switching if off. That little red light is actually costing you.
"Despite laptops, TVs and games consoles consuming relatively small amounts
on their own, household electronics can account for around 6% of your energy
bill," say the experts from the Energy Saving Trust.
They explain that switching devices off standby - and yes, that can mean
switching them off at the wall - can help save up to £55 a year, depending
on their energy efficiency.
"For example, a 60-inch F-rated TV costs around £45 a year to run in Britain
and £50 in Northern Ireland, while a smaller 40-inch F-rated TV costs £20 a
year to run in Britain and £25 in Northern Ireland," they say.
Bonus tip: Be smart about smart tech
Smart plugs and smart bulbs are always in standby mode, waiting for a signal
so while they are convenient and great for automating things, they're still
using a trickle of power.
"Smart plugs can still save you energy if they're controlling something that
uses a lot of unnecessary power throughout the day, but smart lights are
very unlikely to save you anything at all," says the Energy Saving Trust.
"If in doubt, just turn things off when you don't need them."
2. Firing up the oven for tiny portions
For small meals, skip the oven and instead try your microwave or air fryer,
which due to their size and the quicker cooking times generally use far less
energy than preheating a big oven.
If you're feeding a crowd or batch cooking, though, the oven can still make
sense, especially if it's gas-powered. Right now, gas works out at around a
quarter of the price of electricity.
And whenever you do use the oven, make it count. Cook in batches, keep lids
on, resist opening that door and peeking too often and switch it off a few
minutes early to let the residual heat finish the job.
3. Overfilling the kettle
Most of us boil enough water for a small army when we're only making one
cuppa, all of which adds to your bill. In fact, the experts at Energy Saving
Trust calculate that if you only boil what you need, it could save you up to
£12 a year.
And while we're here, keep an eye on limescale. A furred-up kettle takes
longer to boil, wasting both time and energy. A quick descale now and then
helps your brew taste better and your bills stay lower.
Bonus tip: Fit a tap aerator
These small gadgets with tiny holes attach to your tap spout, reducing the
flow without affecting how well it washes or rinses. They're cheap, easy to
install and according to the Energy Saving Trust, could save you around £20
a year in water costs.
4. Letting food go off in the fridge
According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), UK households
waste around 17.5 billion tonnes of food each year, which works out at
approximately £1,000 for a household of four. That's not to be sniffed at.
So, how can you ensure that you're not literally throwing away money?
A few small shifts can really help. Planning your meals for the week helps
you only buy what you'll actually use, reducing the need to throw
out-of-date items away.
A well-stocked freezer is also a leftover food lifesaver. Last night's
chilli, half a loaf of bread, even that bag of wilting spinach, can all be
frozen and revived later, instead of heading straight for the compost.
Other handy tricks? Grate cheese before it goes mouldy and freeze it in
portions, chop up overripe bananas for smoothie bags or whizz herbs with a
splash of oil and freeze them in ice-cube trays.
And if you're staring at a random mix of leftovers wondering what to do,
Love Food, Hate Waste has a recipe search tool where you pop in an
ingredient and out come tasty ideas.
5. Overheating spare rooms
It's tempting to keep the whole house snug, even if you're only using a
couple of rooms, but that cosy spare bedroom or little-used bathroom could
be quietly draining your bank account.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends fitting thermostatic radiator valves
(TRVs) so you can control the temperature in each room. Keep them low,
around 2-3, in rooms you're not using and you could shave pounds off your
bill.
Turning the heat down by just 5°C in two unused rooms can cut overall
heating demand by about 7%. In a typical home using 8,000 kWh of gas for
heating, that's a saving of roughly 560 kWh a year or another £35-£40 at
today's prices.
Bonus tip: Make your tariffs work harder
That little in-home display isn't just there to look clever - it shows
exactly what you're spending, right as you're using it. Handy for spotting
which gadgets are the real power guzzlers.
It can also help you figure out if you're on the right tariff. Some
suppliers offer "time of use" deals, where electricity is cheaper overnight
or in off-peak hours. Great if you can safely shift things like tumble
drying or charging the car, less so if most of your energy use is during the
day.
6. Using premium cleaning products for everything
Us Brits love a cleaning product! The Office for National Statistics (ONS)
reckons the average household spends about £150 a year on cleaning products.
Yet research from eco-brand Smol suggests a big chunk of that money goes
straight down the drain, with Brits collectively splashing out £868 million
a year on products that never even get used.
Instead of wasting money on expensive cleaning products, though, Josh Clarke
from Clear It Waste recommends using whatever you have in your cupboards
instead.
"One of the best all-purpose cleaners is completely natural and may already
be sitting in your cupboard: vinegar," he says. "With its antimicrobial
properties and ability to dissolve mineral deposits, grease and grime due to
the high acidity contents, vinegar is a cheap and effective solution for
many cleaning tasks in the home."
He suggests mixing it with water in a spray bottle to make a great
all-purpose cleaner - just choose the white distilled version so it won't
stain surfaces.
Other at-home options he recommends include lemons (great for lifting
stubborn stains and neutralising odours), bicarbonate of soda for scrubbing
tricky marks or deodorising carpets and cornstarch, which can soak up grease
and freshen up fabrics or rugs.
7. Running half-empty dishwasher or washing machine loads
It's tempting to pop the dishwasher on after dinner or run the washing
machine when you've only got a handful of clothes, but those half loads come
at double the cost. Each small wash uses exactly the same amount of water
and energy as one full one, meaning you're literally washing money down the
drain.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that cutting out one run of your washing
machine each week could save around £11 a year on energy. The same goes for
your dishwasher.
Bonus tip: Fill it right
For the washing machine, aim for a drum that's about three-quarters full,
that way your detergent and softener can do their job properly. Short of a
full load? Keep a basket of small items like tea towels or gym gear handy to
top things up.
And for the dishwasher? Play Tetris. Use every rack and slot so you're not
wasting a cycle on a handful of mugs. If it's only half full, give the
plates a quick rinse and wait until it's loaded - it's cheaper, greener and
your dishes will still come out sparkling.
Curious whether the using the dishwasher or washing by hand saves you more?
We've crunched the numbers.
8. Ignoring draughts
Heat loves an escape route and in a typical uninsulated home it finds
plenty. About a quarter of your home's heat drifts out through the roof, a
third through the walls and another 10-20% slips through the floor. Add in
gaps around doors, windows and chimneys and your heating system ends up
working overtime just to keep you comfortable.
The Energy Saving Trust puts it simply: "Draughts let warm air out and cold
air in, meaning your heating system has to use more energy to keep your home
warm."
Thankfully, they say the fixes aren't complicated or expensive:
Seal doors and windows - Inexpensive draught-proofing strips are a quick
DIY job and could save you around £40 a year.
Block chimney draughts - A chimney draught excluder stops heat racing up
the flue and can save a further £60 annually.
Check your vents - Don't block intentional vents. They're vital for
airflow and keeping your home healthy.
Watch for hidden gaps - Even with modern windows and doors, draughts can
sneak in through cracks in walls, gaps in suspended floors or around
pipework.
Think insulation for the bigger wins - Cavity walls (common in homes built
after 1920) cost about £2,700 to insulate in a semi-detached, gas-heated
house but can save up to £240 a year.
Solid walls (found in homes built before 1920) are pricier to insulate but
could save around £330 a year.
Written by: Jayne Cherrington-Cook
Jayne cut her online journalism teeth 24 years ago in an era when a dialling
tone and slow page load were standard. During this time, she's written about
a variety of subjects and is just at home road-testing TVs as she is
interviewing TV stars.
A diverse career has seen Jayne launch websites for popular magazines,
collaborate with top brands, write regularly for major publications
including Woman&Home, Yahoo! and The Daily Telegraph, create a podcast and
also write a tech column for Women's Own.
Colin Howard, Southern England.
a lot here to learn and consider! In many cases, it is "teaching the
experienced to 'suck eggs'" but I'm sure we can all learn something, even if
we live in rented accomodation.
Think you're being careful with money? You might be surprised at the
everyday habits that are quietly draining your bank balance.
By Jayne Cherrington-Cook | Published - 25 Sep 2025
We all like to think we're savvy around the house, but some of the easiest
ways to waste money are hiding in plain sight.
A glowing red standby light here, an overfilled kettle there and suddenly
your bills are creeping up without you even noticing.
8 everyday habits that are costing you money
The good news? Small tweaks can make a big difference.
From shutting down energy-hungry gadgets to keeping the heat where you
actually need it, we quizzed the experts about some everyday fixes that are
simple, practical and kinder on your wallet.
1. Leaving devices on standby
When you switch off an appliance these days, you're often not really
switching if off. That little red light is actually costing you.
"Despite laptops, TVs and games consoles consuming relatively small amounts
on their own, household electronics can account for around 6% of your energy
bill," say the experts from the Energy Saving Trust.
They explain that switching devices off standby - and yes, that can mean
switching them off at the wall - can help save up to £55 a year, depending
on their energy efficiency.
"For example, a 60-inch F-rated TV costs around £45 a year to run in Britain
and £50 in Northern Ireland, while a smaller 40-inch F-rated TV costs £20 a
year to run in Britain and £25 in Northern Ireland," they say.
Bonus tip: Be smart about smart tech
Smart plugs and smart bulbs are always in standby mode, waiting for a signal
so while they are convenient and great for automating things, they're still
using a trickle of power.
"Smart plugs can still save you energy if they're controlling something that
uses a lot of unnecessary power throughout the day, but smart lights are
very unlikely to save you anything at all," says the Energy Saving Trust.
"If in doubt, just turn things off when you don't need them."
2. Firing up the oven for tiny portions
For small meals, skip the oven and instead try your microwave or air fryer,
which due to their size and the quicker cooking times generally use far less
energy than preheating a big oven.
If you're feeding a crowd or batch cooking, though, the oven can still make
sense, especially if it's gas-powered. Right now, gas works out at around a
quarter of the price of electricity.
And whenever you do use the oven, make it count. Cook in batches, keep lids
on, resist opening that door and peeking too often and switch it off a few
minutes early to let the residual heat finish the job.
3. Overfilling the kettle
Most of us boil enough water for a small army when we're only making one
cuppa, all of which adds to your bill. In fact, the experts at Energy Saving
Trust calculate that if you only boil what you need, it could save you up to
£12 a year.
And while we're here, keep an eye on limescale. A furred-up kettle takes
longer to boil, wasting both time and energy. A quick descale now and then
helps your brew taste better and your bills stay lower.
Bonus tip: Fit a tap aerator
These small gadgets with tiny holes attach to your tap spout, reducing the
flow without affecting how well it washes or rinses. They're cheap, easy to
install and according to the Energy Saving Trust, could save you around £20
a year in water costs.
4. Letting food go off in the fridge
According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), UK households
waste around 17.5 billion tonnes of food each year, which works out at
approximately £1,000 for a household of four. That's not to be sniffed at.
So, how can you ensure that you're not literally throwing away money?
A few small shifts can really help. Planning your meals for the week helps
you only buy what you'll actually use, reducing the need to throw
out-of-date items away.
A well-stocked freezer is also a leftover food lifesaver. Last night's
chilli, half a loaf of bread, even that bag of wilting spinach, can all be
frozen and revived later, instead of heading straight for the compost.
Other handy tricks? Grate cheese before it goes mouldy and freeze it in
portions, chop up overripe bananas for smoothie bags or whizz herbs with a
splash of oil and freeze them in ice-cube trays.
And if you're staring at a random mix of leftovers wondering what to do,
Love Food, Hate Waste has a recipe search tool where you pop in an
ingredient and out come tasty ideas.
5. Overheating spare rooms
It's tempting to keep the whole house snug, even if you're only using a
couple of rooms, but that cosy spare bedroom or little-used bathroom could
be quietly draining your bank account.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends fitting thermostatic radiator valves
(TRVs) so you can control the temperature in each room. Keep them low,
around 2-3, in rooms you're not using and you could shave pounds off your
bill.
Turning the heat down by just 5°C in two unused rooms can cut overall
heating demand by about 7%. In a typical home using 8,000 kWh of gas for
heating, that's a saving of roughly 560 kWh a year or another £35-£40 at
today's prices.
Bonus tip: Make your tariffs work harder
That little in-home display isn't just there to look clever - it shows
exactly what you're spending, right as you're using it. Handy for spotting
which gadgets are the real power guzzlers.
It can also help you figure out if you're on the right tariff. Some
suppliers offer "time of use" deals, where electricity is cheaper overnight
or in off-peak hours. Great if you can safely shift things like tumble
drying or charging the car, less so if most of your energy use is during the
day.
6. Using premium cleaning products for everything
Us Brits love a cleaning product! The Office for National Statistics (ONS)
reckons the average household spends about £150 a year on cleaning products.
Yet research from eco-brand Smol suggests a big chunk of that money goes
straight down the drain, with Brits collectively splashing out £868 million
a year on products that never even get used.
Instead of wasting money on expensive cleaning products, though, Josh Clarke
from Clear It Waste recommends using whatever you have in your cupboards
instead.
"One of the best all-purpose cleaners is completely natural and may already
be sitting in your cupboard: vinegar," he says. "With its antimicrobial
properties and ability to dissolve mineral deposits, grease and grime due to
the high acidity contents, vinegar is a cheap and effective solution for
many cleaning tasks in the home."
He suggests mixing it with water in a spray bottle to make a great
all-purpose cleaner - just choose the white distilled version so it won't
stain surfaces.
Other at-home options he recommends include lemons (great for lifting
stubborn stains and neutralising odours), bicarbonate of soda for scrubbing
tricky marks or deodorising carpets and cornstarch, which can soak up grease
and freshen up fabrics or rugs.
7. Running half-empty dishwasher or washing machine loads
It's tempting to pop the dishwasher on after dinner or run the washing
machine when you've only got a handful of clothes, but those half loads come
at double the cost. Each small wash uses exactly the same amount of water
and energy as one full one, meaning you're literally washing money down the
drain.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that cutting out one run of your washing
machine each week could save around £11 a year on energy. The same goes for
your dishwasher.
Bonus tip: Fill it right
For the washing machine, aim for a drum that's about three-quarters full,
that way your detergent and softener can do their job properly. Short of a
full load? Keep a basket of small items like tea towels or gym gear handy to
top things up.
And for the dishwasher? Play Tetris. Use every rack and slot so you're not
wasting a cycle on a handful of mugs. If it's only half full, give the
plates a quick rinse and wait until it's loaded - it's cheaper, greener and
your dishes will still come out sparkling.
Curious whether the using the dishwasher or washing by hand saves you more?
We've crunched the numbers.
8. Ignoring draughts
Heat loves an escape route and in a typical uninsulated home it finds
plenty. About a quarter of your home's heat drifts out through the roof, a
third through the walls and another 10-20% slips through the floor. Add in
gaps around doors, windows and chimneys and your heating system ends up
working overtime just to keep you comfortable.
The Energy Saving Trust puts it simply: "Draughts let warm air out and cold
air in, meaning your heating system has to use more energy to keep your home
warm."
Thankfully, they say the fixes aren't complicated or expensive:
Seal doors and windows - Inexpensive draught-proofing strips are a quick
DIY job and could save you around £40 a year.
Block chimney draughts - A chimney draught excluder stops heat racing up
the flue and can save a further £60 annually.
Check your vents - Don't block intentional vents. They're vital for
airflow and keeping your home healthy.
Watch for hidden gaps - Even with modern windows and doors, draughts can
sneak in through cracks in walls, gaps in suspended floors or around
pipework.
Think insulation for the bigger wins - Cavity walls (common in homes built
after 1920) cost about £2,700 to insulate in a semi-detached, gas-heated
house but can save up to £240 a year.
Solid walls (found in homes built before 1920) are pricier to insulate but
could save around £330 a year.
Written by: Jayne Cherrington-Cook
Jayne cut her online journalism teeth 24 years ago in an era when a dialling
tone and slow page load were standard. During this time, she's written about
a variety of subjects and is just at home road-testing TVs as she is
interviewing TV stars.
A diverse career has seen Jayne launch websites for popular magazines,
collaborate with top brands, write regularly for major publications
including Woman&Home, Yahoo! and The Daily Telegraph, create a podcast and
also write a tech column for Women's Own.
Colin Howard, Southern England.
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