As the weather warms up, many households turn off their heating and assume energy bills will drop – but spring brings a new set of habits that can quietly push costs back up. With electricity still far more expensive per unit than gas, experts warn that shifting energy use can erode savings. The energy price cap fell to around £1,600 in April, but prices are predicted to rise again this summer due to global pressures on oil and gas.
One of the biggest culprits is increased electricity use: batch cooking, more device charging, and running appliances more frequently can add up. To counteract this, the advice is to air-dry clothes instead of using the tumble dryer, switch off appliances fully rather than leaving them on standby, and batch cook meals to reduce oven usage.
Longer evenings often mean more TV streaming, gaming, and lighting multiple rooms. Switching to LED bulbs, turning off unused rooms, and using timers for outdoor lighting can help. Spring cleaning also drives up bills with extra washing machine cycles and vacuuming – washing at 30°C and waiting for full loads can save money, while drying laundry outdoors takes advantage of warmer weather.
Hot water use tends to increase as people shower more and spend more time outdoors. Since heating water is one of the biggest home costs, cutting showers by a minute or two, boiling only the water needed, and installing a water-saving shower head can make a difference. Finally, many people stop thinking about energy deals in spring – but with potential price rises ahead, reviewing fixed tariffs or time-of-use deals and keeping meter readings up to date could lock in savings.
As renewable energy grows, some suppliers offer off-peak rates. Shifting energy use to cheaper times, such as running the washing machine overnight, can lead to meaningful savings. The key is to adapt habits to the season: saving money doesn't mean sitting in the dark – it means being smarter with the energy you already use.
