Energy guides and advice
Clear explanations and comparisons for household energy decisions.
59 guides shown
- Prices and tariffs
Why cheap wholesale electricity doesn't mean cheap bills
What makes up a household bill, why wholesale price changes reach bills months later, and what the live price shows.
Read guide → - Prices and tariffs
Energy bills in Northern Ireland
A separate market with no Ofgem price cap, keypad meters and its own comparison tables.
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Smart meter not sending readings: what to check
Display problem or meter problem? What to check, and what your supplier should do.
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Prepayment meters: costs, credit and changing payment method
Costs, emergency and friendly-hours credit, your protections and moving to a credit meter.
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Moving home: energy checklist
Readings on the day, who supplies the new home, and avoiding someone else's debt.
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Low and zero standing-charge tariffs
When a tariff with no daily charge pays, and when the higher unit rate costs more.
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How to read an energy bill
Readings, units, rates, standing charges, VAT and your balance, explained line by line.
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Average household energy use: compare kWh, not just bills
Compare your kWh with Ofgem's benchmarks, and why bedrooms are a weak guide.
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Help paying energy bills
Bill discounts, winter payments, supplier help and where to get free advice.
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Economy 7: is it worth it for your home?
How day and night rates work, the night-use break-even, and common meter traps.
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Why is my energy bill so high?
Estimated readings, how much you use, your rates or your payment: what to check first.
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Gas meter readings: cubic metres, cubic feet and kWh
Read a metric or imperial gas meter and convert the units to kWh the way suppliers do.
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Is my energy Direct Debit too high?
How payments are set, why credit builds in summer, and when to ask for a refund.
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Smart meters and time-of-use tariffs
What a smart meter does, who can get a time-of-use tariff, and the risk of peak rates.
Read guide → - Home energy
Standby power and overnight baseload
How to find the electricity your home uses all the time, and which of it you can cut.
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Appliance energy labels and replacement savings
How to read the A to G energy label, turn it into a running cost, and decide whether replacing an appliance pays.
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Dehumidifier or tumble dryer for laundry?
What it costs to dry a load with a tumble dryer or a dehumidifier, and what else to weigh up.
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EPC recommendations: what they mean
How to read the ratings, recommended improvements and cost estimates on an Energy Performance Certificate.
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What should you improve first? A home energy plan
A practical order for home energy improvements, why savings overlap, and how to fit work around your budget.
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Energy-saving improvements for renters
Low-cost, reversible changes you can make yourself, what your landlord must do, and where to get help.
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Floor insulation: suspended timber and solid floors
How to tell which floor you have, how each is insulated, and what to keep ventilated.
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Solid-wall insulation: internal or external?
How internal and external wall insulation compare on cost, space, disruption and moisture.
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Cavity-wall insulation: suitability, cost and risks
Whether your walls can be filled, what it costs, and the checks that prevent damp problems.
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Condensation, damp and ventilation
How to tell condensation from other damp, and simple ways to reduce it without wasting heat.
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Repair or replace your boiler?
When a repair makes sense, when replacement does, and how to compare the two quotes.
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Underfloor heating: electric or water?
How electric and water underfloor heating differ, what each costs to run, and which suits your home.
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Electric versus mixer showers: energy and water costs
Same shower, different heat source: compare energy and water fairly.
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Immersion heaters and hot-water cylinders
Timers, thermostats, cylinder heat loss and safe storage temperatures.
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Home energy grants across the UK
Insulation, heating and heat pump schemes in each nation, and how to apply safely.
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Electric heaters compared: fan, oil-filled, panel and infrared
Fan, oil-filled, panel, halogen and infrared heaters: same energy, different comfort.
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Cheapest ways to heat one room
Warming yourself and heating a room are different jobs. Compare them fairly, safely.
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Storage heaters: controls, tariffs and costs
Set input and output controls, avoid paying day rates for boost, and budget for winter.
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Home batteries without solar panels
How charging at a cheaper rate works, when it saves little, power cuts, quotes and warranties.
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Loft insulation: what to check and what to do next
Check depth, damp, ventilation, wiring and tanks before topping up, plus grant routes.
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Draught-proofing: stop draughts without blocking ventilation
Seal unwanted gaps around doors, windows, floors and chimneys while keeping vents open.
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Heating controls and boiler flow temperature
Set programmers, thermostats and radiator valves, and lower radiator flow temperature safely.
Read guide → - Solar panels
Solar finance, subscriptions and buying outright
The ways to pay for solar panels, what each means for your savings, and what to check before signing.
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Home batteries in a power cut
Why most home batteries switch off in a power cut, what backup needs, and what it can run.
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Choosing a home battery: size, power and warranty
What usable capacity, power output and warranty terms mean, and how to compare battery quotes.
Read guide → - Solar panels
Solar panel maintenance and poor output
How to tell whether your panels are underperforming, the common causes, and safe ways to get them checked.
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Solar installation and handover checklist
What should happen before, during and after a solar installation, and the documents to keep.
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Solar output through the year
How much solar panels generate in summer and winter, and why one month or year can differ from the estimate.
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Is your roof suitable for solar?
The checks that matter: direction, pitch, shade, roof condition, space and permissions.
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How many solar panels do you need?
How to size a solar system from your electricity use and roof, and why a bigger system isn't always better.
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Solar payback: test your own quote
Work out how long panels take to pay back, and what speeds it up or slows it down.
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Solar panel installation costs and quotes
What a quote should include, how to compare them, and what a typical system costs.
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Solar panels with or without a battery: which should you choose?
Compare the extra cost, self-consumption and practical trade-offs.
Read guide → - Heat pumps
Living with a heat pump: schedules, hot water and bills
How to run a heat pump efficiently day to day, what is normal, and when to call the installer.
Read guide → - Heat pumps
Heat pump quotes: what should be included?
The design, equipment and work a heat pump quote should cover, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Read guide → - Heat pumps
Air-to-air heat pumps
How air-to-air heat pumps work, what they can and cannot do, and the grant now available.
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Heat pump vs gas boiler: which is right for your home?
Compare installation, running costs, comfort, emissions and property suitability.
Read guide → - Electric vehicles
Why your EV is charging slowly
The common reasons a charge takes longer than expected, and which ones you can do something about.
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Charging an EV in a rented home or flat
Getting permission for a home charger, the grant for renters and flat owners, and options if you can't fit one.
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Public EV charging prices and memberships
What public charging costs, how to compare prices, and when a network membership pays for itself.
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Home EV charging vs public charging: cost and convenience compared
A comparison of convenience, speed, access and typical pricing structures.
Read guide → - Oil and gas
Where Britain’s natural gas comes from
How much of Britain's gas is produced at home, imported by pipeline or shipped as LNG, and how that differs from today's live flows.
Read guide → - Oil and gas
LPG heating costs and alternatives
How to work out what LPG heating really costs, your rights with a rented tank, and the alternatives.
Read guide → - Oil and gas
Heating oil prices and buying a delivery
What makes up a heating oil quote, how to compare quotes fairly, and when to order.
Read guide → - Oil and gas
Heating oil vs heat pump: costs for an off-grid home
Compare fuel, equipment, property changes, emissions and practical constraints.
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