We sell solar quotes, so you would expect this page to say solar. It does, but not first, because several cheaper things come before it and it would be dishonest to put them in the wrong order.
Where you are starting from
The price cap for 1 Oct 2026 to 31 Dec 2026 puts electricity at about 26.32p per unit with a daily standing charge of 54.83p, and gas at about 7.97p per unit. A typical annual bill is around £1,723.
There is currently no VAT on electricity from 1 Oct 2026 to 31 Mar 2027, which is temporary and worth knowing when comparing bills year on year.
Source: Ofgem. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
Free or nearly free
Check you are on the right tariff The price cap is a cap on the default tariff, not the cheapest available. Fixed deals are sometimes cheaper and sometimes not. Worth checking every time your deal ends.
Look at a time-of-use tariff, particularly if you have or are getting an electric car, a battery, or a heat pump. Moving consumption into a cheap overnight window is the single largest saving available to most households without spending anything. See smart tariffs.
Move flexible use off peak Washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer. Most have delay timers.
Check your standing charge It is a fixed daily cost regardless of usage, and it is a larger share of a small bill than people realise.
The usual efficiency measures Draughtproofing, heating controls, LED lighting, turning things off. Unglamorous, cheap and they work.
Moderate spend
Insulation For a home losing heat, insulation beats almost everything else per pound spent. It also makes a future heat pump work better. Check whether you qualify for help under the schemes here.
A hot water cylinder timer or better controls, if you have a cylinder.
Replacing the worst appliance An old fridge or freezer running constantly can be a meaningful share of a bill.
Larger spend
Solar panels Reduce what you buy from the grid during daylight. £6,600 to £8,400 for a typical system, currently with no VAT. Government’s estimate is a saving of around £500 a year. How much you actually save depends on how much you use rather than export. See what solar costs and payback.
A battery On its own or with solar. On a time-of-use tariff it lets you buy cheap and avoid buying expensive, which works year round regardless of weather. See solar batteries and a battery without solar.
A heat pump, if most of your energy spend is heating. Be careful here: at current prices a typical heat pump roughly breaks even against a gas boiler on running cost. The case rests on the grant, losing the gas standing charge, carbon, and what solar does to the sums. We set out the arithmetic honestly on heat pump running costs.
The combination that works best
For a household willing to spend:
- Insulation and controls first
- A time-of-use tariff
- Solar sized to the usable roof
- A battery, charged overnight and from solar
- Electrify heating and transport, which raises how much of your own generation you use
Each step makes the next one work harder. That is genuinely how it goes together, rather than a sales sequence.
If you are struggling with bills
If you are having difficulty paying, speak to your supplier. They have obligations to help and can offer payment plans. Citizens Advice provides free independent help. There is also support for lower-income households through the schemes on grants and funding, including funded measures in England and Wales for those who qualify.
Do not let anyone sell you solar as the solution to an immediate affordability problem. It is a long-term investment, not emergency relief.