The price cap will rise by £63 in October, the third increase this year. That is the concrete fact Ofgem should be addressing. Instead, the regulator has issued a new set of tips for households on how to lower energy bills, as reported by the Daily Express. Its advice covers turning down thermostats, washing clothes at 30°C, and switching off standby appliances. All sensible enough. But none of it will fix the underlying problem: Britain’s leaky homes.
Why behaviour tweaks aren’t enough
Ofgem’s guidance assumes the average household can save about £100 a year by following its advice. That is a fraction of what many families are paying. The typical 3-bed semi now spends around £1,750 annually on gas and electricity under the price cap. A £100 saving is welcome, but it is not transformative. The catch is that behavioural changes require constant effort and deliver diminishing returns. Once you have turned the thermostat down to 18°C and switched off the TV at the wall, there is nowhere else to go.
What this misses is the structural inefficiency of the UK housing stock. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a detached home with no loft insulation loses about 25% of its heat through the roof. A semi-detached property with single glazing loses up to 20% through windows. These are not problems you can solve by unplugging your phone charger. They require capital investment, loft insulation, cavity wall fill, double or triple glazing, and draught-proofing. The typical cost for a full retrofit of a 3-bed semi is £10,000–£15,000, but the annual savings can be £400–£600. Over a decade, that is £4,000–£6,000, and the EPC rating jumps from D to C or even B.
The heat pump elephant in the room
Ofgem’s advice also avoids the biggest lever: replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £7,500 off the installation cost, bringing it down to roughly £3,500–£5,000 for a typical home. A heat pump running at a coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.0 uses about a third of the electricity of a direct electric heater for the same heat. Compared with a gas boiler at 90% efficiency, a heat pump can cut heating costs by 20–40%, depending on the property’s insulation and the electricity-to-gas price ratio. That is £200–£400 a year on a typical bill. Yet Ofgem’s tips do not mention heat pumps once.
Government data shows that as of April 2025, only about 200,000 heat pumps have been installed under the scheme, far short of the 600,000 target. The reason is not lack of interest, it is the upfront cost and the complexity of installation. But for homeowners who can afford it, the long-term saving dwarfs anything achievable by turning down the thermostat. Ofgem could be pushing harder for grants, simpler installation, and better consumer information. Instead, it offers tips.
What homeowners should actually do
First, check your EPC rating. If it is D or below, the priority is fabric upgrades: loft insulation to 270 mm, cavity wall fill, and draught-proofing. These are the cheapest and most effective measures. Second, consider a heat pump if your boiler is over 10 years old. The grant is available until 2028, and the savings will compound as gas prices rise. Third, do not ignore solar panels. A 4 kW system costs about £5,500 and can save £500–£600 a year on electricity bills under the Smart Export Guarantee. Ofgem’s advice on turning off lights is fine, but generating your own power is better.
Households on standard variable tariffs can apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme through gov.uk from 4 November. Eligibility closes on 31 March 2027. For insulation grants, check the Great British Insulation Scheme or your local authority’s energy company obligation (ECO4) programme. The deadline for ECO4 applications is March 2026. Act now, because the price cap will keep rising, and behaviour tweaks will not keep pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ofgem's tips can save the typical household about £100 a year, but that is a fraction of the £1,750 average annual bill. Fabric upgrades like insulation and draught-proofing save £200–£400 a year, and heat pumps can cut heating costs by 20–40%. Behaviour changes are a start, but not a solution.
Loft insulation to 270 mm is the cheapest and most effective upgrade, costing about £300–£500 and saving £150–£225 a year. Combined with cavity wall insulation (£500–£1,000), it can lift an EPC from D to C and cut bills by £200–£300 annually.
