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British Gas, Octopus, EDF, EON customers can save £40 by avoiding kitchen errorIt's something most of us do - but a little thinking can save a lot of moneyNewsDavid Bentley Content Writer

(Money and Events)15:38, 02 Jun 2025Updated 15:49, 02 Jun 2025Being smart with your kettle usage can shave a tidy sum off energy bills(Image: Shared Content Unit) UK householders have been

urged to make one quick adjustment in their kitchen habits to knock £40 off energy bills.

People are being warned that seemingly harmless habits can contribute to rising energy costs.

‌ Those with energy companies such as British Gas, Octopus, EDF, E.ON and OVO will already be anticipating lower charges from July 1, when the typical bill for a dual-fuel gas and

electricity account will drop by £129 to £1,720 per year. But you can save even more by getting savvy with usage in the home.

‌ READ MORE:

Warning to 418,0000 British Gas, Octopus, EDF, EON and OVO customersJoin our Free Money Saving WhatsApp community for the latest updates While leaving lights on or running washing machines

at higher temperatures are commonly cited as energy culprits, there's one overlooked habit that could be costing you far more than you think.

Article continues below According to Justin Nielsen, an energy consultant at Wolf River Electric, overfilling your kettle is adding unnecessary costs to your bill.

Making a cup of tea is a daily ritual for millions of Brits. In fact, according to the Tea Census, around 10 million cups of tea are consumed across the UK each day. Given how central this

beverage is to British culture, it's hardly surprising that many people don’t think twice about how much water they pour into the kettle.

A staggering 61 per cent of Britons admit to overfilling their kettles when boiling water for a cuppa, but this seemingly minor oversight can lead to significant energy waste.

‌ For those who drink five to six cups a day, the cost of heating up unneeded extra water adds up quickly. If you're overfilling the kettle by just half a cup each time, it could add £39.62

to the typical £84 a year spent on boiling the kettle.

That's a £40 hike on an annual energy bill for a habit that's easy to change and it could be more if your kettle is on more than that or you're overfilling by a larger amount.

It's not just the amount of water you're boiling that affects energy use, it's also how you care for your kettle.

‌ Justin says that descaling kettles regularly can lead to noticeable savings. He explains that "even small appliances like kettles contribute to overall energy use," and that keeping them

in good working order helps ensure they're operating efficiently.

He added: "Using kettles with low minimum-fill lines and promptly descaling them can result in noticeable energy savings. Kettles, like many other appliances, accumulate limescale over time,

which forces them to work harder to boil water. Regular descaling helps keep them in peak condition and ensures they use less energy when boiling the same amount of water."

It’s not just the kettle that's a source of unnecessary energy consumption. Overfilling the washing machine, running the tumble dryer and dishwasher when they're not full, and leaving lights

on can all add hundreds of pounds to your annual energy bills.

Article continues below "It's important to remember that these habits can all add hundreds of pounds a year to our bills," says Justin.

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