With the energy price cap reviewed every three months, what’s certain is that energy prices will consistently rise and fall. However, one thing that will stay exactly the same is that your property will keep losing heat if it’s not efficiently insulated, regardless of the unit price of electricity or gas. And that’s often the missing piece when people wonder why their energy bills remain high even during price drops.
Fluctuating energy costs can make it seem easy to think cheaper rates automatically mean your bills will be lower, but if your home is using an old, inefficient heating system or warm air is escaping through a draft, you’re still wasting energy — just at a different price. That’s why the biggest long-term savings come from reducing heat loss, improving heating efficiency and gaining control over how and when you heat your home.
Why lower energy prices don’t automatically mean lower costs
The total cost of your energy bills is shaped by two things: the price of energy (pence per kWh) and how much of it you use (kWh consumption). If your home loses heat quickly, your heating system has to work harder and run for longer (increasing kWh consumption) to reach the optimum temperature.
For example, if warm air is escaping through older single glazed windows, poorly insulated doors or walls, loft spaces or your home is simply using an inefficient heating system, you’re constantly paying to replace lost heat. While lower prices might soften the impact, unfortunately they don’t solve the root problem of heat loss caused by structural issues around the home. This is often why homeowners ask, “why are my energy bills high?” – even during periods when energy prices fall.
Heat loss is structural and unless resolved, it’s always working against you
With heat loss caused by the structure of your home, even the most insulated home will lose heat, whether that’s from a door being left open or naturally escaping through brick. The difference is how quickly it happens and how well your heating system detects and responds to the drop in temperature.
What is heating system efficiency?
In terms of warming your home, heating efficiency refers to the system’s ability to convert gas or electricity (fuel) into heat while creating as little energy waste as possible.
Older heating systems can run inefficiently from wear and tear over time, and as technology has advanced, many models aren’t as efficient as modern, electric heating alternatives. When temperatures drop quickly, the system runs on bursts of energy to raise it back up, but if an inefficient heating system has to work harder to convert fuel into heat, your energy costs can spike. As a result, your home can become uncomfortable, creating cold spots around the home, causing your heating to run for longer until it finally reaches the optimum level.
The hidden cost of “keeping the heating on longer”
When your home struggles to retain heat, it’s tempting to turn the thermostat up, leave the heating on for longer periods, or use portable heating devices like electric blankets and oil heaters as an extra “top up”. But if your home is prone to heat escaping, replacing heat with additional methods creates a cycle of:
- Heat loss around your home
- Reheating rooms that have dropped in temperature
- Increasing your energy consumption
- Inconsistent heating and uncomfortable environments
If your home struggles to stay warm, it’s not just an energy price issue – it’s unfortunately an efficiency issue, which is why taking control is just as important as paying a cheaper energy rate.
What can you do to make your home more energy efficient?
If your energy bills feel higher than they should, the good news is there are practical steps you can take to reduce heat loss. If you’ve ever wondered, “why is my house losing heat so quickly?”, the answer usually comes back to insulation, draughts and heating control.
Small insulation improvements can make a noticeable difference, like draught-proofing around doors and windows, sealing gaps in skirting boards, and adding or topping up loft insulation. They’re all relatively low-disruption improvements that help your home retain warmth for longer. Even fitting thicker curtains or thermal blinds can reduce overnight heat loss.
But if you’ve taken anything away from this article, it’s clear that insulation is only half the picture. How your home generates and controls heat matters just as much as how well it retains it, which is where upgrading to an electric heating system can make things better.
How electric heating systems can reduce heat loss
Here’s how you can take back control of your energy bills and reduce heat loss with electric heating products:
- Electric boilers: If you’re placing an old gas boiler, benefit from an electric boiler which can detect if you require less energy — reducing your power consumption by up to 50%
- Hybrid heating: Stagger the transition to an electric heating set up, maximising the benefits of a hybrid heating system. Combine two energy sources to reduce your home’s reliance on fossil fuels long-term
- Smart heating controls: Set a 7-day heating programme and use smart heating controls to adjust your heating room-by-room, heating only the spaces you need to reduce your consumption
- High Heat Retention Storage Heaters: Fischer Elektrostore HHRs generate heat at a cheaper, overnight rate. Energy is stored and then heat is slowly released throughout the day to keep your household cosy
- Electric heaters: Made using 40mm Electric HeatCore, our electric heaters are specifically designed to retain and release heat efficiently, optimised with room-by-room functionality
Take back control of your home’s energy efficiency
If your home loses heat quickly, your bills will always feel higher than expected, regardless of price caps. Get ahead of the energy price cap and learn more about how your home retains and loses heat. The long-term solution is to reduce heat loss and improve control, not just wait for lower tariffs.For a more long-term energy efficient solution, request a free catalogue to see how you can adapt your current heating system for an all-electric alternative.
Tom is passionate about showing people how modern electric heating, like Fischer Future Heat systems, can bring comfort, control, and long-term savings to their homes — without the jargon.
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