I halved my energy bills - and now AI is helping me prove it
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We moved to the countryside thinking it would be a quieter, cheaper life. The first part was true. The second? Not even close.
We downsized from a big three-storey terrace in Birmingham to a tiny cottage in rural Oxfordshire, hoping to simplify things. But we made the move at the worst possible moment - just as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices into a tailspin.
Our new house was electric-only. The boiler was over ten years old, the kitchen appliances looked older still, and within weeks our energy bills were soaring. I’d downsized my square footage, but somehow upsized my energy costs.
We’d stretched ourselves with the move, so we couldn’t afford to fix everything at once. Instead, I made a plan: one change at a time, always aimed at long-term savings. The results? We’ve gone from paying £4,500 in 2023 to a projected £2,500 in 2025 - and possibly even less.
Step one: Get smart with your supplier
One of the only upsides of moving was the chance to pick a new energy supplier. We chose Utility Warehouse because they offered dual-rate tariffs - cheap electricity during off-peak hours. That meant big savings just by running the dishwasher and washing machine after midnight.
More importantly, they provided a smart meter, which our previous home never had. I finally had visibility over what was using the most power - and could start cutting it.
If I were doing it again today, I’d start with Switcheroo. It’s a free tool that compares energy prices and shows you only the best energy tariffs in the UK based on your current deal. No nonsense, no overload — just cheaper options. It’s designed for people like me who don’t have time to scan 30 confusing plans and hope for the best.
Step two: Make energy efficiency part of every upgrade
We hadn’t planned on replacing the kitchen. But when the built-in oven broke and couldn’t be replaced without tearing out the units, we bit the bullet. It turned out to be the best energy-saving move we made.
We chose A-rated appliances, a slimline dishwasher (there are only two of us), and a fridge that’s 60% more efficient than the old one. The difference on our electricity bills was immediate.
If you’re upgrading your kitchen - or anything else - build energy savings into your decisions. It doesn’t have to cost more. Just ask the right questions and look at the long-term impact.
We also started making smaller changes: timers on immersion systems, drying clothes on a rack with a dehumidifier instead of using the tumble dryer, reflective radiator panels, and LED lighting throughout.
Step three: Change the system driving your bills
The old boiler was a mess - unreliable, inefficient, and constantly breaking down. But we had no gas mains, and oil delivery wasn’t an option either. That meant electric-only heating was our only viable route.
After months of research, we installed a heat pump from Swedish firm Aira. A £7,500 government grant helped reduce the upfront cost, and new high-efficiency radiators were included. The install wasn’t perfect - we had a snag list - but once everything was up and running, the results were incredible.
I wrote about the experience and how the government grants work in this article.
We’ve seen a dramatic drop in our heating costs, and the house is warmer than ever. If you’re facing big heating bills in an electric-only home, it’s worth looking at heat pump savings. Even if you decide against it, you’ll be better informed.
And now AI is helping me track every saving
The one thing I wish? That I’d had access to AI energy tracking tools earlier.
These days, I run all our quarterly energy bills and usage data through ChatGPT and spreadsheet prompts. It compares every quarter we’ve lived in the house, shows month-by-month breakdowns, and flags changes linked to things like appliance upgrades or the heat pump install.
The trend is crystal clear: our energy usage is going down, and staying down.
Want to see if your upgrades are really cutting your bills? AI tools like ChatGPT can help you spot trends and prove the impact.
1: Share your data
If you use spreadsheets, log your usage with dates, costs and notes like “new fridge” or “heat pump installed”.
Not confident with spreadsheets? Just type it in step by step, e.g.
“My bill for Jan 2025 was £243. We installed a new fridge in Dec. Jan 2024 was £312.”
2: Use this prompt
I’ve added my energy usage and bills. Can you:
- Compare each period to previous years
- Spot savings linked to upgrades
- Show a trend chart
- Estimate likely future costs
- Highlight what’s made the biggest difference
Bonus: Ask what your bills would have been without any changes - to see your real savings.
Having that clarity is hugely reassuring — not just because I like seeing the savings, but because it proves the plan is working.
What I’d tell anyone trying to cut their energy bills
- Switch smart, not just fast. Use Switcheroo to compare energy prices quickly and find deals tailored to your actual usage. It’s the first, easiest step to save.
- Link upgrades to savings. Any job you’re doing - kitchen, bathroom, loft - should be a chance to improve insulation, reduce power use, or install smarter systems.
- Question your heating system. Our heat pump wasn’t cheap, but it’s on track to pay for itself quicker than I ever expected. If your boiler’s on the way out, don’t just replace it like-for-like. Do the maths.
Six months in, I feel like I’ve gone from blind guesswork to proper oversight - and AI has helped me spot every win along the way. The bills are down, the comfort is up, and we’re not done yet. I’m already looking at solar panels for next year. The war on high energy bills continues.