Dion Dublin’s energy tips: 5 quick household jobs to help cut bills this winter

Winter brings colder weather, darker evenings, and switching your heating on. When temperatures drop, keeping your home warm without seeing your energy costs climb can feel like a real uphill battle.

Recent research1 from E.ON Next shows that a quarter of people across the UK are put off energy-proofing their homes because they assume it will be too expensive. On top of that, two in ten report that they simply do not know where to start.

To help break through those barriers, TV presenter and property expert Dion Dublin has teamed up with E.ON Next to champion 5 simple, 5-minute jobs that can cost from as little as a fiver to help households save money on energy bills as winter comes. You do not need to book pricey tradespeople or carry out disruptive renovations. In fact, these 5 practical jobs could help you lower energy bills by up to £292 a year2.

What are Dion Dublin's 5 energy-saving tips?

Dion Dublin and E.ON Next recommend five quick, low-cost actions you can complete in minutes to improve household efficiency:

• Insulate hot water pipes and tanks: Fit foam pipe lagging or an insulation jacket to save up to £154 a year.

• Give your fridge and freezer a quick MOT: Clean the coils, inspect door seals, and fill gaps to save up to £70 a year.

• Swap old light bulbs for LEDs: Replace inefficient incandescent or halogen bulbs with LEDs to save up to £36 a year.

• Install radiator reflector panels: Fit reflective foil behind radiators on external walls to save up to £24 a year.

• Use plug-in timers for appliances: Stop appliances from running unnecessarily to save up to £8 a year.

Here is everything you need to know to tackle these quick tasks and help reduce your energy costs this winter.

Five simple 5-minute household jobs to help lower your energy bills.

Many people assume saving energy requires deep pockets or complex DIY skills. In reality, some of the most effective ways to stop energy waste take only a few minutes and use inexpensive materials or items you already have at home.

Dion Dublin worked with insights from the E.ON Next app to highlight five tasks that deliver genuine results.

1. Insulate hot water pipes and tanks (average saving: £154 a year).

When you pay to heat your water, the last thing you want is that warmth escaping before it reaches your taps or radiators. In many homes, uninsulated pipes run through cold lofts, basements, or airing cupboards, losing heat along the way.

Adding simple foam lagging around exposed hot water pipes takes just a few minutes. The foam tubes are split down one side, so you can slip them straight over the pipework. If you have a hot water cylinder, checking that it has a well-fitted insulation jacket could keep water hotter for longer and deliver the biggest financial return of all five tasks, saving an average of £154 a year.

2. Give your fridge and freezer a quick MOT (average saving: £70 a year).

Your fridge and freezer never get a day off, so keeping them running efficiently is well worth five minutes of your time. Despite that, 67% of people report they have never heard of giving their fridge or freezer an MOT.

Start by checking that the door seals are clean and still sealing tightly so cold air cannot slip out. Next, gently brush or vacuum dust away from the condenser coils at the back or underneath the unit, which helps the motor run without overheating. Finally, keep your freezer packed. You can fill empty spaces with bags of ice or even spare bubble wrap to stop warm air rushing in when the door opens, saving a possible average of £70 a year.

3. Swap old bulbs for LEDs (average saving: £36 a year).

Changing your lighting is one of the easiest energy-saving upgrades you can make. Even so, research shows that 40% of people have never used LED lights in their homes.

Older halogen and incandescent bulbs waste the vast majority of their electricity as heat rather than light. Energy-efficient LEDs use less electricity, last longer, and fit into standard sockets in seconds. It is a small change that could save you money every time you flick on a switch, trimming an average of £36 a year from your electricity bill.

4. Put radiator reflector panels to work (average saving: £24 a year).

If you have radiators mounted on external walls, some of that lovely warmth ends up heating the outside brickwork instead of your room.

Reflector panels sit neatly behind the radiator and bounce heat back into the living space, helping you get the most from the warmth you are already paying for. They are quick to install, slide down behind the unit without removing it, and cost very little. Two thirds (67%) of Brits had no idea placing reflector foil behind radiators could save £24 a year, yet it takes only five minutes to complete.

5. Let plug timers do the thinking for you (average saving: £8 a year).

We have all left appliances or decorative lighting switched on longer than planned. Running items on standby or leaving them powered up overnight adds unnecessary cost to your electricity bill.

Inexpensive plug timers take the hassle out of remembering by automatically turning appliances on and off at set times. They are easy to set up, plug straight into standard wall sockets, and help cut out forgotten energy waste around the house, saving an average of £8 a year.

Standard Variable Tariff vs Fixed Tariff: protect your savings.

Making small DIY changes around your house gives you control over the amount of energy you use. However, how much you ultimately pay depends directly on the tariff you have with your supplier.

If you are on a Standard Variable Tariff (SVT), the unit rates and standing charges you pay fluctuate based on wholesale market costs and the Ofgem energy price cap. If market prices rise during the winter, those price increases can swallow up the hard-earned money you saved by lagging pipes and fitting reflector panels.

Understanding the difference between a Standard Variable Tariff vs Fixed Tariff helps you choose the right arrangement for your household:

• Standard Variable Tariff (SVT): Your prices go up or down when market conditions change. While it offers freedom without early exit fees, it leaves your monthly budget vulnerable to energy market increases when you need heating most.

• Fixed Tariff: Your unit rates for gas and electricity stay set for the entire term of your contract, usually 12 or 24 months. Your final bill still reflects the volume of energy you consume, but the cost per kilowatt-hour remains locked.

Compare energy tariffs and fixed rates. 

Choosing to fix your energy tariff gives your household more price predictability. When you lock in your unit rate, you could protect your budget from surprise market price spikes through the coldest months of the year.

Taking a few moments to compare energy tariffs allows you to weigh flexible variable pricing against the stability of a fixed deal. Pairing reliable fixed rates and Dion Dublin's tips means your day-to-day energy-saving actions could deliver real financial benefits.

Track your habits with the E.ON Next app.

Knowing where your home uses energy is the first step toward reducing waste. The free E.ON Next app gives you clear, personalised visibility over your energy habits:

• Personalised savings insights: Powered by energy data specialists Eliq, the app looks at your home profile and gives tailored energy-saving suggestions with estimated pound-for-pound savings.

• Usage tracking: Monitor your electricity and gas use over days, weeks, and months to see how small changes lower your daily consumption.

• Neighbourhood comparisons: See how your household energy consumption compares to similar homes in your area.

• Tariff management: Compare energy tariffs, check your current rates, and review available fixed options directly on your phone.

Download the E.ON Next app today, put our 5 simple energy saving tips shared by Dion Dublin into practice, and enjoy a warmer, more energy-efficient home all winter long.

• 1. Research conducted on behalf of E.ON Next by 3GEM between 25-29 September 2026 with 2,000 UK adults aged 18+.
• 2. Savings are estimates and will vary depending on your home and tariff. Some tips only apply to certain homes. Always follow manufacturer guidance and consider what is practical and safe for your household https://news.eonenergy.com/news/e-on-next-and-dion-dublin-reveal-five-simple-household-jobs-that-could-help-save-brits-up-to-gbp-292-a-year-on-energy-bills