Households urged to make three crucial changes before clocks go forward (2025)

A home energy expert has warned that you could lose a lot of money if you don’t make a few key changes to your home

UK households are being urged to make three minor changes before the clocks go forward that will help them to save money. The clocks will jump forward one hour at 1am on Sunday (March 30) marking the start of British Summer Time (BST).

But whilst Brits may be worried about lose an hour of sleep, a home energy expert is warning that they could also lose a lot of money if they don’t make a few crucial changes to their home.

This year, the time change coincides with 'National Price Hike' day on Tuesday, April 1 when energy bills are set to rise again. Ofgem are set to increase energy price cap which means a typical household will pay an extra £111 a year.

With 22 million homes set to be affected across England, Wales, and Scotland, small adjustments now could help keep costs down, the expert says.

Failing to reset heating and lighting settings could see households’ energy usage increase by up to 10 percent, adding an additional £120- £200 to their annual bill on average.

John, a home energy expert from Ty Eco, explains: “A lot of people don’t realise that the clocks changing can throw off their home energy settings.

"If you’re not careful, you could end up heating an empty house or leaving lights on longer than needed, and with bills already high, that’s money down the drain. Here are three key steps all homeowners should take.”

Here are the three crucial changes that households need to make before the clocks change:

Reset your thermostat

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Many households rely on thermostats and heating timers to control their energy use. However, if these settings aren’t adjusted for the time change, heating systems could be running unnecessarily and adding to your bill.

You don’t want your heating kicking in earlier than you need it,” says John. “Older heating systems won’t adjust automatically, so it’s worth double-checking that your timer is in sync with your schedule.”

Older central heating and hot water timers will need to be manually adjusted. Some modern smart thermostats will update automatically, but it’s still worth checking your settings to make sure you’re not heating your home when you don’t need to.

With warmer weather approaching, consider setting a shorter heating schedule to avoid unnecessary energy use.

Check your electric radiators and heated appliances

If you have electric radiators, towel rails, or other plug-in heaters, they may have internal timers that won’t automatically adjust when the clocks change.

“Electric radiators are great for extra warmth, but if they’re running on the wrong schedule, you could be heating rooms when you’re not even using them,” says John. “Check the settings to make sure they’re only on when you actually need them.”

Many electric radiators have manual timers that need adjusting. Heated towel rails can be a hidden source of energy waste if left running too long.

Check any underfloor heating or panel heaters with programmable timers.

Adjust timers on lights and other appliances

“It’s not just your heating, any timed appliance may need updating to prevent wasted energy,” John warns. “Things like smart lights, slow cookers, and even coffee machines might now be switching on at the wrong time.”

Smart lights and manual timers may need updating to reflect the time change, so they’re not switching on too early.

Kitchen appliances like coffee machines and slow cookers should be checked to make sure they’re aligned with your schedule.

Any plug-in timers controlling electronics or security lights should be adjusted to match the new time.