Furthermore, April is the perfect month to start. We are coming out of winter, when heating increases usage, but we haven't yet reached summer, when we need air conditioning. Moreover, with the recent clock change in March, daylight hours in the afternoon are extended, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The time has come to adjust what weighs most heavily on the bill without losing comfort.

Why April is a good month to start saving without touching your tariff

With April comes the transitional season, and that changes everything. Temperatures are milder, there are more daylight hours, and the thermal needs of our homes change. This context allows you to reduce your usage effortlessly.

More daylight hours after the clocks go forward

Why do the clocks change? By adjusting to summer time, we enjoy more hours of natural light to carry out our activities. This means you can turn on the lights at home later, reducing your usage time. In practical terms, the savings can be even greater if you minimally readapt your routines to the new schedule.

Less need for continuous heating

Heating is the biggest energy expense in the home, accounting for 47% of the total. In April, it is no longer necessary to keep it on all the time. But beware, the key is not to turn it off suddenly either, but rather to reprogramme it; that is, to reduce the hours of use and adjust the temperature.

Keeping the house between 20 and 21ºC is sufficient in most cases. Every extra degree can increase usage by around 7%, while lowering it can mean great savings. Furthermore, programmable thermostats can cut costs by between 8% and 13%.

The ideal time to review your baseline usage

Before the summer heat arrives, we can take the opportunity to identify unnecessary usage such as appliances on standby, inefficient appliances, or poorly configured hot water systems. By better understanding how expenditure is distributed at home, we can make smart decisions that work in favour of household savings.

Check out these 15 extra tips before tackling our checklist to ensure you arrive with your homework done.

Checklist of 10 changes in April to lower your bill

Discover the 10 steps to boost real savings on your bill by readjusting your habits and checking the systems that generate the highest usage: climate control, hot water, and higher power appliances.

1. Turn the heating down slightly and reprogramme the thermostat

As we mentioned, it's not about turning off the heating, but rather using it better. Set the temperature to 20–21ºC and reduce its operation during the middle of the day, when the house is already warm. If you are going out, lower the set point or turn it off. Every small adjustment adds up.

2. Take advantage of natural light and delay turning on lamps

April is the perfect month for this. Keep blinds and curtains open during the day to heat the house naturally and don't turn on the lights until you really need them. This simple action, repeated every day, will have a direct impact on the bill.

3. Switch to LED for any light points that aren't yet

Although lighting may not be the biggest expense, switching to LEDs is an easy and very economical improvement. LED bulbs are up to 80% more efficient and last longer. It is a small investment with a constant return.

4. Cut vampire power with switched extension leads or smart plugs

Standby is one of the most subtle forms of usage and can account for around 6.6% of your home's electricity expense. This vampire power usage is caused by devices such as televisions, routers, or microwaves, which continue to use energy even when you are not using them.

The solution is as simple as using switched extension leads or smart plugs, which allow you to completely disconnect devices that you are not using at any given time.

5. Wash at 30ºC whenever you can

Most of a washing machine's usage goes towards heating the water. Dropping from 60ºC to 30ºC can save up to 40% of energy. If your clothes can turn out just as well at a lower temperature, take the opportunity to lower your wash by a few degrees.

Short programmes, making use of the drum's full capacity, or adjusting the spin speed to the load volume can also influence your savings. Discover more tips for saving with your washing machine.

6. Use the washing machine and dishwasher with a full load and ECO programme

On average, 85% of a dishwasher's electricity usage goes towards heating the water, while only 15% is used to power the motors. Using appliances like the washing machine or dishwasher with a half load is therefore a mistake that unnecessarily increases your expenditure.

ECO programmes, although they last longer, are designed to optimise the use of water and electricity to the maximum, reducing electricity use by 33% and water use by 36% compared to normal cycles. They are the most efficient option for everyday use.

Of all the tips for saving with your washing machine or dishwasher, remember: the key is to wait until the drum or basket is full before starting the cycle.

7. Check the temperature of your fridge and freezer

The fridge runs 24 hours a day, so any adjustment has a continuous impact. Keep the fridge at around 5ºC and the freezer at -18ºC. Lowering the temperature further only increases usage without improving food preservation.

8. Don't put hot food in the fridge

This habit forces the fridge to work harder to recover its internal temperature. Letting food cool down before storing it avoids unnecessary peaks in usage.

9. Adjust the water heater and improve hot water use

Saving water and energy at the same time is very simple. Domestic hot water is one of the services that uses the most energy in your home. Adjusting to a temperature of 30–35ºC will be sufficient for daily washing. In addition, you can adopt small habits to add to your savings:

• If you have an electric water heater, set it between 50ºC and 60ºC.
• Schedule its operation if possible.
• Prioritise showering over bathing (it uses up to four times less water and energy).

10. Measure your usage for a week and detect where the energy is going

Without measurement, there is no real control. Analysing how much you use and when is a key step to detecting patterns, excesses, and appliances that use more than expected.

Which changes are usually noticed first on the bill

Not all adjustments have an immediate effect:

• Heating and hot water: These are the most noticeable, as together they account for 66% of expenditure. Reducing the use of heating in April and adjusting the water heater will have a direct effect on your next bill.
• Lighting and standby: These are the easiest changes to apply and offer consistent results. According to the IDAE, this invisible usage can account for up to 300 kWh per year, a steady drip that leaves your pocket every day without you noticing.
• Appliances: These account for 19.4% of energy costs. Within this group, the fridge is by far the biggest contributor, as it runs continuously, meaning small adjustments generate significant savings over time.

Common mistakes when trying to save without changing your tariff

Saving does not mean giving up the comfort of having certain contracted services:

• Lowering comfort more than necessary: it's not about being cold or living in the dark. The goal is to maintain well-being by optimising resources.
• Obsessing over turning everything off and forgetting the big users: unplugging a charger helps, but it is not comparable to adjusting the heating or water heater. Always prioritise the big users.
• Applying tips that only work for certain tariffs: many users try to concentrate their usage in the early hours of the morning without knowing if their tariff has time-of-use pricing. If you have a stable 24-hour price, there is no point in putting the washing machine on at 2 a.m.; what matters in that case is the efficiency of the cycle (ECO programme and full load) and not the time it is done.

FAQ

Can you lower your bill without changing your tariff?

Yes. The bill depends not only on the price per kWh, but on how many kWh you use. By reducing usage in the systems that use the most (heating, hot water, and appliances), the savings are real and measurable.

Which change is noticed the fastest?

Adjusting the heating. As the biggest energy user in the house (47%), reducing its use or adjusting the temperature to 21ºC has an almost instantaneous reflection on your next billing cycle.

Is April a better month than winter to start?

Yes, April is a strategic month because it allows you to reduce heating without losing comfort and makes it easier to adopt new habits before summer air conditioning usage kicks in.

Does ECO mode really use less?

Yes. It uses less water and a lower temperature, which reduces energy use.

Is it worth tackling vampire power?

Yes. It is easy to eliminate and provides consistent savings, as it can represent between 7% and 11% of the annual electricity usage of an average home.