Being Prepared for Big Energy Saving Week

Just as the post-Christmas pinch hits and the weather is doing its worst, Big Energy Saving Week arrives with a simple message: small, practical actions can meaningfully reduce bills, improve comfort at home, and help people access support they might not even realise they’re eligible for. 

It’s not about perfection, or turning your life into a spreadsheet. It’s about being a bit smarter with energy at the point in the year when it matters most.

What Big Energy Saving Week actually is

Big Energy Saving Week is a United Kingdom awareness campaign designed to help households take immediate, realistic steps to cut energy costs. 

Historically, it has been associated with guidance around checking you’re on the best deal, understanding your energy use, and finding help to make your home more efficient. 

Citizens Advice has previously led and promoted the campaign, focusing on helping consumers reduce bills through better deals and practical changes at home.

When it takes place in 2026

This year, Big Energy Saving Week runs from 17 January 2026 to 23 January 2026. 

Placing it in January is no accident: it’s typically one of the coldest parts of the year, when heating use rises and households feel the cost most sharply.

Why getting involved matters beyond your own household

Energy saving can feel like a private challenge, something you quietly battle in your own home. 

But this week is also about visibility, because many people who could benefit from support schemes, switching advice, or basic efficiency improvements simply don’t know where to start. 

Campaigns like this encourage conversations, and those conversations can help someone else avoid getting into arrears, reduce stress, and stay warm safely.

There’s also a wider point: using less energy where you reasonably can reduces demand and emissions, and helps the UK move towards a more efficient, resilient energy system. You don’t need to be an eco-expert to play a part. You just need to share what’s useful.

The three-word mindset: check, switch, save

A helpful way to approach the week is the “check, switch, save” rhythm that’s often used across UK energy advice campaigns. 

“Check” means looking at what support you might be eligible for and understanding what you currently pay. “Switch” means seeing whether a different tariff or supplier could be better for you. “Save” means reducing wasted energy without making your home uncomfortable.

If you do nothing else, treat Big Energy Saving Week as an organised prompt to review your situation calmly, rather than only reacting when a bill lands.

How to prepare before the week begins

The best prep is surprisingly boring, but it’s what makes everything else easier. Find your latest bill (or open your app), check what tariff you’re on, and note your payment method. 

If you have a smart meter, it’s worth making sure it’s working properly and that you understand what the in-home display is telling you. If you don’t have a smart meter, take a meter reading anyway. It gives you a baseline and helps you spot unusual spikes later.

It’s also worth checking whether you’ve got drafty problem areas you’ve been ignoring because they feel “small”. Gaps around doors, letterboxes, loft hatches and older windows can quietly drain heat. 

The week is a good excuse to tackle one or two of these, rather than feeling like you have to overhaul the whole house.

The “easy wins” that keep you warm as well as saving money

The best energy-saving actions are the ones you’ll actually keep doing in February. 

That usually means changes that don’t make your home feel miserable: being more intentional with heating timings, keeping internal doors closed to retain warmth in the rooms you use most, and reducing needless heat loss through draught-proofing. 

Energy Saving Trust regularly emphasises that everyday habit changes can cut energy use without demanding big home upgrades.

Think of it as stopping waste, not “using less comfort”. When people frame it that way, the changes are far more likely to stick.

Support you can signpost during the week

Big Energy Saving Week is also about making sure people get the help they’re entitled to. One well-known scheme is the Warm Home Discount, which is a one-off £150 discount on electricity bills for eligible households, applied through suppliers during the scheme window.

Another under-shared option is the Priority Services Register (PSR), which offers free extra support for people in vulnerable situations (for example, older people, disabled people, or households with young children), including tailored help during supply interruptions. People can usually join by contacting their energy supplier.

Even if you personally don’t qualify, sharing awareness of these two can be one of the most valuable things you do all week.

How to help make others aware without sounding preachy

The simplest way to spread the message is to share one helpful action and one trusted resource, rather than a long checklist. 

For example: “Big Energy Saving Week is 17–23 Jan. If you’re worried about bills, it’s worth checking support like the Warm Home Discount or joining the Priority Services Register.” Then point people towards Citizens Advice-style support and reputable guidance.

If you run a workplace, community group, or social media page, you can turn the week into something practical: a daily “one-minute tip”, a short post encouraging people to check their tariff, or a reminder that support exists and it’s normal to ask for it. 

The goal isn’t to lecture people. It’s to reduce friction so someone who’s overwhelmed can take one small step.

Turning a week into a habit

The week ends on 23 January, but the best outcome is momentum. If you’ve checked your tariff, tightened up one drafty spot, and shared support info with a couple of people, you’ve already made Big Energy Saving Week worth it. 

The win is not doing everything. The win is doing something that lasts.