London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 17, 2025

These easy practical tips will make your home feel just like new on a budget

These easy practical tips will make your home feel just like new on a budget

Small changes that can help you save money in the New Year

This year has been a tough year financially for many of us, research by Oust revealed that Brits are expected to rack up £6 billion worth of debts following this year. Come January we might all need to tighten our purse strings.

Replacing appliances and items around the home is one of the biggest household expenses. According to Oust, British households are set to spend £2.5 billion replacing items around the home.

However, there are plenty of tricks to refresh and look-after your home and all its appliances that could help save your money in January. Straight from the mouths of the experts, here are five practical tips to refresh your home on a budget.
Five practical tips to refresh your home on a budget

1. Decorate (and insulate) your home with thermal curtains




In winter a lot of our hard-earned cash can go simply on staying warm at home. However, a few clever investments can help save you money in the long term.

‘The more your home is insulated, the warmer it will be in the winter and the cooler it will stay in the summer sun,’ explained Demetir Efstat, Gas Engineer. ‘Well-insulated spaces allow the air to be trapped within the house and will prevent it from escaping from areas such as your loft space – also resulting in a lower energy bill.

‘Thermal curtains are a cheap and super effective way of keeping out the cold air, and will instantly give your home a refreshed vibe,’ he advises.

2.Descale your household appliances




Looking after your household appliances is essential to make them last longer and avoid having to shell out on an expensive new version.

‘One of the key factors to watch out for is limescale, which can impede the functioning of appliances and shorten their lifespan,’ says Claudia Berto, Descaling Expert. ‘It’s been proven that regular use of descaling products such as Oust, can extend the life of everyday appliances such as your kettle, iron and washing machine for years without causing any damage.’

3. Empty your appliance filters


Washing machines and tumble dryers are big investments, so it is important that you make them last as long as possible. If yours seems to be on the blink or using more electricity than it should, it could be that the filter needs to be cleaned.

‘The filter of your washing machine should be cleaned every six months to remove any material build-up, stray coins and any other bits which may have escaped over time,’ explains Perry Weston, Xtraclene CEO. ‘The filter of your tumble dryer, on the other hand, should be emptied after every use. This helps ensure the dryer isn’t working harder than it needs to and using more power as a result.’

4. Make your house more energy efficient




Swapping your light bulbs with LED and getting a smart meter installed are two easy but big ways to save on energy bills.

‘LED bulbs typically use up to 90% less energy. So the switch will save money on energy bills, and the bulbs themselves last longer, which saves costs on replacing light bulbs throughout the year,’ explains Chris Georgiou, Heating Expert. ‘The use of a smart meter allows you to control your energy usage much better.’

5. Clean your cleaners




It is easy to forget to clean appliances that clean for us. Taking the time to clean your hoover and dishwasher regularly will not only help them last longer. But the results will be amazing too.

To maintain a healthy, long-lasting dishwasher, you must remember to use dishwasher salt in every was,’ says Lauren Preston, Home & Parenting Influencer. ‘Salt prevents limescale from building up in your dishwasher’s filter, so it affects how clean your plates come out. If you find that your dishes are coming out ‘streaky’  instead of sparkling clean, you might be running low on salt.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×