Page last updated on 14th April 2026
Spring Clean your finances to save over £800 in the next year
With the change of season, the nation’s ‘Bills Bosses’ spring into action to refresh their household finances. Smart Energy GB has teamed up with Kate Thornton to uncover the different ways Britain’s Bills Bosses are saving energy and money this spring.
How much could I save by taking Bill Boss action?
Two in three households say they have a ‘Bills Boss’, who champions money saving in the home and searches for the best deals.
85% of Brits say the work the Bills Boss is invaluable.
By making a few simple switches today, such as getting a smart meter, households could save over £800 a year.
Kate Thorton talks to the nation's Bills Bosses
Journalist and broadcaster Kate Thornton took to the streets of Bromley to find some real-life Bills Bosses and chat about how they are saving money in their households.
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Kate: [looking a young toddler with his parents] Your mom's lovely. Thanks, Ted, for sharing your parents. Smart energy, smart wife. Spring is well and truly springing, so it's an opportunity for us to have a big spring clean and a refresh of our household finances. So, I'm out and about to try and find the Brits that are earning themselves the title of Bill's boss. George, who's the Bill's boss in your house?George: MeLady in sunglasses: Me? Yes.Kate: You're on it?Lady in sunglasses: I'm on it.Lady with bun: Myself and my husband.Kate: Teamwork makes the dream work.Lady with bun: Absolutely.Mum: That would be Anchors.Kate: [Holding an in-home display] Tell me what this is and who's most likely to look at it in your house.George: Definitely me. And it's a smart meter display.Lady in red: My kids actually look at it quite a lot cuz they're fascinated to know when they switch something on whether or not it goes up.Kate: This is a screen you want them to look at.Lady in red: Yes.Dad: When you got a young family, you got to try and think about Yeah. where you're spending money and things you can cut out to be a bit smarter about it.Kate: Who's most likely to turn the thermostat down?Lady with bun: Definitely my husband.Kate: You like it warm?Lady with bun: I like it warm and cozy.Lady in red: That's definitely me. My bra. Yeah. Yeah.George: my other half.Kate: Yeah?George: Yeah.Kate: Who's most likely in your house to shop around for new policies when your insurance comes up for renewal?Lady in red: That would be me. Although I am going to teach my kids to do it as well.Lady in sunglasses: Always shop around.Kate: Has it always saved you money?Lady in sunglasses: Always.Lady with bun: Definitely my husband.Kate: And look, he's not even here to get all the glory.Lady with bun: I know.Kate: Who's most likely to cancel any unused subscriptions or memberships?George: Definitely me.Kate: Yeah?Lady in sunglasses: Me.Lady with bun: I'd say both of us. I think if we're not using something, then it makes sense to cancel.Kate: [To George] I'm calling it. You are a Bill's boss. [To lady in sunglasses] Bill's boss. Definitely a bill's boss. [To lady in red]There's no doubt about it. You're a Bill's boss.Lady in red: Well, I always knew that I was made for something great.Kate: So, you really can save money by just incorporating some of those simple switches that we've talked about today. And that is serious Bill's boss behavior.
Could you be a Bills Boss and save money?
There’s no denying the Bills Boss gets things done, with Brits saying having one person responsible for the household finances helps to avoid confusion.
And 60% say that the change in season encourages them to have a clear out, not just of their homes, but their finances too.
Bills Boss money-saving action
Smart Energy GB worked with John Gathergood, Professor of Economics at the University of Nottingham, to calculate the savings that could be made from a few simple switches.
His research found that by doing a financial spring clean across six one-off actions today, Brits could save over £800 over the next twelve months.
Those six money-saving actions include:
- cancelling unused subscriptions
- tracking energy use and using energy flexibly with a smart meter
- lowering the thermostat by one degree
- shopping around for insurance
- switching broadband provider
- reviewing your mobile phone contract
Smart meter owners say they are saving money
When it comes to saving money on energy bills, almost half (46%) of smart meter owners say that taking part in an energy saving reward scheme has saved them money. And three in five people with a smart meter agree it encourages their household to be more energy efficient.
In fact, smart meter owners say that their smart meter has helped them save £130 a year on average on energy.
For more information about smart meters and how they can help households stay in control of their energy use, search 'Get a smart meter'.
Saving money
You can use a smart meter to help you save money by using an in-house display to monitor your energy use in near real-time. Read about money saving with a smart meter.
Saving energy
If you're looking to reduce energy consumption and stay on top of what you spent, a smart meter could help. Read about monitoring your energy usage with a smart meter.
Saving the environment
A smart meter is a small step for households but could help reduce our carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels. Read about how a smart meter could help our environment.