Little acts of love outweigh grand gestures for Brits this Valentine's Day
- As Valentine’s Day approaches, new research reveals that it’s the small, everyday gestures, not grand expensive displays that matter most to loved-up Brits (87%)
- Receiving a hug and a kiss (44%), rustling up a home-cooked meal (31%), and heading out for a walk together (28%) are the top gestures that Brits in relationships say make them feel most loved
- The study from Smart Energy GB reveals two thirds (66%) of Brits in a relationship agree they feel loved by their partner when they take on household admin tasks, such as ensuring bills are paid on time, managing insurance and keeping track of energy use at home
- In fact, traditional grand gestures like roses, pricey dinners and romantic splurges are viewed as nice but unnecessary by 37%, whilst 27% view them as wasteful, and a further 15% confess they feel cheesy or cringey
- This Valentine’s Day, Smart Energy GB has teamed up with celebrity couple and Race Across the World 2025 runners up, Molly Rainford and Tyler West, to show how taking control of your household energy use with a smart meter can be the stuff of lasting love
- Smart Energy GB has also partnered with relationship expert, Vicki Pavitt to create the Little Acts of Love Guide, helping couples turn everyday household tasks into meaningful acts of affection
Whether it’s sweet compliments, quality time, surprise gifts, or lending a hand, everyone has their own way of expressing love.
New research from Smart Energy GB reveals that it’s the small, everyday gestures that couples find most romantic this Valentine’s Day, with a quarter (24%) of Brits reporting that helpful and thoughtful acts of service are their favourite way to give and receive love.
Grand expensive displays are trumped by practical and loving gestures as some of the most appreciated acts of love. Respondents particularly valued receiving a hug or a kiss from their partner (44%), cooking a home-made meal (31%), going for a walk together (28%), snuggling on the sofa or in bed (27%), holding hands (23%), and thoughtful notes or messages (20%).
Practical acts of care were also highly appreciated, such as taking small energy-saving actions to reduce household bills (43%), making sure bills are paid on time (34%), and ensuring the household is on the right energy tariff (23%), highlighting how love often shows up in the everyday moments at home.
This belief is particularly strong amongst couples who have lived together for more than 10 years, with 57% saying they prefer consistent, practical actions rather than big, one-off, expensive gestures.
In fact, two thirds (66%) of Brits in a relationship agree they feel loved by their partner when they take on household admin tasks, such as ensuring bills are paid on time, managing insurance and keeping track of energy use at home.
The emotional impact of these small actions are clear, with nearly half (46%) of couples who have a smart meter agreeing that keeping on top of the energy they use as a household makes them feel like they’re doing something thoughtful for their loved ones.
On average, couples say they carry out nine small acts of love each week, but nearly a third (32%) say this rises during Valentine’s week, as people make more of an effort to show they care through meaningful gestures.
From cooking meals and making cups of tea to running the washing machine and dishwasher, energy use is an important factor in our hearts and home. To keep track of usage, smart meters have a display that shows energy use and costs in near-real time, offering greater transparency and peace of mind.
In this way, smart meters are supporting some of the everyday acts of care that couples value most. Among Brits with a smart meter, 27% say it has encouraged their household to be more energy efficient, while one in five (20%) report saving money on their energy bills since getting one, demonstrating how small, practical actions at home can become a helpful way for couples to show care in everyday life.
In fact, smart meter owners who say they’ve saved money with their smart meter, believe they have reduced their bills by an average of £176 a year.*
In contrast, traditional grand gestures such as expensive restaurant meals, roses and one-off romantic splurges are seen as outdated. 37% of respondents describe these gestures as nice but unnecessary, while 27% view them as financially wasteful, and a further 15% confessing they feel cheesy or cringey.
To help Brits get the most out of Valentine’s Day this year, Smart Energy GB has partnered with relationship expert Vicki Pavitt to create The Little Acts of Love Guide, designed to encourage couples to understand and embrace the ways their partner gives and receives affection, and how it translates into everyday life at home.
The guide maps common household tasks and habits to the different ways people express love, proving that small behaviours can have a meaningful impact:
● Words of affirmation - Compliment a home-cooked meal, send an unexpected text to let them know you're thinking of them, or express gratitude for the little things they do around the house.
● Quality time - Sit down for a cuppa together, ask them about their day, listen to your favourite music together, enjoy a device-free evening to connect, or go for a walk, just the two of you.
● Gifts - Surprise them with small, thoughtful tokens of appreciation, like a new coffee mug, some cosy pyjamas, or picking up their favourite snack.
● Physical touch - Offer a hug after a long day, hold hands, snuggle together while watching TV, or give your partner a goodnight kiss (6 seconds is best to boost intimacy and release the bonding hormone oxytocin).
● Acts of service - Show your love through helpful, caring actions such as cooking your partner's favourite meal, taking something off their plate, offering to help with household tasks and admin without being asked, or using a smart meter display to monitor energy use and run appliances efficiently.
Speaking about the findings, dating and relationship coach, Vicki Pavitt, said: "When it comes to building a healthy and fulfilling relationship, it's not the big, grand gestures that matter most - it's the small, intentional actions done consistently that help love to thrive. Love is not just something we say, it's something we do. For many of us, it shows up through the little things we do for each other - those quiet choices that make life feel easier and more manageable together. The Little Acts of Love Guide shows how everyday gestures can help your partner feel appreciated and loved every day, not just on Valentine's Day."
Tyler West commented: “Love for us isn’t about grand gestures, it’s in the little things. When we were competing on Race Across the World with such a limited budget, it was those small, practical gestures such as helping keep track of our expenses, or looking after one another when we were unwell, that meant the most.”
Molly Rainford added: “Even now, whether it’s taking care of the household admin or using our smart meter display to stay on top of our energy use, it’s those tiny, everyday moments where we can help each other and have a laugh together, that make us feel cared for, not just on Valentine’s Day.”
Victoria Bacon, Director at Smart Energy GB, said: “Our research shows that taking on some of the household admin can be a simple but meaningful way to show you care. Small, practical actions such as taking on responsibility for monitoring energy usage, ensuring bills are paid on time or sharing the load of everyday household tasks, can make your partner feel supported. With a smart meter display, households can get clear insight into their energy usage, making it easier to understand your energy consumption while staying in control of your bills.”
For more information about smart meters and how they can help households stay in control of their energy use, search ‘Get a smart meter’.
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Research Methodology
Research conducted by OnePoll across 2,000 UK adults, January 2026.
* Survey conducted by Censuswide of 2,002 people in GB aged 18+ with a smart meter, 31st March – 1st April 2025.