How to save on your holiday rental's electricity bill
May 2026
Are you spending more than you’d like on electricity for your holiday rental? In many countries, the cost of utilities has skyrocketed in recent years, leaving holiday rental landlords scrambling to pay the bills. These tips will help you cut your holiday rental costs.
The benefits of reducing your holiday rental’s electricity bill
There are two main reasons why you should look for energy-efficient solutions for your holiday rental. The first is obvious: of course, you’ll be paying less from month to month. That means more profit — and ultimately, that’s what a business is all about.
The second may not appear quite so obvious at first, but it’s actually very important. If you can advertise your holiday home as being energy-efficient, you’ll attract eco-conscious travellers. This is a surprisingly powerful market niche. Green-friendly tourists are often willing to spend more, and they will happily search holiday rental portals for properties that share their values. After you complete your energy-efficient upgrades, mention them on your holiday rental website. A landlord who can attract eco-conscious guests will often increase their revenue over time, as these are usually travellers with a lot of money to spend.
How to save electricity in your holiday home
There are a number of different ways to save on bills. Some are quick, easy fixes that you can do today, while others are more drastic measures. Let’s start with the simpler options:
- Replace old lightbulbs with LED lights. These will last a lot longer and save electricity over time. You may want to take some time to choose the correct colour of LED for your property. They are available in several different shades, which can really change the atmosphere of a room.
- Keep your appliances clean. As part of your regular maintenance tasks, you should descale your kettle, clean your tumble dryer’s lint filter, defrost your freezer, and clean the coils at the back of your fridge. These tasks aren’t much fun, but they will help your appliances run more efficiently.
- Use a standby saver. A standby saver turns off all your appliances in one go. It’s handy for the home, but it’s absolutely vital for a holiday rental, as you’ll be able to instantly turn everything off between guests.
- Draughtproof your property. Electric heating costs more than gas, so it’s essential to watch out for draughts. You don’t need to hire a professional — just use draughtproofing strips around the edges of doors and windows and block any unused chimneys.
- Improve your insulation. Some types of insulation are best left to the professionals. However, you can easily add loft insulation to your property, which will trap the heat inside and allow you to save money.
Replace your appliances with energy-efficient upgrades
This is one of the best ways to reduce expenses in holiday rentals, but there will be some initial spending involved. As such, you may not be able to do it all at once. Instead, you can look at this as a long-term investment process, replacing one appliance at a time.
Look for Energy Star ratings on the appliances that you buy. The higher the grade, the better. In some areas, you may even get support from the government or local authority to replace appliances with new, energy-efficient versions.
Use smart tech
Smart tech is a real blessing for holiday rental landlords, as it allows you to control your property’s lights, thermostats and appliances remotely.
While on holiday, guests tend to pay less attention to practical matters than they would at home. They may leave your property with the lights still switched on, for example. Luckily, you can control everything remotely, just using your devices.
Smart tech is also extremely handy when your property is empty between guests, as you can ensure that everything is switched off without going there in person.
Install solar panels
This is a major change and one that may not be suitable in particular areas. However, if your holiday rental is in a sunny place —and if you have the money to spend on the initial outlay— solar panels can be one of the most effective ways to lower your electricity bill over time. In the UK, they may be able to reduce your bills by up to 70%.
Still not sure if solar panels are worth the initial expense? Consider the fact that they also add value to your property. That means if you’re planning to sell your holiday rental at some stage down the line, solar panels are, in fact, a very wise investment.
Change electricity provider
If you’ve got the time, it’s worth shopping around to check what deals are available from other providers. You may have been with the same electricity company for a long time, but your loyalty could be costing you money.
Just letting your current provider know that you’ve found a better deal may be enough. Many companies will immediately offer you a counter-deal to encourage you to stay, leaving you with lower prices either way.
How not to spend less on electricity for holiday rentals
Finally, let’s look at a few common tips for saving money on your electricity bills at home. Unfortunately, not everything is suitable for a holiday rental. Do not try to follow any of these tips when you rent out your holiday home, as you could just end up with angry guests and bad reviews online:
- Turn down your thermostat. You may be comfortable at a lower temperature, especially if you’ve had time to get used to it. However, guests may not. Your guests could be older people, babies, or vulnerable groups who require warmer temperatures. What’s more, the setting of the thermostat can be cultural. In some countries, it’s common to keep a higher room temperature than others. You risk angering and alienating your guests if you insist on controlling the temperature of your rental.
- Run your washing machine at 30°C. For reasons of basic hygiene, you should be washing your holiday rental’s bedsheets and towels at a higher temperature.
- Encourage guests to use electricity at off-peak times. You really can’t impose on your guests’ freedom to enjoy their holiday in this way.
- Discourage the use of certain appliances in the home. When a guest rents your holiday flat, they expect to be able to use everything in it. If you tell them that the tumble dryer is off-limits or request that they cook on the hob rather than in the oven, you will come across as tyrannical and obsessed with money.
Essentially, nothing you do to save money on your electricity bills should have a negative impact on your guests. They’re here to enjoy their holiday. They shouldn’t feel or notice any discomfort while staying with you.