Why renting makes saving harder — and how to win
When you rent, you usually can't touch the boiler, swap the wiring or fit anything permanent — and there's little point sinking money into a flat you might leave in a year. That rules out a lot of the “classic” energy upgrades.
The good news: the cheapest, fastest savings don't need any of that. The trick for renters is to buy portable kit that lowers your bill today and simply packs up and moves with you to the next place.
Quick win
Golden rule for renters: if it needs a drill, a spanner or an electrician, skip it. If it plugs in or screws into an existing light fitting, it's fair game — and it's yours to take when you go.
No-drill, no-wiring essentials
Everything here installs with zero DIY and leaves no mark on the property:
- Smart plugs — schedule TVs, chargers and consoles off standby. The biggest quick win in any flat.
- Smart bulbs — screw or bayonet straight into the existing fittings. Dim them, schedule them, and cut lighting energy by up to 85% vs old halogens.
- Battery-powered sensors — stick-on motion and door sensors that turn lights off in empty rooms. Peel-and-stick, no screws.
- Portable heaters with timers — heat only the room you're in for an hour, instead of firing up the whole flat's heating.
- Smart power strips — one strip protects and schedules a whole desk or media unit at once.
Kit that moves with you
Think of your smart devices as furniture, not fixtures. Every item below comes out in minutes and works exactly the same in your next flat — so the money you spend keeps paying you back for years, across multiple tenancies.
- 1
Moving out
Unplug smart plugs and strips, unscrew smart bulbs (pop the landlord's original bulbs back in), and peel off any stick-on sensors. - 2
In transit
It all fits in a shoebox. No wiring to make safe, nothing to patch or repaint. - 3
Moving in
Reconnect everything to the new Wi-Fi in your app and you're saving again the same evening.
Landlord-friendly installation tips
- Keep the landlord's original bulbs in a labelled bag so you can restore them at the end of the tenancy.
- Use only peel-and-stick or plug-in devices — never anything hard-wired. Nothing here needs the landlord's permission.
- Don't overload sockets: one smart plug per wall socket, and check the device wattage against the plug's rating (more on this in the Installation Guides).
- Leave the property as you found it — because everything is removable, you will.
On shared bills
In an HMO or a flatshare, smart plugs make it easy to see who's using what and to agree fair splits — schedule shared kit like the router or kitchen appliances so nobody argues about the standby.
Budget picks under £50
Our renter favourites — each is portable, deposit-safe and easy on the wallet. The Renter Starter Kit bundles the essentials together at the best price.
- Wattly Renter Starter KitEverything a renter needs to start saving — no drilling, no landlord permission, takes it all with you when you move.£59.99View →
- Volt Smart Plug 4-PackFour smart plugs at a lower price per plug — kit out the whole flat and cut standby waste in every room.£44.99View →
- Lumen Warm Smart BulbA cosy warm-white smart bulb that uses up to 85% less energy than a halogen — dim and schedule from your phone.£9.99View →
- Aura LED Strip Light 5mFive metres of low-energy colour LED strip — mood lighting that replaces power-hungry lamps.£19.99View →
Prefer to browse? See all bundles or the full range.
