Electric bills are the thing people complain about at every holiday table this year. The EIA expects households that heat with electricity to spend more this winter than last, so a gift that trims the bill is a gift that keeps paying back. In my rentals I’ve used most of the things below, and I keep coming back to the same handful of cheap fixes: LED bulbs, smart plugs and timers, and sealing drafts.
For the curious: a P3 Kill A Watt meter. For anyone with old bulbs: a 4-pack of Sylvania 60W-equivalent LEDs. For gadget lovers: Kasa smart plugs. For a drafty house: a door draft stopper or a 3M window insulation kit. For Christmas lights: an outdoor smart plug or timer. All are cheap, and none needs an electrician.
Affiliate note: As an Amazon Associate, The Low Bill Home earns from qualifying purchases. Where I haven’t owned the exact model, my notes come from specs and the owner-review summaries on each listing.
Gift picker
Who is it for?
The 8 gifts
| Gift | Best for | What owners say |
|---|---|---|
| P3 P4400 Kill A Watt | The curious, renters | Easy to use and handy for finding energy hogs; a few report accuracy or durability issues |
| Sylvania 60W-equivalent LED bulbs | Anyone with old bulbs | Bright, good value; buyers say they plan to buy more |
| Kasa Smart Plug Mini (4-pack) | Gadget lovers, lamps on schedules | Easy setup and voice control; Wi-Fi and Alexa connection get mixed reviews |
| Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug KP401 | Christmas lights | Reliable and easy to schedule for outdoor lights |
| MAXTID 36-inch door draft stopper | Drafty front doors | Blocks cold air and bugs; adhesive strength is the split |
| 3M indoor window insulator kit | Old or single-pane windows | Stops drafts well; tape and backing paper are the common complaints |
| Outlet and switch foam insulators (30-pack) | Outlets on outside walls | Easy to fit and effective at stopping outlet drafts |
| Etekcity infrared thermometer | DIYers hunting drafts | Accurate and reliable; used for cooking, HVAC and finding cold spots |
From my renovations: the cheapest fixes are the ones people forget. Drafts around an old front door and around outlets on outside walls are small individually, but in a whole house they add up. A draft stopper and a pack of outlet seals cost very little and take an afternoon.
For heaters and blankets as gifts, see our comparisons of heated throws and tower heaters, and the heated blanket vs space heater cost comparison.
Tip: add gifts to your Amazon cart now; small electrical items often go on sale during Black Friday week (Thanksgiving is November 26).
Gifts to skip
- “Energy saver” plug-in boxes that claim to cut your bill by 30–90%. They don’t work on home electricity; the Federal Trade Commission and consumer groups have warned about them for years.
- A cheap smart plug for a space heater. Small plugs aren’t built for a 1,500-watt heater running for hours. If you want to automate a heater, it needs a plug rated for the full load, and many heater makers say to plug heaters straight into the wall.
- Anything that needs an electrician for someone who rents: they can’t install it, and you’ve given them a chore.
FAQ
What is a good energy-saving gift?
Something cheap that the person will actually use: a plug-in electricity usage monitor for the curious, LED bulbs for anyone still using old bulbs, a door draft stopper or window insulation kit for a drafty home, and smart plugs or an outdoor timer for Christmas lights and space heaters.
Do smart plugs save electricity?
Only if you use them to switch things off: a schedule for lamps and Christmas lights, or cutting standby power to a TV and console. The plug itself uses a little power. Never use a small smart plug with a space heater unless the plug is rated for the full load.
How much do LED bulbs save?
An 8.5 to 9 watt LED gives the light of an old 60 watt bulb. Used three hours a day at about 18 cents per kWh, that’s roughly $10 a year per bulb, and LEDs last many years.
Is a Kill A Watt worth it?
For curious people and renters, yes: it shows exactly what each plug-in appliance uses, including standby power, so you can see which space heater, dehumidifier or old fridge is driving the bill. It only measures things that plug into a standard outlet.
Are window insulation kits worth it?
For single-pane or drafty windows, yes: the shrink film adds a still air layer and stops drafts for a season. Owners like the result; most complaints are about the tape, so clean and dry the frame first and press the tape firmly.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Energy: Lighting choices to save you money (LED savings)
- U.S. Department of Energy: Reducing electricity use and costs (standby power)
- ENERGY STAR: Air seal and insulate
- EIA: Winter Fuels Outlook 2026–27
Email me at hello@thelowbillhome.com. I read every message, and when a rate, a rule or a product changes, I update the guide. — Eugene
Affiliate Disclosure: The Low Bill Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product details and availability change, so check the listing before you buy.
