· Money Moves · Payback period
Utility Upgrade: a free game about payback periods
Three draughty houses, one budget each. Pick the upgrades that pay back fastest.
What is Utility Upgrade?
Three draughty rental houses with high bills, and a budget for each. Draught strips, LED lights, insulation, a new boiler, solar panels, a heat pump: pick the mix that saves the most over ten years for the money.
Utility Upgrade is a free money game about payback. Three rental houses have high bills and a budget each for upgrades: draught strips, LED lights, insulation, a boiler, solar panels, a heat pump.
Each upgrade shows its cost and how much it saves a year. Pick the mix that saves the most over ten years, after paying for it.
At a glance
- Category
- Money Moves
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Play time
- 3–5 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Pick
- Each upgrade shows its cost and yearly saving. Payback = cost ÷ yearly saving.
- Install
- Ten years of bills later, your savings minus the costs are compared with the best mix for the budget.
- Three levels
- Beginner, Intermediate or Expert, picked before you play: the content and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.
- Coins
- Example numbers in plain fictional coins, made up for the game. Not financial advice.
Scoring
Up to 300 per house, by how close your mix comes to the best one for the budget, plus 40 for installing.
Three houses per run.
What it trains
- Payback
- Cost divided by yearly saving.
- Budgeting
- Fitting the best mix in a fixed sum.
Strategy and tips
- Payback first
- Cost ÷ yearly saving = years to pay back. Shorter is better.
- Small wins add up
- Cheap fixes often pay back in a year or two.
- Fill the budget wisely
- After the quick wins, the best big upgrade is the one that still pays back well within ten years.
Why play Utility Upgrade?
Payback is a simple way to compare any spend that saves money later, from a new boiler to a better phone plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Utility Upgrade free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser, with no download. Signing up is optional.
Is this financial advice?
No. Every number is an example in fictional coins, made up for the game. It teaches the ideas; for real decisions, look at your own situation and local rules, or ask a qualified adviser.
Are there levels?
Yes: Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. The numbers, the hints and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.