Insulate hot water pipes along their full length. Don’t waste the energy you have used to heat your hot water.

Cavity wall insulation can help prevent heat loss through your walls. Consider getting this retro-fitted if you still have uninsulated walls.

Make sure your radiators are clear so they can heat the space efficiently. Curtains or furniture can easily block them.

Using lids on your pans when cooking will save energy and help heat the contents quicker.

Use the sun to reduce your heating bills. Leave internal doors open to rooms which trap the sun so the heat can spread to other areas.

Get into the habit of turning lights off when you leave a room. A family could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to flick a switch, if they don’t already do this.

When cooking you can often use the residual heat to to save energy if you switch your cooker off just before you finish cooking. However, you still need to make sure that your food is properly cooked through.

A dripping tap can waste at least 5,500 litres of water a year. If this is hot water you’re also wasting the energy used to heat it. Get leaking taps fixed promptly.

Wash fruit and vegetables in a bowl, not under a running tap, to cut water use. Use the leftover water for your houseplants or patio pots.

When was the last time you switched energy supplier. Regularly changing to the right tariff can save you money by reducing your energy costs. If you rent a property and pay the energy bills yourself the law says you should be able to choose your own energy supplier.