Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Every year in the UK it kills around 50 people and sends 4000 to A&E for emergency treatment. Make sure you get all your combustion appliances properly serviced and fit an alarm. Good quality alarms are available from most DIY suppliers and take minutes to fit. It could save your life!

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.

Keeping extract fans and vents clean and clear from obstruction reduces energy use and makes then work more efficiently.

Save energy with your washing machine. Modern washing powders often let you achieve the same results with lower temperatures.

If your charger has an LED to show it’s in use, it is still using energy until you switch it off at the wall or unplug it.

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.

Boiling food on the hob? Only use the water you need to save energy.

Switch off radiators in any rooms you are not using regularly and keep internal doors shut to save energy.

Washing a small load of clothes? Check you washing machine’s settings to see if you can use the “half load” programme to save water and energy.

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.