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.

Draught excluders are a cheap way of cutting out the chill from poorly fitting doors and windows. Most are also easy to fit, a simple DIY task.

Think before your print. Reducing the amount of material you print has a long list of benefits including saving paper, chemicals and electricity. More and more offices and industries are going paper free, so think about how you can reduce any printing you do.

If you need to use a tumble drier, make sure you use a full load and keep the lint filter clean. It will keep your machine working more efficiently saving energy while also reducing any risk of fire.

Only fill your kettle with the water you need. You will save both water and energy.

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

Spending one minute less in the shower each day will save up to £8 a year off your energy bills, per person. With a water meter this could save a further £11 off annual water and sewerage bills. If everyone in a four-person household did this it would lead to a total saving of £75 a year.

Use a microwave. Generally a microwave oven is the most efficient way to heat up and cook food.

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.

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