Make sure you get your boiler properly serviced every year by a competent person. It will keep you warm, safe and make sure it is working efficiently.

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.

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.

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.

Insulation prevents heat moving in and out of a building. This makes it even more important for buildings with cooling systems which can benefit in both hot and cold weather.

Building Management Systems (BMS) are great for controlling your building systems efficiently, but only if they have been properly set up! Check your system is properly configured.

Electric storage hot water units use energy all the time they are switched on. Consider fitting them with time switches so they are only working when they are needed.

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!

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

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.