Solid brick walls can be insulated internally or externally to reduce heat loss.

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

Still using tungsten, halogen or fluorescent bulbs? Changing to LED lighting can save energy and money.

Thermal or heavy blinds and curtains can help trap heat and reduce draughts. Close them at night to reduce heating bills.

Check the programmer on your heating and hot water to make sure the timings match your needs. If you don’t have a seven-day programmer fitted consider getting one.

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.

Litter belongs in bins! Stuffing litter behind radiators not only prevents them working efficiently but can also be a fire risk.

Some vulnerable people need to keep their homes warmer than normal. However, most of us can save money and energy by dressing for the weather and putting on a jumper before turning up the heating.

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.

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.