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!

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.

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

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.

Make sure your pans fully cover the rings on your hob to use all of the heat being provided. Use the right sized ring for the pan you are heating.

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

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.

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

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

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.