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!

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.

Are your heating costs literally going through the roof? Check to ensure you have 250-270 mm of loose roll loft insulation and top up if necessary.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Using lids on your pans when cooking will save energy and help heat the contents quicker.