Cut those winter fuel bills

• To eliminate draughts and wasted heat use an easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors.
• Take showers instead of baths - an ordinary shower uses only two-fifths of the water needed for a bath.
• If your boiler is more than 15 years old invest in a new one, which could save a third on heating bills.
• Always switch lights off as soon as you leave a room and adjust your curtains and blinds to let as much light in as possible during the daylight hours. Close your curtains at dusk to stop the heat escaping through the windows.
• Always ensure you turn your taps off correctly. In one day, a dripping hot water tap can waste enough water to fill a bath.
• Do not put hot food in the freezer or leave the fridge door open too long. Regularly defrost your freezer and check the seals to make your appliances more efficient.
• Replace light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs, which last 10 times longer, especially if you use a light for more than four hours a day.
• Insulate your hot water tank with a British Standard jacket that’s at least 7.5cm thick. This small measure could save you £15 a year. *
  · Do not fill your kettle to the maximum each time you make a cup of tea, instead fill with just enough water for the number of cups you are making.
• Make sure you always have a full load before running your washing machine and set the programme no higher than 40 degrees unless absolutely necessary.
• Turn your thermostat down a degree and put your heating and hot water on a timer.
• Double-glazing is one of the best ways of keeping heat in but secondary glazing is a suitable cheaper alternative and is available at most DIY shops. For a temporary measure tape polythene across existing windows.

* Taken from the Energy Saving Trust