With energy bills skyrocketing and the credit crunch starting to bite, it's no wonder that many of us are wondering how on earth we're going to afford to heat our homes this winter. Fear not, though, as I've put together the following tips and advice to dramatically cut your heating costs and make your home greener and more energy efficient.
1. Take the test
Before you race around your home, fitting draught excluders, lagging your boiler and fixing solar panels to your roof, it's best to draw up some sort of action plan. It's easy to spend money, but you want to spend it in the right places for the maximum return on your investment. To help you do this, the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk; 0800 512012) has put together a short questionnaire designed to work out your best plan of attack.
2. Almost free
You can actually become more energy efficient without spending a penny, simply by changing certain habits. If you feel a chill coming on in the evenings, don't just whack on the central heating, put on a jumper or long trousers rather than parading around in t-shirts and shorts. Make sure your heating switches on half-an-hour before you get up and turns off 30 minutes before you go to bed rather than have it on all the time. You can even turn your thermostat down a couple of notches without noticing much of an effect. Don't forget to close your curtains when it gets dark to stop heat escaping through your windows, fit draught excluders to your doors and letterbox and seal any cracks in your skirting boards.
3. Boiling point
Most boilers will last for 10-15 years if serviced regularly, but after this time they begin to lose efficiency. When replacing your boiler opt for one with an A rating and choose a condensing boiler as these convert 90 per cent of the fuel they use into heat compared to a measly 60 per cent for a conventional boiler. Make sure you lag your hot water tank (if you have one) and that your water isn't scolding hot - otherwise you're just wasting energy by adding cold water to cool things down when taking a shower. Bleed radiators at least once a month for maximum efficiency and slip a piece of cardboard covered in aluminium foil behind each one to reflect heat into the room.
4. Light relief
One of the quickest and easiest ways to start saving energy is by fitting low-energy compact fluorescent lightbulbs. These use 80 per cent less electricity than old-fashioned incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer. Prices have fallen dramatically over the last two years and you can now pick up bulbs for as little as 49 pence. Don't be put off by the fact that CFCs contain small amounts of mercury. In fact, there's less mercury in a CFC than would be emitted in the atmosphere by a coal-fired power station producing the extra electricity required to power a traditional bulb.
5. Lofty ambitions
A staggering 30 per cent of all household heat disappears through the roof. Insulating your loft is therefore one of the most significant things you can do to reduce your energy bills. If you don't currently have any loft insulation and fit the recommended 270mm depth you could save around £160 a year. .
6. Cavity concerns
Most homes built from the 1930s onwards could benefit from cavity wall insulation. It's expensive – a semi-detached house will typically cost up to £500 – but it can reduce heat loss through walls by as much as 60 per cent and will save you about £100 a year in heating costs. Solid walls lose even more heat than cavity walls, but can be covered in a weatherproof insulation treatment. You can also add plasterboard insulation inside, but this is less effective and will also reduce the size of your rooms.
7. Glazing over
For every £100 you spend on heating your home, £10 will fly straight out of the window. Costs vary considerably, but look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when choosing windows as well as its BFRC rating. An extra layer of glass not only cuts heat but also reduces noise levels and condensation.
8. Appliance of science
When buying new white goods, look for the blue Energy Saving Recommended logo and the European Union's energy efficiency scale – this ranges from A (most energy efficient, coloured green) to G (least efficient, coloured red). As a rule of thumb, all-in-one appliances are usually more efficient, so a combined TV, DVD and Freeview box will work out to be less energy hungry than three separate units. Most gadget chargers also gobble up electricity, so once you've powered up your mobile phone, iPod or PSP, switch them off.
9. Supply chain
If you've never switched your gas or electricity supplier before, you're not alone. According to recent research by the University of East Anglia, more than 47 per cent of us have never bothered switching, despite the fact that you can save up to £100 a year on average. Savings depend on who your current supplier is, how you pay your bills, how much fuel you use and who you'll be switching to. For independent advice on how to switch supplier, call Energywatch on 08459 060708.
10. Taken for granted
There is a bewildering array of grants available to help with insulation costs, but it's sometimes difficult to know where to look. The Energy Saving Trust's website has a handy grant finder tool that'll help you find out what grants you can apply for. It's been newly updated to include the government's recently announced home energy saving programme and you can also phone a special hotline number – 0800 512012 – for further information. Every household, regardless of income, qualifies for at least 50 per cent of loft and cavity wall insulation, so it's definitely worth looking into.