With winter arriving with a vengeance few of us are able to resist turning up the heating to prevent the house from getting cold and having to spend our days and nights shivering.
Winter, therefore, is both an expensive time of year for our pockets as the heating bills soar, and for the environment as more emissions and harmful greenhouse gases are pumped into the atmosphere as the nation attempts to stay warm.
But staying warm needed cost the earth, either literally or metaphorically, and many of us could be making both savings in cost and CO2 just by ensuring we are getting the most out of our heating.
Here are some ways you can keep warm this winter without adding to your rising fuel bills.
1.
Remember layers.
Not just by wearing extra clothes ourselves but for those with an old style immersion boiler you must ensure it is properly lagged to retain as much heat in the boiler as possible.
Lofts too should be properly insulated.
2.
Ensure your boiler and radiators are properly serviced.
Inefficient heating systems cost far more to run.
Make sure the radiators are bled properly as air locks prevent the radiator from getting hot.
For older systems consider a radiator valve that will automatically do this for you.
3.
Consider installing radiator panels or reflective foil.
These will reflect the heat emitted from the rear of the radiator.
They are easy to fit and don't require any plumbing or removal of the radiator and they can increase its output by up to a third.
4.
Block up any draughts.
Don't just think of the doors and windows but consider other areas where heat can escape.
Letterboxes and chimneys are two examples.
You can get draught excluders for all these areas.
5.
Turn off radiators in rooms that are not in use.
Spare rooms, unused bedrooms during the day and anywhere not in use.
You can always turn the radiator on an hour before you need the room to get it warm - so leave them off until necessary.