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.

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.

Make sure you get your boiler properly serviced every year by a competent person. It will keep you warm, safe and make sure it is working efficiently.

Get into the habit of turning lights off when you leave a room. A family could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to flick a switch, if they don’t already do this.

Think before your print. Reducing the amount of material you print has a long list of benefits including saving paper, chemicals and electricity. More and more offices and industries are going paper free, so think about how you can reduce any printing you do.

Spending one minute less in the shower each day will save up to £8 a year off your energy bills, per person. With a water meter this could save a further £11 off annual water and sewerage bills. If everyone in a four-person household did this it would lead to a total saving of £75 a year.

Keeping extract fans and vents clean and clear from obstruction reduces energy use and makes then work more efficiently.

Fit a water butt to collect rainwater. Your roof collects about 85,000 litres of rain each year (around 450 butts full). That’s water you can use for your plants and to wash the car, and it’s free!

Smart meters help you track your energy use in pounds and pence. They can help educate you and your family to reduce your energy bills.

Cavity wall insulation can help prevent heat loss through your walls. Consider getting this retro-fitted if you still have uninsulated walls.