Reduce your household carbon footprint

1. Brush up on energy saving

Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too.

2. Draught dodgers

Draughts also get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards, which also allow heat to escape in winter. Stop this waste by filling these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant.

3. Use energy saving light bulbs

Switch to energy saving light bulbs. They last around 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs, and each bulb you fit could save around £40 over its lifetime - or up to £65 if you are replacing a bright incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day. They come in a whole range of styles.

4. Jazz up your tank with a jacket

Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, it pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £35 a year. If every UK household that could fitted an adequate tank jacket tomorrow, we'd save £210 million of energy every year!

5. Lofty ambitions

Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy - you can even install it yourself. Insulate an empty loft today, and in a year you could save around £150 or £45 if you're topping up.

6. Insulate wall cavities

Uninsulated walls are a big source of heat loss in the home. You could save around £115 on energy bills each year by insulating your wall cavities. It also creates an even temperature in your home. If we all filled our wall cavities, we'd save around £690 million-worth of energy a year.

7. Switch to high-efficiency boilers

If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help you save up to a quarter on your heating bills.

8. Look for the logo

When purchasing new appliances, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Energy Saving Recommended appliances are the most efficient in their category and could save you up to £36 a year.

9. Keep twice as warm with double glazing

Energy Saving Recommended double glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could cut your heating bill by around £140 a year.

10. Take the Energy Saving Trust's home energy check

Still not sure which are your home's weak spots! Why not complete our online home energy check. Or call your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012 for free, impartial advice on saving energy in your home.

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