Energy saving tips

Seven cheap ways to keep your house warmer this winter

Small jobs, most under £20, that stop heat leaking out and make the heating you pay for go further.

You don't need a big renovation to feel a difference. Most heat escapes through gaps, bare windows and a heating system that isn't set up well. These are the jobs I'd start with in any house, most of them for under £20.

1. Stop the draughts

Run your hand around doors, windows, letterboxes and old fireplaces on a windy day. Self-adhesive draught strip, a brush for the letterbox and a draught excluder along the bottom of the back door are cheap and quick to fit. Keep vents and extractor fans clear though: homes need some fresh air to keep damp away.

2. Use your curtains properly

Close them at dusk to hold the heat in, and open them in the morning to let the sun warm the rooms. Thick or lined curtains make a noticeable difference on single-glazed or older windows. Tuck them behind radiators rather than over them.

3. Bleed your radiators

If a radiator is cold at the top and warm at the bottom, there's air trapped in it. A radiator key costs a pound or two. With the heating off, open the valve until it hisses and then drips, and close it again. If you have a combi boiler, check the pressure gauge afterwards and top it up if it has dropped.

4. Set the timer and thermostat

Have the heating come on shortly before you get up and come home, rather than running all day. Turning the room thermostat down by a degree is one of the easiest savings you can make, and most people don't notice it.

5. Use radiator valves room by room

Thermostatic radiator valves (the numbered dials on the side of radiators) let you keep bedrooms and spare rooms cooler than the living room. Don't put furniture right in front of a radiator either; it soaks up the heat.

6. Lag the hot water cylinder and pipes

If you have a hot water cylinder, a proper insulating jacket keeps the water hot for longer. Foam lagging on the pipes in the loft and hot press stops heat being lost on the way to your taps, and helps stop pipes freezing.

7. Check the loft

Pop your head into the loft with a torch. If you can see the tops of the joists, there probably isn't enough insulation. See how loft insulation affects your EPC for what to look for.

Declan Hughes, Domestic Energy Assessor · Mourneview EPC