From the outside to the inside: Tips for a warmer house

CHECK the outside of your house, its winders and doors for a start, inspect for cracks on the exterior and exposed entry points around pipes and expertly seal them. Replace cracked glass in windows and reseal the windows where needed.

Insulate your attic well and save up to 20 percent on your home heating bill. If your attic insulation is currently less than 200mm then you should add further layers.

Wall insulation can be increased in a number of different ways; the price is dependent on a number of factors including type, thickness and quality of existing insulation. Specialist advice should be sought in all cases.

Chose double glazed units if you are replacing windows. Much of the heat loss from a house occurs through the windows particularly if they are single glazed. Significant energy savings can be achieved if double glazing has Argon fill and low-emissivity glass.

If replacing the hot water cylinder, a cylinder with factory applied insulation should be considered. Such insulation is more effective at retaining head than a lagging jacket, is less easily damaged and cannot be pulled out of place.

A lagging jacket on your hot water cylinder will keep water hotter for longer and pay for itself in 2-3 months.

Keep curtains closed at night and make sure that the curtains don’t hand over the radiators.

A reflective foil, backed by insulation if space permits should be fixed behind radiators mounted on external walls.

Turning the heating down in living areas to 20°C could save you 10 percent off your heating bill. The temperature in hallways and bedrooms should be cooler experts say ideally between 15-18°C

If your hot water is being heated by the central-heating boiler and your hot-water cylinder has a thermostat, you should set the thermostat to 65°C also make sure your immersion thermostat is working correctly have an electrician check this for you.