“It all adds up”

Kirsty Devine, 37, lives in Halifax with her husband Darren, a 42-year-old gas engineer, and son Darren, 15. Combined with government support, making small changes have helped them save energy.

“Over winter, we received payments from the Government which was very helpful.

“And last year, we started making a few changes to our energy usage when there were whispers of price rises. We turned our thermostat down from 20-21°C to 18-19°C and thought that would be enough.

“We were on a variable rate rather than a fixed tariff because it had always been cheaper, but by November, we were starting to panic.

“In December, we got a bill of £190 for gas and £95 for electricity. Normally it was £90 for both. We’d even insulated under the kitchen cupboards because we knew they were a cold spot.

“We also got the hot water bottles and blankets out – I try to keep busy in the day and it’s not too bad.

“Our energy supplier launched ‘energy saving sessions’ which offered you money back if you didn’t use much energy at certain times.

“In January, I started using the gas hob and microwave more than the oven. This helped save some pennies - it all adds up.

“We now also wash up by hand because the dishwasher costs per cycle.

“And we fill up the washing machine before using it – once you realise each cycle costs you more than a pound, you don’t do a half load!

“We wash everything but towels and bedding at 30°C. We used to use our tumble dryer all the time, but they cost so much so we bought an airer to hang the washing.

“Now the slightly lower bills are coming in – our gas bill last month was £100 which is nearly half of what it was in December – so there is hope!”