Give beastly energy bills the CH OP

From loft insulation to a log fire, how to save hundreds of pounds

petrol-driven chainsaw used responsibly can make short work of felled wood.

The wood can then be cut into logs, using a long-handled splitting axe or maul. Freshly cut tree wood will not burn. It needs to season before being thrown on a fire to allow the sap to dry out.

COST: £1,500 SAVE: £200 a year EXTRACT HEAT FROM THE AIR

YOU CAN improve your home heating system by using a device that takes any heat from the air outside, boosts its temperature using a pump and then turns it into home central heating.

Even when temperatures are below zero there is warmth in the atmosphere that can be extracted to create some heat.

The pumps are powered by electricity but they use less energy than is required for traditionally heating a home –– though you need larger radiators or under-floor heating in the house as the energy produced is cooler than from a traditional boiler.

The system also requires a fan to be placed on the side of your house – a bit like an air conditioning unit – that takes any heat it can find from the atmosphere.

You can expect to pay from £8,000 for an air source heat pump for a four-bedroom home. In return it may knock £400 off your yearly heating bill.

You may also be eligible for a renewable heat incentive grant. This is from the Government and paid for seven years after installation – worth more than £600 a year. The grant is paid at a rate of 10.49p per kilowatt-hour produced by the air source heat pump.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy offers a renewable heat incentive calculator to help work out savings for an air source heat pump through a link at gov.uk.

COST: £8,000 SAVE: £400 a year REAP WARMTH FROM THE SOIL

DRILLING a hole in the garden and sinking a pipe into it allows you to take advantage of warmth in the soil – which can then be pumped around the house.

As with the air source pump, it does not need much heat to work as it includes a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, usually powered by your electricity supply.

Water and anti-freeze is warmed up by the underground soil, then pumped through a heat exchanger. The temperature is then high enough to heat the home through floor pipes or large radiators.

The process involves laying trenches around the home so it is not a job for those unwilling to see major excavation work or anyone without much of a garden.

Another option is a vertical loop, drilled deep into the ground that goes down a depth of 160 feet or more.

A spokesman for the Energy Saving Trust says: ‘Although such heating pipes are usually harder to install than air source heat pumps, they can be more efficient. Heat provided to radiators is usually lower than a traditional system so in the winter they are often kept on all the time.’

Installing ground heat can be an expensive project and may cost you between £10,000 and £18,000 depending on location and size of the job.

But a renewable heat incentive grant might also be available that can defray costs by more than £1,500 a year for the first seven years.

A savings calculator is available by visiting gov.uk and typing in renewable heat incentive. The payment is calculated at a rate of 20.46p per kilowatt-hour of heat produced.

PLAN AHEAD WITH OIL AND GAS

ABOUT four million homes in Britain are not plugged into the mains gas supply grid for heating – so rely on oil or liquefied petroleum gas delivered by lorry.

The suppliers often exploit customers by charging them more for fuel during the cold winter months when demand is high.

For example, last June when temperatures were high, prices fell as low as 35p a litre. In March this year following an unexpected cold snap you may have paid double.

It therefore makes sense to plan and fill up your tank when you least need the oil – during the summer. Bulk purchases are cheapest and setting up a local oil group of customers can increase your bargaining power.

Check comparison websites such as BoilerJuice and Fueltool to get the best rates – then call to see if you can get cheaper.

Those needing oil in a hurry can pay a premium of 10p a litre if they need it immediately rather than waiting a few weeks. An average household might use 2,000 litres of oil in a year – so not being in a rush saves you £200.

Be wary of allowing the oil tank to run dry as it can cost £100 to call out an engineer and clean the system so that it can then be used again.

Liquefied petroleum gas is another option that fluctuates in price depending on demand – and is cheaper if you are able to buy it in bulk.

Comparison websites that help you find the best prices include LPG UK and Compare My LPG.

The type of boiler you have has a big impact on how thirsty your system will be for oil or gas. Prices start from £1,000 and modern condensing boilers offer better value as they use hot flue gases within the heating system that were previously lost as waste.

COST: £1,000 SAVE: £200 a year