COMMENT
How To Cut Your Heating Bill

The other evening when I realised that the heating had come on, I felt a sense of gloom. Much as I love the arrival of autumn colours and cosy evenings in front of the fire in winter, I greatly prefer spring and summer. It's just so much more cheerful and the thought of months and months of depressing weather ahead sent me into a fit of pique.

Quite apart from anything else, it's expensive keeping the house warm. However, there are some tips you can use to keep the energy bills down and I fully intend to make use of them:

• Thermostat - Turning your heating thermostat down by just 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. The same goes for your hot water cylinder if you have one - 60°C is fine for bathing and washing. Make sure the cylinder is properly insulated.
• Curtains - Close your curtains or blinds early on in the evening to stop heat escaping through the windows. It cuts down on draughts too.
• Electronic equipment - Don't leave televisions, videos, stereos and computers on standby - always turn them off.
• Fans - If you've got extractor fans in the kitchen or bathroom, turn them off as soon as they've cleared any condensation.
• Fireplace - If you're not using the fire, close off the damper to prevent heat from escaping up the chimney.
• Draughts - Use draught excluders where you can - around exterior doors and letterboxes, for example.
• Appliances - Regularly defrost your freezer to keep it running efficiently. Allow food to cool properly before putting it in the fridge so it doesn't have to work so hard at keeping the temperature at the right level. Always wash a full load in the washing machine if you don't have a half-load option and wash on low temperatures. The same goes for dishwashers.

And finally, make sure you compare your gas and electricity suppliers with alternatives to see if you can buy your energy more cheaply.