How do you save energy in the home this festive season

Saving energy

Question: With gas prices soaring, how do I save energy?

Answer: There are lots of simple things you can do to keep your Christmas cosy, despite record energy prices and plunging temperatures.

Here are some practical, everyday tips for cutting energy bills that will reduce your carbon footprint too:

Block that chimney

Santa won’t like it but it’s a good idea to block your chimney.

An inflated plastic pillow, a chimney balloon is an easy and affordable way to keep hot air in and cold air out.Draw your curtains

So many people leave their curtains or blinds open at night.

But if you close your curtains from dusk to dawn, you’ll stop expensive heat escaping via windows.

Low carbon that sparkle

Make sure your Christmas tree lights – and all other lights – are LEDs.

If you have lights outside, it’s worth investing in a timer, so they automatically switch off at a certain point.

This will help local wildlife too. Artificial light at night can disrupt bird behaviour.

Seal leaky windows and doors

If you can feel draughts around window and doors, you can quickly seal them with inexpensive rubber trim, available from most DIY shops.

Enhance your window dressing

Add a thermal lining to existing curtains or when buying new curtains, go for the thickest material you can afford and add alining. Same with blinds, choose a thermal option or blackout blinds.

Glaze over

If double glazing is too expensive, you can buy secondary glazing instead. An affordable film that you stick over windows, it can significantly reduce escaping energy.

Loft insulation

Bringing the Christmas decorations down from the loft is the perfect time to check your roof insulation. A depth of 30cm is recommended. As heat rises, it’s definitely worth topping it up to save hundreds of pounds.

Regulate your temperature

Most people overheat their homes. The ideal temperature is 19 degrees Celsius. Every radiator has a TRV (Thermostatic Radiator Valve).

Check they’re on a lower setting in rooms you don’t use much and bedrooms. Snuggle up with a hot water bottle and an extra blanket to keep warm at night!

Put standby on standby

Parasitic energy is the energy wasted when you forget to turn off your TV or computers.

It’s literally throwing money away – as well as contributing completely needlessly to global warming. Turn off every machine when you’re not using it.

Lag those pipes

Improve your boiler’s efficiency by insulating all internal pipework – including in your loft – with lagging. You can buy it from a DIY shop or a plumber’s merchant.

Celebrity spot

The Queen (pictured, photo: Getty Images) – who famously derided world leaders not acting on climate action as “irritating” – has many eco-friendly measures at home.

Buckingham Palace  uses computer systems to help control heating, cooling and hot water.

She also employs green champions, helping to shape an ongoing ten-year refurbishment that aims to improve the palace’s energy efficiency by 40 per cent.

It includes the addition of solar panels and an anaerobic digestion unit to make green gas from plant-based waste.