The easiest thing you can do to reduce your fuel bills is replace your light bulbs with low energy ones.

I hear many people say they don’t like them because they take a second or two to come on...ummm...ok...

Or that they aren’t as bright as normal bulbs...

Well, I think they have improved dramatically since they first came out and we put one to the test at a clients house the other day. Put it this way, we wished we hadn’t been looking at it when we turned it on! I have also recently seen the new spot light bulbs, small and curly (I was very impressed!).

There are 2 different types of light colour to suit different preferences, warm light and cool light. For those of you that like a bright light, go for the cool light, they are very bright! If you like a more gentle glow go for the warm ones.

Of course, if like me you don’t like waste, just replace them as they go, or just swap the ones you use the most, you could save over £30 per year in electric and because they last up to 8 years, you’re looking at a potential saving of £240 !!

A very good way to save money cheaply is to increase your loft insulation. The recommendation is 250mm depth. This could save you at least £100 per year and doesn’t cost too much so over a few years you’ll easily make savings.

If you have cavity walls, check to see if you have cavity insulation. If not, this can be done for less than £500 and could save another £100 plus per year. The same goes for internal or external insulation if you don’t have cavity walls.

If you have a water cylinder for your hot water, check it’s jacket thickness and how well it fits. If it is a jacket, it should be 160mm thick and nice and snug fitting, without any gaps. A thermostat is also a very good money saver!