How to avoid expensive winter bills

Winter can be a daunting time of year for many of us - not least because heating your home is a costly affair. 

Nevertheless, there are ways of keeping your gas and electricity bills as low as possible by ensuring everything is in tip-top condition for when the temperatures start to drop. 

Here are five easy ways to get your home prepared for winter and keep your gas and electricity bills down.

If the winter chill has arrived and it's cold enough for the central heating, then it's a good time to have your home insulated. Not only will it save you energy and cut your gas bills, but it will make your home feel warmer too.

• Opt for loft insulation, and you could save £128 a year on your energy bills, while wall insulation can save you between £98 and £368 a year.
• If you're worried about having your home torn apart by builders and the disruption of lengthy refurbishment - don't! Loft insulation takes just a day to install on average and you can do it yourself, while cavity wall insulation takes between two hours and a day.  

If you're interested in getting your home insulated, the uSwitch insulation guides have all the information you need to know, and some great deals too

Insulation will help to block off those really large, heat-zapping draughts, but there are more than likely lots of smaller draughts and leaks that will let the warmth out and the cold in. 

• Blocking up the draughts in your home means that your home will heat up faster and stay warm for longer, which in turns means you'll be able to turn your thermostat down and you won;t have to have the heating on for as long, so you'll save on your energy bills.
• The first step in draught-proofing your home will be to check anywhere where there is likely to be a leak. Doors and windows are the most likely culprits ,but also look for gaps in floorboards and skirting boards, wall to ceiling joints...anywhere there is a link between the inside and outside of your home (for instance outdoor pipes), and even electrical plugs.
• The easiest way to stop draughts from doors is to make sure they are properly sealed. This can be done with either sealant or silicone. If you do want to DIY, then make sure you buy the appropriate sealant for the each  fixture.
• If your windows and fittings are really old and ineffective, you might want to consider replacing them with new, energy-efficient ones. It may be a hefty investment, but you'll also benefit from other advantages like reduced noise from the outdoors.
• Warning: if you are going to properly seal the draughts in your home, you need to be careful that there is enough ventilation available in rooms like the kitchen, bathrooms or anywhere there is likely to be a fire or smoke.

To find out more about sealing draughts, checking ventilation and top ten tips, have a read through the uSwitch top ten draught-proofing tips.

There's nothing worse than finding out your heating's broken down on the coldest day of the year. Make sure that doesn't happen by giving your heating system a thorough check. 

• Put your central heating on full before the cold weather sets in to make sure it's working.
• It's worth getting your heating serviced before winter takes full effect as this can identify any problems that could lead to a breakdown at a later date.

For more tips on heating systems and tips on how to heat your home efficiently, read the uSwitch heating guide, packed full of handy hints. 

Your boiler works hard over the winter, being freezing cold with no hot water for your shower is miserable, so make sure you've taken the following steps before its too late:

• It's really important that you make sure you have boiler cover. This means that if your boiler does break down, a certified repair technician will be come and fix it. It's worth the money for the peace of mind of knowing you'll get a qualified engineer - as many as 1 in 5 boiler repairs by uncertified engineers are potentially fatal.
• Get your timings in check - make sure your heating isn't going on when nobody's home and that it goes off at least half an hour before every one goes to bed.
• Turn your thermostat down. Just one degree lower could save you £60 a year.

See more boiler maintenance tips.

You could save up to £420 by switching your gas and electricity provider. This is because the majority of people don't switch, even when their suppliers put their prices up. This means you could end up on expensive tariffs or payment methods.

Because the cheapest gas and electricity supplier depends on where you live and how much energy you use, an online comparison service will compare all energy tariffs and show you the cheapest options based on this criteria. This means you don't have to call lots of suppliers or worry about missing out on a cheap tariff.

A simple online comparison could save you hundreds of pounds on your energy bills, so compare gas and electricity suppliers and get saving today.