7 Ways to Reduce Your Household Utility Bills ...

One of the easiest ways to reduce your household utility bills is to introduce a policy of switching lights off in your house. That doesn't mean making everyone sit in the dark., but teaching your family to turn off lights when they leave a room will save money. There's no sense in leaving lights on in an empty room; it's just wasting energy that you'll have to pay for.

Tempted to switch the heating on as it's a bit chilly? Ask yourself if you really need to have the heating on. If you're just a bit chilly, a sweater can be perfectly adequate. While I don't advocate sitting shivering, there are times when simply putting on extra layers will warm you up sufficiently. And there's no need to turn the heating high enough that you are in short sleeves.

A lot of energy (and money) can be wasted if your house is poorly insulated. Yes, insulating your house costs, and it might seem as though there's no point spending money to save money. This is somewhere you have to take a long-term view; you will save money in the long run. At the very least, simple steps like closing curtains and using draught excluders will make some difference.

You can only be in one room at a time, so if you live alone it makes sense to keep one room warmer than the others. It may be more energy efficient to use an electric heater to warm up the room if it's small. If you have the heating on throughout the house, keep it at a lower level in the other rooms and only have it higher in the room you're using.

If you have a family, you get through a lot of laundry, and in winter it's tempting to throw it all in the drier. Even if there's just one or two of you, you may automatically use the drier. However, driers are pretty heavy on energy use, so wherever possible, hang the laundry outside to dry. It smells fresher, is absolutely free, and you don't get that horrid damp laundry smell inside the house.

How many electrical appliances do you have plugged in? Unplugging anything you're not using could add up to a reasonable saving. The only appliance that really needs to be left plugged in is the fridge, so get into the habit of not only switching off other appliances but pulling out the plug. Also don't leave cell phones and other gadgets charging for longer than they need be.

Is your water metered? Get into another good habit and switch off taps rather than leaving them running. Rinsing the plates under running water is a considerable waste from an economic point of view (and an environmental one). You should also turn the tap off while brushing your teeth or washing your hands.

Maybe you swore that you'd never be like your parents and shout "Turn the lights off, you're wasting electricity!" It's different when you're the one paying the bills! Trying to keep the bills down is sensible for your pocket, and it's also environmentally friendly. What's your best tip for saving energy?