The (cheap) guide to STAYING COSY

Keep your household toasty without getting a nasty power bill

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With winter just around the corner, there'll no doubt be times when you need to crank up the heater. But as electricity prices rise, there are also a few other tricks you can also employ to keep cooler-season power bills to a minimum.

Anna Matilda from lifestyle blog The Urban Nanna reveals how you can reduce your power use, while staying comfy all year round...

LIVING ROOM

Create separate spaces within large rooms, so you can focus on managing the temperature in a smaller area. You can use bookcases, screens or room dividers to achieve this. Fit door seals and draught stoppers, and close off areas that aren't used much.

If you have ceiling fans, check whether there's a winter switch. In winter mode, they push rising warmth back down to where it's needed.

Choose the most efficient lighting for your needs.

Use powerboards with individual switches and turn off anything not in use. Have your appliances serviced regularly to ensure they work as efficiently as possible.

KITCHEN

Defrost freezers regularly and set their temperatures to suit the contents. Avoid overfilling fridges and freezers as they guzzle energy to keep things cold if overstuffed. Check seals on appliances and replace if damaged. Service your appliances regularly.

Slow cookers, smaller ovens and air fryers use less energy than traditional larger appliances. Note that if you use an air fryer to make a recipe written for an oven, you may need to adjust the temperature or cooking times.