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Martin: Is your home wasting £100s of energy?
The Price Cap is expected to rise a horrid nearly 30% in Jan! So... a) Consider a fix - they just got a tad cheaper & b) Use this 21 tips checklist to make your home more efficient

As we kick towards winter, the predictions for the January Price Cap (Eng, Scot & Wales) are horrendous - the average is currently a 27% rise. And as we're now 12 weeks through the 13-week assessment period, it will be in that rough ballpark. April currently looks no better, though that is much more crystal-ball gazing.

So, I want to briefly take you through checking a) Are you on the best possible tariff?, and run you through a detailed energy-efficiency easy-wins checklist of b) Can you easily cut your energy usage?

1. New. Warm Homes Loan Scheme: low or no interest for solar panels, heat pumps, batteries & other renewables. At the Budget, the Govt confirmed a new subsidised loan scheme. It's early days, but there are a couple of interest-free options, mainly on solar panels and batteries, and most of the others are still below the open-market cheapest personal loan rates. We've got our 'first-look' Warm Homes Loan Scheme guide on how it works, pros & cons and top lenders.

2. Take the combi-boiler flow-temperature challenge - cut gas bills. Many gas combi boilers' default flow temperature (for the water that circulates for radiators) is set higher than needed, making boilers less efficient. Reducing it is easy, can cut bills by 3% and you're unlikely to feel much difference. Take the boiler challenge.

3. Do you add lots of cold water to cool your bath, shower or taps? A combi boiler's hot water temperature may be unnecessarily high. This is a separate setting from the radiator temp above - usually it has a tap symbol. Lowering it can help your boiler run more efficiently and reduce heat losses while keeping your bath or shower just as warm. Check your boiler manual. PS: If you've a hot water storage cylinder, be careful - it must be at or over 65°C to reduce Legionnaires' risk.

5. Should I put clingfilm on the windows? Is it cheaper to use electricity at night? Close internal doors? This and other energy-saving conundrums are in our 15 energy mythbusters guide, where we also cover 'Should I put the heating on all day?' - though that will be updated after the discussion on my ITV show tonight with a professor of heating efficiency.

6. Is your fridge or freezer too cold? Fridges should be 3 to 5°C, freezers -18°C. Lower? You're likely wasting energy.

7. Use tactical curtains! This sounds - and is - obvious, but it's only by saying it out loud (or writing it) that it builds into habits. Curtains are a great energy-efficiency weapon. Keep them open to let sunlight, however little there is, radiate heat in. Then close them when it gets dark to reduce heat escaping. Though be careful closed curtains don't cover radiators.

8. Don't put hot food in the fridge. Cool leftovers promptly - divide large amounts into smaller portions and refrigerate within one to two hours (otherwise harmful bacteria could form) - but not straight away or you'll have to pay for more cooling.

9. Can you slash boiler cover costs by £100s and bag a free service? There's no requirement to get boiler cover from your energy provider, they're not linked, though your energy firm may well subtly try to persuade you they are. If you want cover, or already have an existing policy, check if you can save £100s via one of these routes. It's worth noting most new boilers are reliable, so finding a low-cost, high-excess policy or even self-insuring (stashing cash away instead) may work. If you want cover, or already have an existing policy, check if you can save £100s via our Cheap boiler cover guide, including...

• Do a quick comparison. Prices vary by where you live, your boiler type and more. We'd start with MoneySupermarket* and Uswitch as between them they cover a large panel of insurers. If time, add in GoCo or CTM.
• Then, check for special deals. Some providers offer promos direct. Currently, we've a YourRepair* blagged deal for newbies. Use this link before 24 Nov and you get an up to 40% discount.
• Want to stick where you are? Haggle. Take your comparison winner to your current firm at renewal to see if it'll match it.

10. Try dropping your thermostat a degree. Many have thermostats set in the 20s, but 18°C is said to be fine for healthy adults (it may be higher for older people or those with health conditions). Test turning it down a degree (or more), and adding extra clothing. A cut from 21°C to 20°C could save a typical home £120/yr. PS: The thermostat's job is to take you to the set temp... it may take longer when it's cold, so don't feel the need to turn it up.

12. FREE water-saving shower heads. As we pay to heat it, cutting water use often reduces energy bills too. There are 100,000s water-saving freebies available, eg, a low-flow shower head (pushes air through too, so you feel little difference) which can save up to £25/yr of hot water. Related: Slash £100s off water bills.

13. Radiator ga ga - hot tips to maximise effectiveness! While new builds may have underfloor heating or other methods of keeping a house warm, most people still rely on a radiator. If that's you...

• Don't be afraid to touch your knob(s). Turn radiator valves down in rooms you're not using.
• If it's slow to heat up, bleed it if needed. If your radiators are slow to heat up, you can hear gurgling noises or you feel cold patches at the top, then it's time to bleed them - see how to safely bleed a radiator.
• Put reflective panels behind radiators on external walls. Sheets of reflective material can be placed behind radiators on external walls, so heat doesn't escape (tin foil works too, but not as well).
• Install a radiator shelf. A thin shelf just above them to stop heat rising and escaping, deflecting it into the room.
• Move big furniture away from them. Move big items of furniture away from radiators. It can block the heat flow.
• Get a radiator brush. Radiator brushes are relatively cheap, but really any thin duster that can fit in the small holes at the top of some radiators will do. Keeping it clean can help it run more efficiently.

14. Just want to pay for what you use? Don't do it via 'payment in receipt of bills'. If you want to be billed each month for what you use, check if your firm offers a variable Direct Debit where you pay for what you use each month, but it is automatically taken by DD. Check if your firm offers it.

15. A £25 hot water cylinder jacket can save £50/yr. If your hot water cylinder is uninsulated, it'll let the water cool down more quickly, so you're wasting money heating it up again. A cylinder jacket could reduce heat loss by up to 75%.

17. Beware the humble tumble dryer! A dehumidifier or heated airer is often far cheaper. I called tumble dryers a demon appliance a few years ago, and the clickbait news sites regularly regurgitate it as fresh news (even though I've not uttered it since). Yet the point still stands - unless it's a modern 'heat-pump' tumble dryer, these are energy-hungry appliances costing 50p to £1.50 PER LOAD. So make sure it's a full load if you're using it. 

Or better still, just let your clothes dry in air. If that takes too long in winter, use a dehumidifier - they can be as cheaper as £70 and cost about 5p/hr to run - or a heated airer, which can cost about £50 to £100 and about 8p/hr to run. For a drying time of 4 to 6 hours for both, that's 20-30p or 30-50p per load. See minimise tumble dryer use, maximise load for more.

18. Turn draught detective. Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy. Walk round your house looking for window and door draughts - you can even make your own draught excluders for your doors or buy special excluders for chimneys. Some charities also suggest putting bubble wrap on cold bathroom windows and clingfilm on windows throughout the home. See how to stop the gaps. PS: Don't block air bricks, trickle vents or vents in rooms with gas appliances or open fires, because of the carbon monoxide risk.

19. Insulate outdoor pipes to help prevent freezing and bursting and reduce heat loss. Simple pipe lagging can be added to outdoor water and heating pipes to prevent them freezing and bursting (which can be massively expensive to fix) and can also help reduce heat loss, which could help you save a little on energy bills. It costs a few quid per metre. Also see do you know where your stop male chicken is?.

20. Loft and cavity wall insulation cost help for those on lower incomes. Cavity wall insulation can cost around £2,200 to install on average, but could save you up to £380/yr (be aware though it isn't right for all homes), while loft insulation costs around £750 and can save up to £360/yr . There are currently no generally available schemes to help, but the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme may help if you've household income under £36,000 or you get certain means-tested benefits and you have an energy performance certificate rating of D to G. The scheme is only available in England. 

21.Struggling to pay your energy bills. It's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable and ask to be put on the Priority Services Register. There can also be hardship & debt grants from energy suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide. 

For far more info, see our full list of 70 tips to cut your energy bills.