Energy Mythbusting

Bizarrely, this one actually works – although clingfilm is more normally used to wrap up your sandwiches, it can actually help keep your home warm. The idea is that putting a sheet on your window traps a small layer of air which can help stop heat escaping.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, in principle you can use any material for the second layer of glazing, as long as it's transparent and airtight.

However, there are a number of factors to take into account. While clingfilm works in theory (or as a short-term measure), in practice you'll probably want to use specialist secondary glazing as it'll last longer. If you have double-glazing, adding a third layer could still make you a little warmer, but the benefit will be much less than when dealing with a single glazed window.

If your windows are draughty, it's worth fixing that as well as adding secondary glazing, as otherwise you'll only get half the benefit.

There is no one answer for this. It's highly dependent on the heating system you use, and the usage in other areas of the house.

This depends what you're after. Halogen heaters are directional. Once on, you instantly feel the heat. As soon as you turn them off, the heat quickly dissipates. Convection heaters, electric panel heaters or free-standing electric radiators work by heating the air around them to create a convection current. They take some time to heat a room, but once turned off the heat lingers.

Usually, it’s best to use your central heating to heat your home rather than relying on electric heaters, especially if you have gas central heating. If you're only using a couple of rooms, you can use thermostatic radiator valves so that your central heating isn't heating empty rooms. Electricity is much more expensive than gas, so using electric heaters can ramp up your energy bills

The Energy Saving Trust says whether a combi or a standard boiler is cheaper to run will depend on your lifestyle and how much hot water you use.

With a standard boiler, water is heated by your boiler and stored in a hot water tank for when you need it. With a combi boiler, you don’t have a hot water tank and instead water is heated up instantly when you turn on the hot tap.

If your household doesn’t use too much water, combi boilers can be more efficient, as they don’t leave water sitting in a tank where it can lose heat. However, combi boilers tend to be less efficient at heating water in the first place, so if you’re a large household using lots of water it might be cheaper to have a standard boiler with a well-insulated tank.

For both combis and standard boilers, the main thing which will affect how expensive your boiler is to run is its efficiency. Having an A-rated condensing boiler (standard or combi) will be cheaper to run than an older non-condensing boiler.