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1. Improve your insulation

Around half the heat lost in your home escapes through the walls and roof. Cavity wall insulation costs about £260, can take a couple of hours to install, and could save you up to £160 a year on fuel bills.

• Insulating and heating your home efficiently

2. Use labels to buy energy and water efficient appliances

The Energy Saving Recommended logo can only be used by the most energy efficient products, usually the top 20 per cent of those available. Many appliances also have a European Energy Label which rates energy efficiency on a scale of A (best) to G (worst), and provides information on water use.

• Household appliances that save energy, water and money

3. Use timers and thermostats

Take control of your heating and you could save energy and money. Reducing the temperature on your thermostat by 1 degree could save up to 10 per cent on heating bills.

• More about heating controls (opens new window)

4. Switch to energy-saving bulbs

Choosing energy-saving light bulbs is one of the easiest ways of cutting your energy use.

An energy-saving light bulb can last up to 10 times longer than a non-efficient version. Just one energy-saving bulb could save up to £7 a year. If you fit all the lights in your house with energy-saving bulbs, you could save around £600 over the lifetime of the bulbs.

5. Buy sustainable wood

Try to choose furniture and DIY materials made from sustainably-produced wood - look for labels from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) or other schemes that certify sustainable timber.

• Timber product labels

6. Wash clothes at 30 degrees, and in full loads

Your washing machine uses energy and water more efficiently when it's full, and washing at lower temperatures saves energy too.

7. Keep the VOCs low

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are found in paints, finishes and preservatives, can be harmful to humans, wildlife and plants. Most of these products carry a label showing their VOC content, so try choosing the ones with lower VOCs.

• More about greener DIY and choosing lower impact paints

8. Turn off appliances instead of leaving them on standby

Electrical appliances left on standby waste six to ten per cent of all energy used in the average home. Switch TVs, stereos, mobile phone chargers and other gadgets off at the switch or the plug when you're not using them.

9. Install water-saving products

Low-flush-volume toilet cisterns, water efficient shower heads and aerating heads on washbasin taps help reduce your water use significantly.

• Find out more about saving water at home

10. Fix dripping taps

A dripping tap can waste up to 15 litres of water a day, or almost 5,200 litres per year. Fitting a new washer is a cheap way of saving water and takes only a few minutes.