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Five ways to prepare your home for winter
By Rebecca Atkinson
September marks the beginning of autumn, so it's time to start thinking about how to prepare your home for the winter.
Remember, it is possible to stay warm without racking up extortionate heating bills - and cutting costs doesn't have to mean wearing a woolly hat and mittens when you watch TV.
1. Insulation
Contact your local Energy Saving Trust through its helpline on 0800 512 012.
2. Invest in a new boiler
Replacing a 15-year-old boiler with a new condensing model could save you around £235 a year. Look out for the Energy Saving Trust's 'recommended' label.
3. Double glazing
4. Turn it down
5. Change supplier
Your best bet is to contact your current supplier and find out if you could move to a cheaper tariff - but don't sign up at this point. Instead, take the time to compare the packages on offer from other suppliers to see if you there is a more competitive deal for you.
Use an approved comparison website, such as energyhelpline.com, TheEnergyShop.com or uSwitch.com.
It's also worth considering splitting your gas and electricity between two different suppliers - this may or may not work out cheaper, but again it's worth taking the time to find out.
Finally, online tariffs are often the cheapest on offer, so make sure you give these the attention they deserve.
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