In winter, one of your main concerns will be how to keep warm during the short winter days and the long cold nights.
Finding out just how much money you have spent over the winter once the bills arrive is often enough to send a cold shiver down your spine.
In this article we have suggested 15 simple steps you can take to ensure that you keep the cold at bay whilst keeping the bills down.
Follow these simple and speedy ideas and you will be able to heat your house all winter without worrying about the huge costs, and the best thing is they won't cost a fortune to put into practice.

1. Let in the Light- Although we don't often think of the warm sunlight in winter, even a tiny amount of light and sun's rays can help reduce the cold in a house.
   Try and open all your curtains every day to let in the light to each and every room.
   The heat coming through the glass also makes a great place to relax for a read or cup of tea.
   
2. Change your curtains to suit the season- Where you live in the country can have a huge effect on the temperature in your house, you may have long hot humid summers and mild winters or sit through freezing cold winters and warm summers.
   But whatever the situation make sure that the way you hang your curtains properly reflects the season.
   If you have heavy thick curtains to keep out the summer sun, then remove them in the winter to let the warm winter sun inside, equally if you are lucky to have mild summers and lightweight curtains that let the warm, breeze flow through the house, take them down in the winter and replace with thick heavy curtains to keep the warmth in.
   
3. Close your Doors.
   - In warm weather it is nice to keep doors open so that fresh air can get into your house and to let the breeze flow through your rooms.
   Maybe you have children or pets who can't or won't close the doors after themselves and are always leaving them open.
   This is fine in warm weather, but in the winter make sure that all your doors are closed quickly when you are trying to heat up your home.
   Open doors let the heat out and the cold in.
   
4. Close your windows.
   - At the same time as making sure that all outside doors are closed, also ensure that the windows are also closed tight, as even the slightest gap in a window can suck all the warmth out of a home and also create a nasty draught for the rooms occupants.
   
5. Selective Ducted Heating- If you home has a ducted heating and cooling system, then make sure that the vents in the rooms you do not use during the winter - such as guest room, son's room if they are at college - are closed so that you do not heat a room unnecessarily.
   
6. Close all doors in the house- After you have closed or blocked any vents in unused rooms, when you leave make sure that you close the door after you.
   There is no need to send warm air from the rest of the home into unused rooms.
   Also close the bathroom, laundry and toilet doors as these can be the most draughty rooms in the house and will take heat from where you need it.
   
7. Wear lots of Layers- The best way to save money on your heating bills, is to turn it off.
   Try wearing an extra jumper around the house, maybe a pair of thick socks and snuggle under a rug when you are watching television.
   Only if you are cold after this then put the heating on.
   Most of the time you will decide that you can do without it.
   
8. Use lots of bedding at night.
   - It is very annoying to be woken up at night by being cold, so to try and avoid this many people keep their heating on at night, this is very expensive and also unnecessary.
   Try adding a few blankets to your bed and make sure that they can't fall off in the night, another way could be to leave your warm toasty woolly socks on, when you are snug in your cosy bed then you have no need for the heating to be on.
   
9. Block any fireplaces not being used.
   - If you have old fashioned fires and fire places that you no longer use, make sure that you close the door to stop the warmth from leaving your house.
   Whilst you might not be heating your house with a lovely log fire, a unused fireplace will certainly let in the cold, if they are not sealed.
   
10. Lower the thermostat at night.
    - If after putting on all your warm woolly jumpers and thick socks, and snuggling under lots of blankets you are still not warm and need the heating through the night, turn it down to a low setting so that it just keeps the house nice and warm.
    If you have a programmable thermostat just set it to go lower at night so you don't have to remember.
    
11. Lower the heat when you leave your house.
    - Whenever you leave the house, whether it be to go to the shops, or just on the school run, of course you want the house to be warm and dry for when you get back, but there is no need to keep the heating at the highest level, so turn the thermostat down a few notches so you can keep the chill out of the house while you are gone, and when you return the heating can quickly return to its previous level.
    
12. Turn off the heating when you are at work- If you and your family are out of the house all day, why would you pay to heat a empty home.
    Only if you have pets that require heat should you consider keeping the heating on all day.
    Unless there is a danger that your family cat could develop frostbite should the heating be on all day.
    Program your system so that is turns on the heating half an hour before you get home so you return to an warm house.
    
13. Turn off the heating during the day- Everybody knows that it's the nights that are coldest during the winter, so if you can during the day try and open your curtains and let the summer sun in.
    When you do this turn your heating off and let the warm sunlight heat your house.
    Also if you are going to be moving around more, then you will generate your own heat to keep you warm.
    
14. Stop the draughts- If you can still feel a cold draught even after you have sealed all the windows and doors, then make sure you search and seal up this leak.
    Cold draughts are not only annoying and very uncomfortable, they also let warm paid for air out and cost you money.
    Find the draught and seal it, check under all doors, especially the bathroom and garage, and seal with a towel or draft excluder if you need to.
    Check also any glass in door panels that might be loose and need resealing, a quick and easy job that will save you money.
    
15. Snuggle up- We have all heard that body heat will keep you warm through the long cold winter nights, but even if you sleep alone you can snuggle up to a lovely warm, hot water bottle.
    These are excellent at keeping you warm at night, so dig out your old hot water bottle, turn the thermostat down and stay lovely and warm all night.
    

There are many different ways to save money on your heating bills and most of them are easy to find.
We have listed just a few and there may be others that you already use to reduce your bills.
Whatever method you use to keep yourself and your home heated this winter, remember that, not only are you saving your wallet you are also helping the planet.