Analysis: Save energy ... keep your windows shut and wear a jumper

FUEL prices have gone up significantly in the past few years and that is pushing more people into fuel poverty.

If we look back 30 years or more people did not have central heating. When people used coal they did not heat their whole homes. It was hard work and dirty, so people often just heated one room.

Nowadays we all have central heating with radiators in every room and we are also used to having hot water on tap. A lot of people leave their heating on all the time. Sometimes the central heating has a timer control, but they are complicated and people might not know how to use them.

Another factor is gadgets. Thirty years ago people had hardly any electrical items. Now we all have dozens of them, including many which are left on standby and things like telephones which are never turned off. But there are things people can do to reduce their energy usage in the future.

Insulation is key and the most cost-effective way you can reduce your energy use. If you have a hot-water tank you may think about not having it switched on all the time.

People have got used to walking around at any time of the year in flip-flops and shorts, but our advice is to dress appropriately for the season. Also don’t open windows if you have got the heating turned on.

• Rosalyn Foreman is an energy efficiency expert from the Energy Saving Trust.