'I'm a heating expert - this 1 overlooked thing will keep your energy bills down'

The cold weather has set in earlier than expected this year, promopting many UK households to switch on their heating sooner in an effort to stay warm. But as temperatures drop, the concerns over soaring energy costs rises, leaving households worried about how to balance a warm and comfortable home with affordability throughout the colder months.

Fortunately there are many ways to keep bills low without sacrificing a warmth. Rob Bohm is a heating and energy consultant at CLPM, which is a construction project consultancy that works with clients to help them make improvements on their property's' energy efficency and heating arrangements. Mr Bohm spoke to the Express and shared the one thing that all households should do to cut costs while keeping homes warm.

"Stopping heat from going out the house by insultation and draught proofing is number one, because at the end of the day if you stop heat leaving your house in the winter, you reduce your heating bills," he says.

Insultion is absolutely key, Mr Bohm explains, as heating contributes to around 60% of people's energy uses, so it is crucial to bring usage down as much as possible.

While insulation can be expensive, he notes that investing a lot of money on it when your house is draughty is almost pointless, because when the wind blows it will still be cold.

This is where you can start looking at simple things to prepare to keep the heat in.

"We've got to think about individuals who have a very tight budget, so the first thing to think about is 'are the windows fitting snugly? Are the doors fitting steadily'," the expert adds.

There are many common issues that people do not realise prevent heat from staying in their homes. "I've come across broken cat flats, broken letter boxes, which allow the cold draft to blow through," Mr Bohm continues.

He also offered a few recommendations that households could use such as buying a stick-on draught excluder, which is "very cheap".

While Mr Bohm recognises it is "not a permenant solution," he says it works well as an inexpensive temporary fix that will cut down draughts and make homes warmer.