Whatever type of heating you may have, it is important to keep both your living room and bedroom warm enough.

Try to heat your bedroom overnight during the winter months. If this isn't possible, warm your bedroom at night before you go to bed. If it's very cold weather, and if bills are a great problem, living and sleeping in one room may be a last resort - but get some friends or family to move your bed into the living room rather than sleeping in an armchair overnight.

The recommended temperature is 21 degrees Celsius, but you may be more comfortable at a higher temperature.

If the temperature falls below 16 degrees Celsius, the elderly especially could be at risk of suffering from hypothermia, heart attack or a stroke.

One of the best ways of increasing your comfort and keeping bills down is to make your home more energy efficient. There are two sides to energy efficiency. One is to keep the heat in and draughts out by insulating and draught-proofing your home.

The other is to make good use of your heating and get full benefit from your fuel. By keeping you warmer and saving you money, energy efficiency is good news all round.