Dilly Carter’s top tips for a cosy living room on a budget this winter

The professional home organiser shares some top tips for making your lounge more energy efficient during the colder weather

When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than getting yourself warm and cosy in your living room.

Gas and electricity prices can be a concern, but there are lots of handy hacks for making sure you’re being energy-efficient.

Professional organiser and TV personality Dilly Carter highlights some of the quick jobs you can get done this weekend to set your home up for the colder months.

“A smart meter is probably the simplest place to start,” says Dilly. “If you can see how much energy you’re using, and when, you know where you might be able to cut down.”

Smart meters are installed at no extra cost by your energy supplier. Their simple display shows you how much you’re spending, in pounds and pence, in near-real time.

Focusing on the living room, Dilly has one main piece of advice: “Avoiding heat escaping is one of the best things you can do to cut energy costs.”

She offers some tips to make that happen.

“Draft excluders are an inexpensive, DIY way to avoid waste. Add them to the bottom of doors, letterboxes, chimneys and window seals.

“Thicker curtains or inexpensive curtain liners can really help too, as a lot of heat escapes through our windows.

“Rugs can help insulate a cold floor, especially if you have draughty old floorboards.”

And she adds: “Make sure heat can circulate well. Move any furniture that’s blocking radiators.”

For those with central heating, Dilly’s advice is to use it as efficiently as possible.

“Use your heating timer: programme it to come on only for the hours you really need it.

“Work out how long your house needs to warm up before you set it. Most modern houses will warm up within half an hour and stay warm for about half an hour once you’ve turned the heating off.”

Lighting is another consideration when it comes to energy efficiency.

“Lamps don’t necessarily cost less than ceiling lights, but can definitely create a cosier atmosphere,” says Dilly. “The main thing is to turn lights off when you’re not in the room.

“And make sure you’re replacing old halogen light bulbs with LED ones – that will make a really big difference to your lighting costs.”

“There are so many simple ways to keep your home warmer this winter,” she adds. “A lot of them cost nothing or very little.

“Walk around your house and spot the places that are letting more cold in. Check for draughts, and that your radiators are working as efficiently as possible.

“You don’t have to make big investments in energy-efficient tech; just taking care of some of the basics will really help.”

Get a smart meter or contact your energy supplier to find out more.

Eligibility may vary, and smart meter display and figures are for illustrative purposes only.