As household bills are set to escalate this winter with the expectation that all major suppliers are about to put up their prices, it will pay to look at ways of saving. Here are five tips that will help 1. Insulate your hot water cylinder a well-fitted tank jacket could save you up to 40 a year if you use gas and even more if you heat your water electrically. 2. Insulate hot water pipes - this will save more energy and could also help your taps to run hot more quickly. 3. Make sure you have the right controls and that they are set correctly. You need to aim for enough hot water when you want it but not to waste money heating water you do not need. 4. Look at fuel or supplier switching gas is cheaper than electricity or oil, so consider switching if you can. Check out comparison websites to find out whether you would benefit from switching suppliers. 5. Consider solar heating once fitted, solar water heating has virtually no running costs.