A national newspaper has offered readers a number of energy-saving tips for homeowners who wish to make savings in a time of rising bills and efficient solutions.The Times recommended that turning off the lights upon leaving a room was probably the most simple and cost-effective habit to do around the house, highlighting Energy Saving Trust statistics on energy-efficient light bulbs saving 7 a year per bulb.It added that putting large items of furniture in front of radiators will block heat flow and by taking a GCSE science approach with tinfoil-wrapped cardboard behind the radiator, heat will be reflected back around the room, therefore saving on bills.By hibernating a computer when not in use and switching it off completely at the end of the day, the energy savings are also less than the few watts saved by simply having the screensaver on.This week, New Energy Focus reported the announcement by the Northern Ireland Executive to start a 4.9 million programme to help local businesses embrace low carbon technologies to cut energy bills and emissions.