If the country had to declare one true hero for 2022, it would surely be Martin Lewis. Once upon a time, the money saving expert helped us to secure cheap holidays and almost too-good-to-be-true Christmas deals. Now, however, amid the cost of living crisis, he continues to provide valuable advice and a lifeline to millions for whom government support packages just aren’t cutting it.

As many of us across the UK continue to take extra measures to make ends meet, Lewis has once again come through with nine handy hacks to make winter survival just that little bit easier.

Sharing them on ITV’s The Martin Lewis Money Show last night (8 November), he spoke of the importance of “focusing on energy efficiency” to get our houses in order for the colder months.

Install a water-saving showerhead

The best way to cut your water bill? Use less of it.

Lewis shared that fitting a free water-saving shower head – which pumps air through alongside water – could help you to save money because less water and heat are used.

He also advised people to check out sites like SaveWaterSaveMoney to discover more free tools to help adapt to the change.

Swap out your curtains

For extra heat preservation, Lewis suggested swapping your regular drapes for “tactical” and fleece-lined curtains.

“When it gets dark you want to keep the heat in, so close the curtains. I know we all know that, but doing it rigorously makes a big difference”, he said. Lewis also advised keeping curtains closed regularly to maintain warmth within your home.

Take on the one degree challenge

There are plenty of people that, despite the low temperatures, are still holding out for popping their heating on. But if not turning the heat on at all doesn’t seem like an option for you, Lewis suggests people take on the one degree challenge and try reducing their home’s temperature from 21°C to 20°C.

According to Lewis, this small change could save you nearly 10% on your heating bill.

Pay attention to your boiler, too

Lewis also highlighted the money saving boiler challenge, which involves turning down the flow rate on combi boilers, as a simple way of bringing down costs. The temperature should sit around 60°C but most people have their boiler set far higher, perhaps without realising. By making the small change, the average household could save up to £112 per year on their heating bill.

Furthermore, to help reduce heat loss, fit your boiler with a hot water cylinder jacket.

Check your fridge

As he explained, the temperature inside your fridge should sit at around 5°C while a freezer should be around -18°C. If a fridge is colder than 5°C, then unnecessary energy is being lost, he warned.

Be mindful of your baths

While showering is already more energy and environmentally efficient, when taking a bath, try not to use the cold tap to cool the water down. Instead, Lewis says, waiting for the water to cool down naturally will help reduce your energy consumption.

What’s more, once you’re out of the bath, there’s no rush to drain the water. If it’s still warm, then that heat could spread throughout your home.

Mind your radiators

As simple as it sounds, Lewis warned that a bad habit of many households is to have heating on in rooms we are not regularly using. Only having radiators on in rooms routinely used is a sure-fire way of saving money, he explained.

Lewis also shared that people can use reflective panel radiators to hold heat in a room, though he stressed that this should always be done safely and with proper purpose-built materials.

Cut down on TV time

Or switch your device on a low-energy setting to save money, he shared.

Fix draughts in your home

Cold air can spread in a manner of ways throughout homes and can cause consistent heat loss if not addressed. To solve it, Lewis suggested using draught excluders near doors or even clingfilm on windows to help preserve heat.

Images: Getty