If you care about the environment and want to save money, you can do so by saving energy. If you want to reduce the CO2 emissions your house produces, and you want to keep your bills as low as possible, then follow these great energy saving tips.

Turn down the temperature

If you turn your heating down by just a few degrees you and your family won't notice the difference – until you open that monthly bill. You can save a significant amount by simply keeping your central heating at a lower level.

You can also reduce the temperature of your hot water to between 50 and 55 degrees. This will still be perfect for showers or washing up, but will cost you a lot less and save energy.

Improve your insulation

A badly insulated home lets heat escape, which means more CO2 emissions and wasted money. If you want to run a tight ship then get your home's insulation improved.

The optimum thickness for roof insulation is 6 inches, so if yours is thinner than this then get it replaced. Most homes have some sort of cavity insulation within the walls, but this can degrade over time so you may need to look into getting this replaced too.

One of the best insulation tricks is to opt for double or triple glazing. Although this may seem like a large expense, over time you will make your money back through energy savings.

Switch it off

When you leave things on standby, electricity is being used even though the appliance is not. Make sure you don't leave things on standby and unplug electrical items at night.

You can also make significant savings by switching to energy saving light bulbs, which last much longer than conventional bulbs. Once you've changed the light bulbs, make sure you turn them off. Only light rooms you're using and avoid leaving lights on unnecessarily.

Use alternative energy

Many people are now using alternative energy in the home by having solar panels fitted. There is an initial expense involved, but the government does offer incentives for home owners to do this.

Once your alternative energy source is established, you could find your energy bills significantly reduced. In some cases people are even able to sell their excess energy back to the grid, which means using alternative energy could even make you a profit.