With rising costs in everything from heating and petrol to food and clothes, we’re all looking for ways to save money and reduce bills at the moment.

The average cost of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts was reported at 155.62p and diesel 161.28p this week while our favourite money-saving expert, Martin Lewis, handed out some energy bill tips.

But before we get too worried, there are things that we can do to try to keep our bills down and our money in our pockets.

READ MORE: Get the latest money-saving tips from Nottinghamshire Live

One of the simplest ways to save money is by turning down the thermostat. Lowering the dial by just one degree could reduce bills by around £80-85 per year.

Consumer group Which? says that adjusting central heating timers to switch off at night and during the day if the house is empty will also minimise fuel consumption.

For rooms such as bedrooms that stand empty during the day, people should consider turning the radiator down to the lowest setting.

Another tip is fitting reflective foil behind radiators on external walls as this will help reduce the rate of heat loss in these rooms.

Here are ten things you can do to slash hundreds of pounds off your household bills over the course of a year, according to the Mirror.

Top tips explained

1. Lowering your thermostat dial by just one degree could reduce bills by around £80-85 per year.
2. Adjusting central heating timers to switch off at night and during the day if the house is empty will also minimise fuel consumption.
3. For rooms such as bedrooms that stand empty throughout the day, people should consider turning the radiator down to the lowest setting without turning it off completely.
4. Fitting reflective foil behind radiators on external walls will also help reduce the rate of heat loss in any room. Asda is currently selling rolls of foil for 65p, so it’s well worth doing.
5. Lowering the temperature of your washing machine is an eco-friendly way to save money. Even a 20°C wash can do the trick in some cases, particularly when using liquid detergent rather than powder.
6. For drying clothes, aim to dry clothes on a rack instead of in a tumble dryer – for those who do opt to use a dryer, clean its filter first to improve energy efficiency.
7. Not quite a simple tip, but did you know up to a third of heat disappears through the roof? As a result, it makes sense to add insulation if you can. Which? found that installing loft insulation, if you do not have it already, could save you up to £215 per year in energy bills depending on your home.
8. Buy a draught-excluding cushion and put it in front of your door. To maximise savings tackle draughty windows, doors, chimneys, floorboards, skirting boards and loft hatches – this can be done using draught excluder strips or expanding foam fillers. The saving could be £25 a year.
9. When changing lightbulbs, swapping old-style bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs saves around £7 per year in running costs. As they are longer lasting than a single bulb, they could eventually cut around £180 a year from your energy bills, compared to an old-style halogen bulb.

10. Turn appliances off at the power if they’re on standby. For a typical home, this could save £55 a year.

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