T he nights are drawing in and temperatures are falling, but with blackouts forecast this winter, households will need to cut their energy usage. This will be a hard season for millions of households as energy bills soar along with the cost of living. But there are ways to cut your usage — and your bills — without having to give up tea or hang your washing outside in December.

Here is your guide to getting through winter in the cheapest way possible — without having to drastically change your habits:

The most obvious way to reduce your energy usage is to keep the heating off.

Average household gas usage shoots up from 568kWh in October to 1,840kWh in November, when the heating usually goes on,

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