Small changes offer big cuts to bills

THE cost of living crunch is here but while we can't control energy prices, small changes can add up to significant savings.

- Lucy Tobin

Here we take a look at the best ways to save with measures throughout the home.

KITCHEN: the oven is one of the least efficient kitchen cookers, so try to fill it up with batch cooking when you're turning it on, or switch to a lower energy-use microwave.

It costs 27p to bake a potato in an air fryer, 51p to cook it in the oven, or 6p to heat it in a microwave, according to energy efficiency site Sust-it.net which also has helpful ratings of thousands of devices' energy usage if you're in the market for a new household gadget.

A well-packed dishwasher is generally more efficient than washing up by hand too it uses less water and energy.

Doing the washing-up in the sink accounts for 4% of the average household's water use - whereas a dishwasher is only 1%, according to the Energy Saving Trust.