Electricity, gas and water bills are on the up - again - but here are some top tips to claw back the pounds with our guide to cutting your energy bills.
Don't waste cold water
If it takes time for hot water to come out of your taps, don't waste the cold water that pours out first. Fill up the kettle or a water bottle.
Put a bottle in the toilet.
Wait, what? Yes: Place an bottle in your toilet's cistern (that's the bit at the back) to fill up space. This will save you water every time you flush which in a busy student flat can easily add up!
Get a jacket for your boiler
Wrap a heat-proof jacket, towel or blanket over the boiler to make it more efficient and to stop heat escaping.
Tell your landlord about leaks
Tell your landlord or their agent about any issues such as leaks or dripping taps immediately - it's not just annoying, it's costing you!
Use energy saving lightbulbs
Switch the light bulbs in your house for energy saving ones if/when they need replacing.
Take a shower
Take a shower instead of a bath: It'll use far, far less water and you'll be done far quicker too.
And shower like a sailor
Save more money on water by showering like a seaman: Spend 30 seconds getting wet then turn the water off. Lather up and then rinse in just a minute or so.
Turn things off
Should really go without saying but turn off anything you're not using. If you're a real penny pincher take the plug out of the wall to make sure you're not being charged for any wasted electricity.
Get a meter readings app
Grab the aptly named Meter Readings App for your phone: This useful application makes it easy to monitor your household utility meters. Once you start entering readings, your usage, costs and savings are calculated and displayed in easy to visualise graphs.
> Download Meter readings for iPhone
Turn the tap off
When you brush your teeth don't leave the tap running, instead just fill up a beaker, mug of glass of water and ration yourself.
Switch to raw/ready to eat food
Cut back on cooking by changing your diet to include only ready to eat foods, such as fruit and veg and pre-cooked meats.
Become vegetarian
Vegetarian is often cheaper so try cutting out meat from your diet and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. You needn't go fully veggie but try it for just a few days each week.