With the seasons changing I got thinking of how my winter energy bill is going to be increasing again and wanted to reduce the cost of it. So I've gone hunting around and found these 10 great ideas for cutting my costs.

What makes the difference is taking action. Start with the easiest thing to do and make it happen, then work on the next one.

Save money this winter by doing some simple things like these 10 ideas:

1. Keep winter draughts out by making the seals around doors and windows better. Use a sealer for gaps between the wall and the window or door, use a door runner to block the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.

2. Only heat the rooms you are using and close the doors on rooms you don't want to heat. This will keep the heat where you need it and save you the cost of heating spaces that aren't being used at the time. It's much cheaper to heat just one or two rooms than all the rooms.

3. Insulation of walls and ceiling makes a huge difference all year round by significantly reducing the need to heat in winter and cooling in summer. A well insulated home can be up to 7 degrees warmer in winter.

4. When it's time to replace the hot water system install a high efficiency solar or gas hot water system and save on your yearly energy bills while also significantly reducing greenhouse emissions.

5. Change over your lights from the old fashion, power guzzling incandescent lights with the modern energy efficient, long lasting compact florescent light bulbs as they save you money all year round. Many of the energy companies offer free packets of the compact florescent light bulbs so see if you can get some for free. Another simple one with lights is to switch off lights in rooms when people aren't in them.

6. Use cold water for washing rather than hot water and you'll save money every wash, especially as about 34% of the average energy costs are generated by heating hot water. By reducing your use of hot water you'll immediately cut your power bills.

7. Close your curtains - have close fitting curtains to stop the heat from escaping through the glass windows and save up to 40% of total heat loss. Double glazed windows are also fantastic for insulating the house as well as cutting down on outside noise.

8. Use the Clothesline, not the dryer - using the free energy of the sun to dry the washing is a much smarter option than using the energy of a clothes dryer. Plus, your clothes will be cleaner with the sun's ultraviolet light killing bacteria and removing stains.

9. Change how you cook - ovens waste up to 90% of their energy so use microwaves, pressure cooks and grills to cook. Natural gas is far cheaper and saves up to half a tonne of greenhouse gases each year.

10. Choose a highly efficient heater - go for a gas heater that's best suited for the room it'll be used in and save up to 75% of the greenhouse gases of an electric heater.

As always, choosing the most energy efficient appliance that you can will make an immediate difference to your energy bills. So pick carefully and save money all year round.

So cut your power bills this winter with some simple and smart choices.