There’s no denying that winter is now well and truly on the way.

For all of us, that means planning how we’re going to keep warm and cosy through the chilly months.

Crucially, making sure your home heating is serviced and in good working order has to be top of everybody’s list.

And when planning your full seasonal service, be sure to choose trusted professionals, through recommendations or “trusted trader” websites.

With the entire nation reported to be facing up to spiralling energy costs, now may be a good time to discuss how you heat your home with a specialist firm.

For example, old-fashioned woodburners, though they can cause concerns about their emissionsm, are being modernised and cleaned-up all the time and the most efficient new models may give you an alternative way to keep cosy – with all the MANY attractive side benefits of a real fire.

Naturally, if you do have real fireplaces in the home chimney sweeping is an essential safety ingredient of your winter preparations.

Perhaps there are alternatives you can explore to make the most of your money? For example, turning appliances off at the plug could save an average of £30 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Smart thermostats can make your heating more efficient by only warming the rooms you are using. They can also be controlled by your phone.

If you installed room thermostats, programmers and thermostatic radiator valves, you could save around £75 a year, the Trust believes.

Almost half the money spent on energy bills is absorbed by heating and hot water costs.

You can save energy by upgrading your old boiler to a new A-rated condensing boiler with a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator controls.

Washing at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees can help reduce your energy usage, and if you can cut out one wash cycle per week you’ll clip £5 off your annual energy bill.

Draught-proofing your property can keep you warmer and save more money.

A cold draught obviously causes your home to lose heat, which makes it more tempting to turn the heating up.

Draught excluders or draught-proofing kits are a good way to prevent this.

Seal cracks in floors and skirting boards, line your letterbox and block an unused chimney to reduce your heating bills by up to £35 a year.

And insulating your roof can stop heat escaping from your home.