Smart plugs, better bulbs and foam strips: simple energy-saving methods you can use in the home

• Video report by ITV Wales journalist Issa Farfour

As energy prices soar many people will be looking at how they can keep their gas and electric bills as low as they possibly can.

Energy bills climbed again last week and look set to climb substantially again in October, when the next change to the energy price cap is due.

ITV Wales has spoken to one of the experts at the Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP), an organisation that works to help people better manage their energy bills.

Energy saving bulbs

Old glass light bulbs can be switched out for much lower wattage bulbs. LED bulbs can help save energy and keep costs down.

Replacing all bulbs in the home with LED bulbs could save around £35 a year, according to LEAP.

Draught-proofing

Draught-proofing can help make your home more energy efficient and help to better keep the heat in different rooms of the house.

That can include the use of door draught excluders, foam strips that can easily slide beneath a door frame and prevent drafts from entering the room and making it colder.

LEAP says draught-proofing could save around £30 a year on bills and help make the home feel warmer.

Radiator reflectors

Radiator reflectors can help to better direct the heat coming from radiators and warm up rooms faster.

Andy Stevens, LEAP's home energy adviser, says that the metal strips can have a big impact when it comes to heating the home.

The foil "can go down the back of the radiators, they're aluminium coated and what they'll do is they kick the heat back into the rooms," he explains.

"That will warm the room up a lot quicker than without them."

Energy saving plugs

Some energy saving plugs can help prevent household appliances from being left on standby, which can push up energy bills despite the fact they are not being used.

Andy says: "Anything that's left on standby...is obviously costing you money still. Not quite as much as when it's been on but it can still cost you money."

Explaining how the plugs work, he said: "What they'll do is they'll tune into your TV remote every time you turn the television off it'll automatically cut the power as if it's switching off at the wall.

"You can put multiple devices on there so it's a good idea."

Read more: