As the weather turns colder it can be harder to keep yourself and your home warm. But there are several small ways you can do so without racking up a big heating bill.

Most people rely on their heating to keep their home warm in the winter, but simply turning up the thermostat could be costing you more than you realise. According to Plumbworld, there is one thing you can do that puts slightly less strain on your boiler this season.

By making adjustments, you could see a big difference in your heating bill each month. Leaving your curtains open after dark is a big no-no if you want to trap heat in your home and cut down energy costs.

Heat escapes through windows, even if they're thick, double-glazed ones, and so by closing curtains in the evening, you're helping to trap all that nice and cosy warmth. For an added level of heat, having thermal-lined curtains will do the best job at retaining warmth.

For that extra touch of cosiness, they advise using draught excluders by your doors and sealing over any window gaps. These small changes seem minor, but you might notice the difference when it comes to lowering your bills in a long and cold winter.

As well as maintaining privacy, curtains insulate the room, keeping warmer air in for longer and helping keep colder air out. Not to mention, their presence physically blocks cold air from seeping in from gaps that exist around windows and doors.

The tactical part of the curtain rule means allowing the sun to shine through in the day for warmth and closing them as soon as the sun goes down. According to Martin Lewis, the money-saving expert, the 4pm slot is the best time of day to get those curtains shut - it's even worth keeping track of sunset times so you can get it spot on.

On his ITV show, the expert said: "When the sun is shining, it's letting light and heat into the house, so you want the curtains open... When it gets dark, it's not; you want to keep the heat in, so close the curtains. I know we all know that, but doing it rigorously can help insulate."

For the ultimate result, curtains that are especially designed to be thermal should be put up where you can, or a more budget-friendly option would be to add your own thermal lining. Martin recommends using fleece blankets to add that extra level on the inside of your curtains. trapping heat stronger, for longer.

Although, with a warm and cosy home, thanks to curtains being closed promptly at night, you may start to notice condensation building on your windows. This can sometimes happen when warm and moist air touches a cold surface, which can lead to damp and mould problems.

To avoid this happening in your home, try introducing dehumidifiers close by to your windows, and keep any wet washing that's drying indoors away from the walls. While keeping your curtains open could avoid this, it will play a huge part in your home feeling far colder this time of year.