DAD-OF-TWO Mark Thompson draught-proofed "vampire energy hotpots" in his home for under £20 – and it's cut £120 from his yearly bills.
On a mission to stop energy from being wasted around his home, Mark plugged the draughts on a budget.
Mark used to work in the energy industry and lives with his wife Heather, who is also retired, in Northwich, Cheshire, and has two children – 26-year-old Hannah and 22-year-old Sally.
He started draught-proofing his home last winter, when prices began to soar due to the energy crisis.
Mark noticed there were certain areas of his home where cold chills were coming through due to gaps and cracks around windows, doors, walls and floorboards.
"There were vampire guzzling energy heatless hotspots that were trickling heat away in my house – and I wanted to plug them up," he told The Sun.
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He used a number of budget-friendly methods to stop the hot air from escaping.
Where there were gaps between the skirting board and floorboards in the lounge, Mark sealed the gaps up with sealant from his local DIY shop which cost just £4.
Next, Mark checked all of his UPV windows and doors for gaps and cracks.
To do this, he used a piece of paper to see if it could fit through the frame and the window or door itself.
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If he could fit a piece of paper through, it showed there was a gap which needed to be fixed.
He bought a self-adhesive seal from his local DIY shop for around £10 to stop the draughts.
He also bought WD40 to oil up the metal hinges on his window which made it easier to pull his windows in tight and prevent draughts.
He also discovered a hole in the ceiling of his airing cupboard, which meant cold air was coming through from his loft, so he used foam sealant to fill it up.
He also bought insulation to put around the boiler pipes in the airing cupboard to stop hot air from escaping, which would be making his boiler work harder to run and drive up his energy bills.
Mark can't provide an exact estimate of how much he has shaved off his energy bills after making the changes.
That's because he had a heat pump installed since then, which means he can't get a like-for-like estimate.
But he could have saved at least £120 per year from draughtproofing his home based on estimates from energy experts.
Gaps and cracks in windows and doors cost the average home £60 a year, according to Shell Energy estimates.
While British Gas said insulating your pipes can save you £15 a year.
Draught-proofing around the home in general could save you £45, according to Energy Saving Trust.
Exactly how much you can save depends on a number of factors, however, including your energy usage, the size of your home, and the energy deal you are on.
"It has all made a huge difference," Mark said.
"It was a couple of hours worth of effort, but it was definitely worth it.
"It was all very simple to do, very low cost and very effective."
What other 'energy vampire hotspots' are around your home?
Draught-proofing your chimney may be bad news for Santa this Christmas, but it could save you a whopping £90 on your energy bills.
Invest in a chimney draught excluder to help you plug the chill – they cost around £20.
You might not think it, but your floorboards could be costing you a small fortune when it comes to your energy bills.
Shell Energy estimates that insulating them properly – such as putting a big rug down – could save you up to £180 a year.
It's easy to forget about your loft if you only use it to store your old junk.
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But as heat rises, it can escape through small gaps around your loft hatch.
According to Energy Saving Trust, insulating your loft properly will save you at least £330 on your bills.
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