The national target is to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent and this will require us all to do our bit.

Many homes have some insulation, but often it is less than the recommended depth and some materials become compressed with age and are then much less effective.

If you can get access to your loft, use a ruler to measure the depth of the insulation you have.

If you have 5cm or less, you will be losing a lot of heat. Increasing from 5cm to 27cm can save you £60 or more per year on your heating bills. If you have no insulation at all and you install the recommended 27cm your annual saving could be more than £200.

It is believed that more than half the houses in the Borders have less than the recommended level. Perhaps now is the time to find out for yourself how much heat and money is escaping through your roof.

Scottish Borders Council is working with the Energy Saving Scotland advice centre, funded by the Scottish Government, to help you save energy.

You can get access to free, impartial, expert advice on loft insulation and other energy-saving measures.

Financial support is also available:

z Loft top-up insulation for the subsidised price of £199 (can cost up to £500).

z Cavity wall insulation is also available at a subsidised price of £199 (can cost up to £500).

The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is an obligation, introduced by the government, on energy suppliers to achieve targets for promoting reductions in carbon emissions in the household sector and combating fuel poverty.

Basically, the government is making the energy companies help householders cut their fuel use.

Funding is currently available to all householders to help cover the cost of these measures, with grants ranging from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the standard price.

You can call the Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512012 for free and impartial energy saving advice.

You may also like to visit the Energy Saving Trust online at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ check where you can complete an online home energy check to see how you can stop wasting energy at home.

What does it cost to insulate?

z Full glass wool insulation costs about £500 (less if you do it yourself) but there are a range of grants available to help reduce this, and it may be that you could get insulated for free.

z Sheep wool can be more than twice as expensive, but is much more environmentally friendly, using low-grade wool.

z Other materials can be used (eg blown paper/ recycled fibres, aluminium foil/ bubble-wrap)

The other action everyone can do is to tackle those drafts that come in around doors and windows.

Around 20 per cent of the heat in the average home is lost through ventilation and draughts.

Draughts indicate that precious heat is leaking away from your house through tiny gaps and holes.