Remember when the government announced before Christmas, that it would be slashing £50 off everyone’s yearly energy bills?

Apparently, it’s now more likely to be a measly 20 quid.

And when you think that the average household pays out £1,200 on gas and electricity, it’s not going to make much of a difference to most of us, anyway.

So, much to the annoyance of the rest of my family, I’ve been looking at ways to cut back the bills.

First off, I’m going to get myself one of those gadgets that measures how much electricity is used around the house.

People who have one already swear by them and reckon they’ve shaved £200 a year off their bills by installing one.

Usually battery-powered, they let you see what’s being used where immediately and how much each appliance is costing.

Some energy contracts offer you a free one if you sign up but beware, sometimes their generosity masks the fact that the rate you’re paying for your energy is over the odds. The two main ones are the Owl Micro CM130 Wireless Electricity Monitor, £24 and the Efergy Elite Wireless Monitor, £39, both on sale through Amazon.

By the time you go to bed, everything except your fridge/freezer should be switched off at the mains, as even when they’re on standby, TVs, toasters, DVD players and computers are still guzzling small amounts of energy.

And experts say we should all take showers rather than baths because they use less water. Apparently, that’s 65 litres versus 100 litres, for anyone who’s interested.

Turning down the thermostat down by just one degree can save you £65 off your heating bill in a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

And if you’ve already done that, you can save even more by switching off the radiators in the spare room, or those you don’t often use and by setting the timer so that the heating will turn off when you’re out at work or away for the weekend.

Swap all your light bulbs for energy saving ones and see another £60 come off the bill. As well as using less electricity, they last longer than ordinary bulbs, too. And don’t forget to turn off lights in rooms no one is using.

Many energy experts suggest ditching your boiler, if it’s old like mine, and installing a new, more energy efficient one. That’ll save up to £300 a year but a new one will cost around £1,200.

The other biggie is to cut down on the amount of warmth you lose from your home by putting draught excluders under doors and insulating it really well.

Apparently, a loft that is insulated to a thickness of 270mm in a typical three-bedroom semi could slash £180 a year off your energy bill, as less heat will escape through the roof.

Cavity wall insulation is pricey but it will pay big dividends in the long run.

Visit www.energysaving trust.org.uk for more info.