User guide

Finding your way around the guide

To navigate between pages, click or tap the arrows to go forwards to the next page or backwards to the previous one. The arrows can be found either side of the page and at the bottom, too (circled in green, below).

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Menu/table of contents

Click or tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-right of your screen to open the main menu/table of contents. This icon is always visible whether you're using a computer, tablet or smartphone. The menu will open on top of the page you’re on. Click on any section title to visit that section. Click the cross at any time to close the table of contents.

 

Text size

On a computer, you'll see three different sized letter 'A's in the top-right of your screen. On a smartphone or tablet these are visible when you open the menu (see above). If you’re having trouble reading the guide, click or tap on each of the different 'A's to change the size of the text to suit you.

 

Pictures

On some images you'll see a blue double-ended arrow icon. Clicking or tapping on this will expand the picture so you can see more detail. Click or tap on the blue cross to close the expanded image.

Where we think a group of images will be most useful to you, we've grouped them together in an image gallery. Simply use the blue left and right arrows to scroll through the carousel of pictures.

 

Links

If you see a word or phrase that's bold and dark blue, you can click or tap on it to find out more. The relevant website will open in a new tab.

 

Jargon

If you see a word or phrase underlined, click or tap on the word and small window will pop up with a short explanation. Close this pop-up by clicking or tapping the cross in the corner.

 

Help

On a computer, you'll see a question mark icon in the top-right of your screen. On a smartphone or tablet this is visible when you open the menu (see above).

Clicking or tapping on the question mark will open this user guide. It opens on top of the page you're on and you can close it any time by clicking or tapping the cross in the top-right corner.

2 – Practical pointers for saving energy

An efficient central heating system and excellent insulation will help to keep your home warm and dry.

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The recent huge hikes in gas and electricity prices have made most of us pay closer attention to how much we use our central heating. Sitting in a cold house isn’t good for our health – or indeed that of our houses, as condensation and more troublesome types of damp can become an issue. We look at how to stop this happening and what to do if it already has.

We will also explore how best to hold onto the heat by banishing draughts and installing insulation. Finally, find out the pros and cons of smart meters, thermostats and radiator valves, and if they’re actually useful for keeping us cosy or just unnecessary gimmicks.

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