There's no doubt about it - the heat of summer has left us, and with winter officially here, that chill in the air is only going to get more ferocious.

Lower temperatures mean, unfortunately, higher electricity bills, and in the recession you'll want to do everything possible to keep the costs down. Hot water accounts for 47 per cent of power used by an average Kiwi household, so thrifty use of hot water and an efficient hot-water cylinder will go a long way to avoiding energy bill blowouts.

Pipe up

If you have extremely high power bills or an old hot water cylinder that's always running out of hot water, leaking, is corroding or has low water pressure, it's probably time to have it looked at. Perhaps it's time to have the thermostat adjusted, or even time to install a new hot water system.

You can maximise your cylinder's function by dressing it in a wrap . This costs around $80, but can save up to $140 a year on your power bill, depending on the efficiency of your cylinder. This foil-faced, fire-retardant glass wool insulation reduces direct heat loss from the cylinder, which means more hot water as well as lower power bills.

Even if you have an A-grade cylinder, it's worth insulating your hot water pipes, especially the first metre. This will significantly decrease energy loss.

Tap into savings

Before turning on the hot tap, ask yourself whether you really need hot water. Even if you turn off the tap before the hot water arrives, the used water will still be replaced and heated in your hot water cylinder, wasting electricity.

It sounds obvious, but make sure your hot water taps aren't dripping. A hot water tap dripping just once a second can add as much as $20 a year to your electricity bill.

Use cold water to rinse dishes or vegetables, and to wash hands.

Two minutes of rinsing dishes can pour 20 litres of hot water down the drain, so use a plug.

Change to a low-flow shower head, which can cut hot water bills by up to $1000 per year.

Wait to wash until you have a full load of clothes or dishes, or adjust the settings for a half load.

Visit www.energywise.govt.nz for more cost-cutting advice.

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