AS part of a national campaign, residents across Devon are being encouraged to take steps to reduce their energy usage and save money on their fuel bills.

The Big Energy Week (January 21 - 27) is organised each year by Citizens Advice and aims to raise awareness of the simple step we can all take to lower our energy bills by being more energy efficient.

As official partners of the Big Energy Saving Week, OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, and the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), the trade association for oil distributors are encouraging households that use oil to think about their current energy consumption as well as offering money saving advice.

Despite recent small increases in price, oil heated households in Devon continue to enjoy the cheapest fuel bills of all the main off-grid heating systems and are paying on average nearly £500 less than homes using LPG and more than £800 less than those with electric storage heaters.

However, in the cold winter months, there are still ways households can reduce their spending costs even further, without having to turn down the heating.

As part of the Big Energy Saving Week, OFTEC and FPS are urging households to consider:

• Bleeding radiators - this will help to increase heating efficiency during cold weather

• Check the thermostat - many homes have a simple thermostat which sets one temperature for the whole house. Installing a more advanced system will enable you to set different temperatures for each room throughout the day and even control your heating remotely, saving money by only heating those you use.

• Boiler servicing - it is important that you service your boiler at least once a year, in particular during colder months and use an OFTEC (for oil and solid fuel) or GasSafe (for mains gas) registered technician. This will ensure it is working efficiently and help you avoid potential costly breakdowns.

• Oil in tank - make sure you check the level of oil in your tank on a regular basis as you may be using more in winter. Plan in advance and tell your local FPS accredited heating oil supplier when you are running low; this will ensure you are prioritised by your supplier and that your tank is topped up in good time. If you are considering joining an oil buying group the FPS has a pros and cons guide which can be found at: www.oilsave.org.uk .

• Boiler efficiency - one in three households still rely on an old, less efficient boiler. By purchasing a modern, condensing model you could potentially reduce your fuel bills by more than 20 per cent.

For more information and advice, visit: www.oilsave.org.uk.