Now the days are getting shorter and the nights are drawing in, it could be a good time to make key checks and do jobs you’ve been putting off over the summer.

Draught-proofing your home, cleaning your gutters and insulating your pipes may not sound exciting, but come winter you’ll be greateful that you did.

Energy bills are set to rise this autumn for millions of households Credit: Alamy

Here we explain how you can avoid costly repair bills with fixes from £2 Credit: Getty

Energy bills are set to rise by 4% to their highest level in three years on October 1.

The increase will push up the cost of the energy price cap from £1,663 to £1,723 a year – an increase of around £60.

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Meanwhile, experts are now warning that bills could leap by roughly 25% in January, costing households an extra £427 a year, according to Bloomberg Economics.

But don’t panic.

Read more on energy bills

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Energy bills expected to SOAR by £427 in January in huge blow to households

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The 5 energy bill ‘danger zones’ in your house to check NOW and save £1,775

These six checks you can make now could save you £15,995 in repairs.

Plug draughts

Draught proofing your home can knock £55 off your energy bill Credit: Alamy

Draughts can make your home feel cold in the winter and bleed heat. But don’t worry, they are easy to fix.

Plugging draughts and gaps can stop heat seeping out of your house and save you hundreds of pounds a year.

But it’s important not to stop all cold air from entering and leaving your home.

Oliver Novakovic, innovation lead at Barratt Homes, explains: “Some air still needs to flow in and out of a house to help to reduce condensation and dampness, which can result in harmful mould growth, especially in moisture-rich rooms like kitchens and bathrooms.”

Instead, he recommends trying to pinpoint draughty areas around your home 

To tackle these Oliver recommends investing in a draught excluder runner to go along the bottom of your door.

Draught- proofing can be particularly effective if your home is older with hardwood doors as they can expand and contract in the cold, making gaps wider.

A fabric draught excluder can cost as little as £10, while strip seals cost around £15.

Another option is to buy gap sealer to run around the frame, preventing cold air from blowing in and around the door frame.

This costs around £10.

Failure to draught proof your windows, floors and doors could add around £55 a year to your energy bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Meanwhile, draught proof homes are more comfortable at lower temperature, further saving you money.

Turning down your thermostat from 22 C to 21 C could save you £120 on your bills.

Get your boiler checked

A boiler check could help to avoid a costly £2,000 repair bill Credit: Getty

Don’t wait until the first really cold night to find out if your heating still works.

An annual boiler service can help to identify faults before they become emergencies.

Now is the perfect time to get your boiler checked as engineers can be particularly busy when temperatures fall.

George Edwards, managing director of Timberwise, said: “Homeowners should also ask a qualified engineer whether the system needs cleaning or flushing rather than attempting this themselves.”

A boiler check or service could cost you around £100 but a new boiler will set you back up to £2,000, according to Checkatrade.

But you may be able to get your boiler serviced for free.

British Gas provides free boiler servicing to vulnerable households that need extra support through its Warm & Working scheme.

To be eligible you need to receive the Warm Home Discount, which gives households on certain benefits £150 off their energy bills.

The energy supplier will contact eligible households to offer them the checks.

But non British Gas customers can also qualify if they meet the eligibility criteria.

They can be referred to the scheme through partner organisations or the British Gas Energy Trust.

Meanwhile, if you own your own home you may be able to qualify for a free annual safety check.

These are given to people on means-tested benefits who are over the State Pension age, are disabled or have a long-term health condition.

Clean gutters and pipes

Cleaning gutters and pipes can prevent damp and mould from appearing at home Credit: Getty

Falling leaves can clog your gutters and pipes, which can stop rainwater from draining properly.

This can then cause water to overflow against walls, roofs and their edges, which can contribute to damp and water damage.

It’s a good idea to clean out gutters and check for damage before winter weather sets in.

If gutters are blocked water has no where to go and may seep in to the building’s roof and walls, causing serious damage.

It costs between £50 and £120 to clean the gutters of a small terraced house but could cost you a whopping £5,000 if overflowing water leads to major structural roof or ceiling damage, according to MyBuilder.

Get your chimney and flue swept

Sweeping your chimney can avoid a £1,000 repair bill Credit: Getty

If you have a fireplace, stove, or chimney then now is a good time to arrange a professional sweep.

George explains: “Soot and other deposits can restrict the passage of smoke and, depending on the appliance and fuel used, create a fire risk.”

Regularly sweeping can help to remove obstructions and prevent smoke from escaping properly.

Chimneys cost around £90 to clean but repairs can set you back up to £1,000 according to Checkatrade.

Meanwhile, structural repairs or chimney removal can cost you significantly more.

Wrap up your pipes

Pipe insulation costs just £2 but could save you around £6 a year on your bills Credit: Getty

Frozen pipes could cause them to burst, and leave you with a nasty bill of up to £440 in repairs, according to Checkatrade.

Plus you may struggle with your water supply while you wait for them to be fixed.

When water freezes inside your pipes it expands and can cause the pipes to burst.

The best way to stop pipes from freezing is to insulate them in the loft and water tank.

Oliver recommends: “Insulating your pipes doesn’t have to be expensive and can be done as a DIY job. 

“You can buy foam pipe insulation, which is inexpensive, though better-quality insulators will set you back more.”

Foam pipe insulation costs around £2 a metre but could save you around £6 a year on your bills.

Clean mould and damp

A damp survey could cost you around £300 Credit: Alamy

July to September is prime time for mould growth due to heavy rain and high humidity, so it’s a good idea to check your window frames and walls for mould spots now.

Jo Trotman, sales and marketing manager at window fitters The Residence Collection, said: “If you do find mould inside your home, use soapy water and an old cloth to remove, or consider treating the walls with white vinegar or a natural mould prevention spray.”

If you ignore the problem then it could become much more expensive to treat.

A damp survey costs around £300, while retrofitting a property with a new damp-proof course – a waterproof barrier built in to the walls to stop moisture rising up from the ground – can cost around £7,500, according to Checkatrade.