Four in 10 people have said they would find it difficult to pay their energy bills, a new B&Q survey has revealed, as figures last week showed annual bills have now risen to £1,345 a year for the average household - nearly double the amount five years ago.
A third of homeowners don't have loft insulation, despite the fact that it could shave £145 off an annual energy bill, and two thirds say they have no idea how much loft insulation they need to save money and energy.

Meanwhile, 80% of the 2,000 homeowners polled worry about how much their heating bills come to, with the same percentage delaying putting their heating on for as long as possible in a bid to save money.

A quarter of people say they can't afford to insulate their loft, while 20% say it's too crammed to enable them to lay any insulation.

Those who do have the money to spend on energy-saving gadgets say they will be stocking up on loft insulation, energy-saving light bulbs, draught excluders and heating timers, and a third calculate that they hope to save themselves £72 annually.

B&Q director of corporate social responsibility Matt Sexton said: "With cash-strapped homeowners about to be hit by soaring energy bills, it's vital that homeowners look at making simple changes to their homes that could save hundreds of pounds a year. At B&Q we're on a mission to make it easier for homeowners to ecovate their home from our innovative products to our how-to guides online."