British Gas, OVO, EDF and E.On customers, as well as Octopus bill payers, are being told an everyday item everyone has at home can slash energy bills by £50. It’s totally free and works better than a £30 gadget, energy bill customers have said in a warning to households.

Energy bills will rise in January following an announcement on Thursday over the Ofgem price cap. Using a draught excluder could help you to save £50 off your bill this year, according to new consumer warnings from energy chiefs and experts. Grace Forell, Which? consumer expert, said: "The best places to draught proof are windows, doors, chimneys, fireplaces, skirting and loft hatches.

"You can get a professional installer to do this for you, but doing it yourself may be a lot cheaper - and you might be able to do so with items you already have around your home. Which? recently tested different under-door draught excluders and were pleasantly surprised to find that just placing a towel over the gap under a door worked as well as, if not better, than the best draught excluders that you can buy from the shops."

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Draughts happen where there are unwanted gaps in the construction of your home, and where openings are left uncovered, the Energy Saving Trust says. You’ll find draughts at any accidental gap in your home that leads outside, the group goes on to add on its website.

You should block most of these – but be careful in areas that need good ventilation, such as areas where there are open fires or open flues, and also rooms where a lot of moisture is produced, such as the kitchen, bathrooms and utility rooms. The most common areas to find draughts are cracks in the walls, old extractor fans, pipes and doors, as well as floorboards, loft hatches, and chimneys too.