Collectively, Irish households could save millions of pounds by implementing a number of simple measures that would make their homes more energy-efficient. So what are we waiting for? Energy Awareness Week, beginning on Sunday, is an opportunity for households to give themselves an energy management make over and save up to £500 (€635) a year.

Much can be achieved by common-sense changes in behaviour around the house, such as setting thermostats to a comfortable temperature or turning televisions off fully instead of leaving them on stand-by.

A modest investment in energy-efficient products will bring substantial savings and most such measures recoup their cost within one or two years.

A good place to start is with the three basic low-cost items - lagging jackets, draught-proofing and energy-efficient lighting.

Hot water cylinders should be insulated with a lagging jacket; without it, an enormous amount of energy is wasted. But it is not enough just to install the lagging jacket. The Irish Energy Centre recommends the jacket should be checked from time to time to ensure that it is still in place.

Pipe work coming out of the cylinder should also be insulated to a distance of at least one metre from the cylinder. If every household fitted a lagging jacket on their hot water cylinder, the annual saving in energy costs would be around £12 million.

Sticking with hot water, all too often, families heat up more water than they need for longer than necessary. Fitting a timer to the hot water cylinder will allow water to be heated only at times when it is regularly needed.

Draught-proofing is crucial to the maintenance of a comfortable temperature in the house. Doors and windows should be draught-sealed but don't forget to check other gaps in the building.

Letter boxes, gaps between floorboards, attic hatches and the joins between floor joists and external walls can all be sources of serious draughts.

Radiators are another area of much energy wasting. When valves needs replacing, fitting thermostatic radiator valves to radiators will allow the temperatures of different rooms to be controlled individually.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) cost more than traditional light bulbs but use only one-fifth of the electricity. They should be fitted in the rooms with the highest usage.

Of course, it's not just about cost-cutting, as the environmental impact of poor energy management is substantial. Some 30 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in the Republic result from energy use in the home.

Most of our energy comes from oil, coal, natural gas and peat, and the burning of these fuels releases pollutants into the atmosphere.

As part of Energy Awareness Week, the Irish Energy Centre will be promoting a list of tips for householders to follow. There's also a hotline to call, 1850 376 666, for copies of leaflets or advice on specific queries.

One medium-cost project with great cost and comfort benefits is attic insulation. Uninsulated attics should be insulated to a depth of 150mm or more. If there is currently less than this depth of insulation, it is worth adding more.

If you are embarking on a renovation project, it's a good time to incorporate energy-saving features in your home.

The insulation of external walls will provide considerable energy savings. For houses with suitable cavity walls, the Irish Energy Centre recommends the application of insulation within the cavity.This must be done by a contractor and involves blowing or pumping the insulation into the cavity through holes drilled in the outer surface.

For solid walls, insulation must be applied internally or externally.

Another source of heat loss from houses are the windows, particularly if they are single-glazed. Heat loss from windows can be reduced by closing curtains during the hours of darkness.

When replacing windows, low-emittence (low-e) double-glazing should be selected. This has a special coating on one of the glass panes to reduce heat loss.

A key element of Energy Awareness Week is the availability of discounts on specifically targeted energy-efficient products.

Those who can't afford to right all their energy wrongs by writing a cheque can still achieve a great deal by introducing the following zero-cost energy saving measures:

Turn down thermostats. Turning down the room thermostat by one degree Celsius can reduce annual heating bills by 10 per cent. Hot water cylinder thermostats can be turned down to 60 degrees Celsius.

Switch off lights and appliances when not needed.

If you are leaving the room for more than a few minutes, lights should be switched off. Televisions, computers and stereos should not be left switched on when not needed.

For instance, on stand-by, a television will use about half as much energy as it will when fully on. Similarly, computer screens use substantial energy on stand-by and even mobile phone chargers cost money when plugged in but not charging.

The washing cycle should have the lowest water temperature required for the items being washed. A full load of washing is more energy-efficient that two half-loads.

Take a shower rather than a full bath. A typical shower uses only one-fifth of the energy of filling a bath.

Be conservative with heat when cooking. Put lids on pots and turn down the heat when the water starts to boil. When making tea or coffee, boil only the amount of water required.

These are just some examples of good habits that can be introduced in the home. It might not seem like much but, when these measures are observed day after day by all members of the household, it makes a world of difference.