Did you know that as much as a third of your heating costs could be escaping through your roof?

When you think about it, that's quite a lot of cash disappearing into thin air that could be much better spent on other things, like Christmas presents for the family, for example.

Simply ensuring your loft is properly insulated can make a huge difference to the cosiness of your home, as well as the size of your heating bill.

The good news is that you can install it yourself, and it doesn't take very long to do or cost very much to complete.

A depth of 270mm is recommended for optimum results and is thick enough to vastly reduce the amount of heat loss your home suffers.

Start off by measuring the overall area of your loft in square metres so you can calculate how much insulation is required.

While it is possible to work around boxed of junk, it is far easier - and safer - to clear them away so there are no obstacles to step over and around, or constantly shuffle about.

You don't want to accidentally place something heavy on the 'floor', which is in fact only the ceiling to the room below, as it could fall straight through and create a huge mess.

Lay a couple of boards across the joists, so you have a platform upon which to work, ensuring you don't fall through the ceiling either. Don't let them overhang too much though, or you could end up stepping in the wrong place and causing the board to tip up and topple you off.

Remember to wear a suitable safety mask, because the insulating material will give off lots of dust as it's being moved and pushed into place. You should also wear protective clothing and gloves, particularly when handling glass fibre, as it will irritate your skin and cause a lot of discomfort. Put on goggles too, to protect your eyes.

If there's no lighting in the loft, take an inspection lamp up with you, as you can hang it from the rafters and connect it to a plug socket on the floor below. Avoid trailing great lengths of flexes everywhere though, and remember to move the lamp about so you can see what you're doing, rather than attempt to work in semi-darkness.

While you're up in the loft, take the opportunity to inspect water tanks and pipes and check they are properly insulated. The coldwater storage tank and the expansion tank for the central heating may need attention, while anything less than 75mm (3in) on your hot water cylinder (probably in the airing cupboard) should be replaced.

You can easily get hold of purpose-made jackets of hot water cylinders which make the job really easy, and are very effective in keeping the heat in. Fitting a British Standard jacket to your hot water cylinder could cut heat loss by as much as 75 per cent. Remember to note down the tank size before going shopping, so you can ensure a snug fit.

Sleeving can protect exposed water pipes, which is available in various material and slit along its length so it can be easily wrapped around the pipes. Again, check the pipe sizes before heading off to the DIY store as the insulation comes in varying diametres.

At tricky joints and junctions, the insulation can be spliced with a craft knife to create all-round, all-over cover and ensure there are no gaps. This can be a little fiddly, but you'll soon get the hang of it.

Then, all you have to do it to sit back and enjoy a cosier Christmas.