Rising energy costs have hit families and households across Northern Ireland hard in recent months.
But with grants to make our homes more energy efficient, install insulation, new windows and heat pumps a long way off - most of us have no option but to continue buying oil and gas to stay warm and keep the lights on.
Despite being tethered to increasingly expensive fossil fuels, there are still some steps you can take personally to drive down your energy bills according to Queen's University Professor, John Barry.
