New research reveals a staggering 17 million UK households feel they are insufficiently protected to cope with frosty winter weather conditions, leaving more than two thirds (69%) of householders plagued by icy draughts, condensation problems, hot water shortages and excessive heating bills.

The research, commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust, reveals the extent to which UK homes are deficient in basic insulation to stave off winter 'gremlins' and cope with particularly cold spells.

A third (31%) complain of draughts from windows and doors, a fifth (21%) experience problems with condensation and damp and 1 in 10 (9%) frequently run out of hot water. However, just 1 in 20 householders (4%) have considered boosting the insulation of their homes to help cope with these problems.

Instead, householders are turning thermostat temperatures up to unnecessarily high levels in a bid to keep their homes warm, while inadequate insulation is wasting a potential £1.5 billion and 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, says householders must take action to better protect their homes, their wallets and the environment: "Rather than turning up the thermostat at the first sign of cold, only to complain of high energy bills later, homeowners need to realise the benefits that a well insulated home can bring."

"Simple measures to protect your home in the winter could save an average of £120 a year and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that your home is responsible for by a significant 1.2 tonnes."

The research also highlighted that householders are guilty of avoiding even the simplest everyday measures to save energy during the winter:

• Only 1 in 10 help to reduce heat loss in their homes with simple actions such as closing the curtains or laying a draught-proofing snake at the front door
• Over a third (37%) instinctively turn up the thermostat before even considering to put a jumper on when they feel cold at home
• Nearly half of all homes have their thermostat set above the recommended average temperature of 18-21 degrees
• 1 in 5 (19%) set temperatures above a scorching 25 degrees in their homes during the winter, with 25-34 year olds clocking up the highest average temperatures of all age groups

In response to the findings, the Energy Saving Trust is launching a 'Mind the Gap' initiative as part of its wider 'Save your 20%' campaign, which encourages UK individuals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a fifth of their current levels. The initiative aims to raise awareness of simple insulation and energy saving measures householders can adopt to help the UK meet its CO2 target of a 20% reduction by 2010.

The campaign features an interactive online guide to overcoming common winter 'gremlins', including a house visual to show how and where problems can arise and easy steps to help alleviate these problems and save a significant amount of money.

For example, with the assistance of grants, measures such as loft insulation can cost from as little as £135 but could save up to £170 a year, redeeming the cost in less than 12 months.

The table below lists just some of the ways to keep winter gremlins at bay and help towards saving your 20%: