British organisations could save more than £400 million annually by taking simple actions to boost the efficiency of their boilers, a study has indicated.

Heating and hot water represents more than one-third of UK businesses' energy consumption, as well as up to 60 per cent of the carbon emissions from some industrial processes in the country, according to research by the Carbon Trust.

Richard Rugg, director of Carbon Trust programmes, said: "Heating water uses a huge amount of energy so if you want to cut your bill and boost your bottom line, checking your boiler is not a bad place to start."

In order to lower energy bills, the Carbon Trust has advised that organisations should conduct boiler maintenance and install effective water treatment.

Such guidance could be helpful due to the costs associated with winter weather, especially since a study from MoneySupermarket has found that February's cold weather means that residents will be spending a collective £1.6 billion on their energy bills.