Each week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to stay on top of the power bill in winter. Hosted by Frances Cook.

You know it’s cold when everyone suddenly becomes a fan of cuddles.

The cats, the dogs, the children, all pile together in a big heap of body warmth, and all you want to do is join them.

Even my snobby cats have been trying to dig their way under the covers each morning.

But trying to stay warm without going broke isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s worth doing, and what’s going to just be an annoyance that saves you about 50 cents.

Energy poverty is a real and worrying phenomenon, but turning off the heater needs to be the last resort, because otherwise, your health is at risk.

I talked to EECA energywise technical expert Christian Hoerning and how you can stay warm over winter without going into debt.

We discussed the best types of heaters, subsidies for insulation, and the other places you can cut back on power so you can afford heat.

For the episode, listen to the podcast.

If you have a question about this podcast, or an idea for the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.