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As fuel costs continue to rise, having reliable insulation in your home has never been more important. And insulation just got a whole lot greener and easier thanks to Earthwool.
 
Made using recycled glass bottles, its glasswool has been classified as one of the most sustainable types of loft insulation available. Conveniently available to order online at www.earthwool.com, it is delivered to your door (or even your loft hatch), and installation only takes around two hours.
 

We know how many of you love a good cuppa, but have you ever wanted the process to be quicker?

With its chunky angles and pure white finish, the new Metropolitan range from RAK Ceramics exudes designer appeal. But the prices remain reasonable with a basin and full pedestal priced at just £98.64. As well as two basin styles, an acrylic bath and a WC, the Metropolitan range includes taps, mirrors, bath shower screens and a spacious stainless steel bathroom cabinet. And RAK Ceramics is offering the chance to win £1,000 to spend across this range.

At a time when climate change is at the top of the agenda, now more than ever before, homeowners understand the impact that their way of life has on the environment.

The countdown to Christmas has begun and the party season is underway. But with all those guests, muddy feet and pets – not to mention accidental food and drink spills, your carpets and upholstery will be lucky to escape unscathed. Which is why Stainbusters – the UK’s premier carpet and upholstery cleaning company – is offering to giveaway a professional clean (worth £250) to each of two lucky readers.

After all that Christmas cooking, what better than a new cooker to see in the New Year?

Perfect timing for getting the house spick and span for Christmas, on Homes and Bargains this month you can win a year's supply of cleaning products from Ozkleen.co.uk. To read more about this competition and to be in with a chance of winning, click here to visit Homesandbargains.co.uk.

It’s always a treat to find something that is aesthetically pleasing as well as being good for the environment. A material long loved by the Italians, polished plaster is a naturally breathable and eco-friendly material, containing no cements, resins or acrylics; and, because it is lime-based, has a natural resistance to mould and bacteria – making it ideal for bathroom and kitchen walls.  Specialists in this field, The Polished Plaster Company can not only supply and put up polished plaster - it also offers four day intensive polished plaster application courses.

A good one for smaller back gardens or balconies, this New England Four Seater Patio Set from Argos comes in an elegant white painted finish, and is priced at just £499. Made with long-lunches in mind, the set includes four cushions for added comfort. And   Argos is offering to give one of these sets away to a lucky Really Useful reader. To find out how to enter the draw, just log onto homesandbargains.co.uk ,  click on Bargains  by Email and sign up for the free weekly newsletter before 16 May 2007.

This Fantome Clock designed by Yee-Ling Wan for Innermost combines the feel of an old carriage clock with a modern optical illusion, to give a thoroughly ghostly feel this Halloween. And Post Modern Designs is offering to give one (worth £85) away to each of five lucky readers.

With plans for another NASA space shuttle mission to the moon in 2018, and space tourism an ever more likely possibility this century, it’s time to get a piece of the action. This new Indesit Moon washing machine may not take you into space - but it will get your clothes nice and clean. It features a cutting edge design, user friendly technology and choice of 4 different programmes, and Indesit is giving one (worth £299) away to each of two lucky readers.

A great little find, Day2dayshop.com is based in Jersey and, as a result, can offer UK customers VAT free prices on all products priced under £18 – and there are plenty of those. The site sells all manner of useful things such as Printer Inkjet Cartridges, Batteries and Travel Accessories such as adaptors and travel pillows. Amongst its collection of Vacuum Cleaner Consumables, you can save £1.04 VAT on Miele Original FJM Dustbags, usually £6.99 but without VAT £5.95.

Cutting edge designer furniture sourced direct from the continent makes Europe by Net one of my latest favourites in the furniture world. This Fat-Fat Side Table shows the kind of unusual offerings available. Designed for B&B Italia by Patricia Urquiola, it adopts a unique shape inspired by Moroccan ottomans. Made from a light peach coloured leather, it can be used as a low table; or you simply lift the metal tray to reveal storage space for newspapers or toys. And Europe by Net is offering one Really Useful reader the chance to win the Fat-Fat table (worth £704).

If you fancy getting yourself in the spirit for you know what, check out Homes and Bargains new competition where you could win one of 8 pairs of tickets to this year’s Country Living Christmas Fair. Taking place from 14-18th November at the Business Design Centre in London, there will be exclusive gifts, decorations, scrummy food and much more on show, plus loads of special deals to take advantage of on the day.

This week, readers who log onto homesandbargains.co.uk could be in with a chance of winning £2,500 worth of bathroom furniture from Shades. Be you a traditionally or more contemporary minded, Shades can accommodate with this Farini range (pictured) aptly showing one of its more modern collections. For a chance to win, just visit homesandbargains.co.uk and take part in this month’s consumer survey (based around the minefield that is Christmas shopping).

A cosy pair of slippers is the usual order over chillier months.  Those hankering after the barefooted freedom of summer, however, should invest in some underfloor heating. Simple and cost-effective to install, DEVI has worked with tape manufacturer, Tesa, to develop the new devimat, complete with a unique ultra-strong adhesive. Helping to avoid the floating or uneven surfaces that can often result from badly secured underfloor heating, the devimat features adhesive on both sides to ensure that the mat stays in place for good.

The annual Chelsea Flower show starts next week (22-26 May) bringing a host of gardening ideas, plants and products to London’s Embankment. One to watch out for at the show is Nova Garden Furniture, showcasing a selection of its stunning contemporary and traditional outdoor furniture. In celebration, Nova is offering to giveaway this elegant Forge set, worth £1,100 to one lucky reader.

Dread the annual Christmas shopping scrum on the High Street?

Better known for its retro take on kitchen appliances, Smeg has now branched out with the launch of three equally trendy ranges of flueless gas fires. Incorporating the latest gas fire technology, these do not require a chimney or flue to operate. Instead, the combustion gases pass through a catalytic converter system, converting 100 per cent of the gas to heat. This is so effective that the air is cleaner going out than coming in, making these as eco-friendly as they are cost-effective.

There have been a few sniffles in my office of late as the start of the summer season takes its toll on hayfever sufferers; and the number of people with allergies in the UK is on the rise. Eczema, asthma, food allergies and sensitive skin - whatever your complaint, it's well worth a visit to this year's Allergy Show (15 - 17 June 2007) at Olympia where there'll be free specialist seminars on how to reduce allergens in your home, as well as hints and recommended products.

Shorter days and colder weather have confirmed it in bold: winter is on its way. The upshot of this is a desire for homely, oven cooked meals, and for this, you need a proper cooker. More than standing up to the task is this Richmond 1100DF Flavours range cooker from Stoves. The new collection is available in Jalapeno (red), Papaya (burnt orange), Sushi (teal green), Aubergine (dark blue/purple) and includes four ovens and a sleek one piece hob.

Allowing you to make free calls over the internet, Skype is a must for those wishing to save money on their phone bills. And it is no longer necessary to switch your PC on every time you make a call either. Just use one of these Philips VoIP841 phones. A dual phone that synchronizes with all your existing Skype contacts, the VoIP841 allows you to chat as you wander round the house or garden - without being tied to your computer. Skype is giving away a Philips phone (worth £99) to each of ten readers.

Getting out of a hot shower into a cold bathroom is pretty grisly – especially on dark winter mornings, but a heated towel can make the exercise a bit less painful. Up steps JIS Europe, the UK’S largest supplier of stainless steel radiators and heated towel rails. This Adur 620 from the Sussex Range is reasonably priced at just £544.70 and presents an understated, but highly effective towel rail. And JIS Europe is offering to give one away to a lucky reader.

Operating out of its huge warehouse in Hendon, Elite Tiles and Interiors sells quality floor and wall tiles and is one of the largest importers of porcelain tiles in the South East.

Sourced directly from around the world, its porcelain floor and wall tiles are sold at trade prices from just £19 per square metre plus VAT.

As the UK's largest specialist bathroom retailer, Bathstore knows its stuff when it comes to delivering quality bathrooms with superior service - and at prices that won't break the bank. Bathrooms such as this PLAY range (from £99 for the Semi-inset basin) form part of the collection, with many more options available. Bathstore has just opened a new showroom in Baker Street, and, in celebration, is offering one lucky reader the chance to spend £500 in store.

The end of your summer holiday is bad enough without coming home to a less than sparkly clean house. But Myhome’s teams of trained, fully-insured, professional cleaners are on hand to take the hassle out of your housework. Myhome provides premium cleaning services, tailor made to the meet the individual needs of each household - all at sensible rates. And Myhome is offering a Summer Cleaning Blitz worth £250 to two lucky Really Useful readers. For a chance to win, just send your contact details to myhomegiveaway@aol.com before 23rd August.

Calling all the shots when it comes to quality and exceptional value tableware, Maxwell & Williams has proved its cutlery credentials once again with the launch of its Allure range. Allure by name, alluring by nature, the range is made from dishwasher safe stainless steel with each handle featuring a distinctive curve (designed for comfort to mould your hand) and a stylish squared end. And Maxwell & Williams is offering a 40 piece set (worth £145) to each of four lucky Really Useful readers.

Silentnight’s annual “National Love Your Bed Week” (as if we needed reminding) is coming up soon (6-12th August), and in celebration, Silentnight, the UK’s leading bed manufacturer, is offering two lucky readers the chance to win a brand new Silentnight Mattress. Just send your contact details to Silentnight Marketing Dept. PO Box 9, Barnolbswick, Lancashire, DB18 6BL before 15th August 2007.

There’s nothing worse than a chipped, stained bath to ruin the post-work soak, but before you waste money on a complete replacement, it’s worth bearing in mind Surface Doctor.

A leading bathroom and kitchen resurfacing company, it can give a new lease of life to baths, basins, shower trays, kitchen cabinets and more, and on a range of surfaces including ceramics, porcelain, acrylic and plastic. Surface Doctor can help minimise disruption and save you up 70 per cent of the cost of a replacement.

It’s one thing to recycle but, when it comes to making a significant difference, this Genersys.com Solar Hot Water System with vented 220L twin coil solar hot water cylinder from British Eco wins all the prizes.

Better weather lends itself to weekends spent doing DIY jobs in the garden or around the home – but DIY isn’t just for the boys. Encouraging you to tackle odd jobs as a couple, Loctite (Making DIY Easier) is giving away 20 his and hers toolkits as well as a selection of the latest Loctite superglue products (worth £50 in total). Its famous ‘Hanging Man’ advertisement showed that the strongest superglue available can stick a man to the ceiling in just three seconds.