There’s a lot to be said for the letterbox: how else would you get informed about a special two for one deal on pizzas or find out someone will buy your gold for a fraction of what you think it’s worth? Then there’s the bills. Where would we be if they didn’t turn up?

While we can’t control all of what comes through the letterbox, we can (and should) cut down on the air that might be blowing through it. The flimsy cover on that 30cm wide slot is all that’s between your warm home and the chilly outside air so the less we allow in, the better.

Fitting a letterbox draft excluder is easy on most doors – it’s only a matter of four short screws – and will make a big difference to the amount of cold air that blows in. If money is really tight or you can’t find a suitable draft excluder in the shops nearby, a rectangle of carpet over the inside slot so it flaps open when the mail delivery shows up and then flaps shut once the post falls to the floor will go a long way to help.