Keeping warm this winter
2024 - January, Our news
With the cold and wintry weather, it's important to keep warm and to protect your home from frozen and burst water pipes.
Here are some tips to help keep you warm:
- Heating your home - If you are worried about using too much energy when heating your home, only heat the rooms you spend the most amount of time in, such as your lounge or bedroom. Ensure you keep the doors closed in these rooms and close the curtains at night to keep the heat in. Turn off heaters in hallways and areas that you are not using. If you have wood or laminate flooring, laying down rugs can help insulate your home.
- Layer up - Wearing lots of layers can keep you warmer than one thick piece of clothing. Material made from wool, cotton or a fleecy fabric will keep you warmer than thinner materials. Adding a hat, scarf and gloves can significantly keep you warmer when outside.
- Block out draughts - Try and block any windows and doors that could let in a draught. When using material or a draught excluder, ensure these areas are away from heaters and open fires.
- Let the light in- Open your windows in the day to let the light in and warm your home. When it gets dark, close the windows to keep the heat in.
- Use a hot water bottle - A hot water bottle is a cost effective way to keep you warm and can be taken with you wherever you are in your home.
- Warm food and drinks - Making warming food and drinks such as tea, soups, stews and porridge can help keep you warm. If you’re trying to keep your energy bills down, using an air fryer, slow cooker and microwave can help, as well as making a pot of tea and keeping it in a thermal flask.
Check what support you may be entitled to by visiting the Citizens Advice website.
Heating Tips
Our gas and heating contractors at Aaron Services and K&T Heating have shared their top tips on what to do if you find yourself without heating or hot water. If you discover anything wrong, don’t wait. Please get in touch with us now so we can get it working properly
Call us on 0300 123 2221
Insulate your pipes in cold places
Insulate water pipes with lagging to prevent them from freezing. Make sure that pipes in cold places, such as the loft, garage and outside, are protected. Insulating hot water pipes will also prevent heat from escaping and help save money on your energy bills.
Ask at your DIY store for the best type of insulation to use, pipe lagging isn’t expensive, and if you have an outside tap in the garden, it’s worth having a tap cover to protect that from freezing too, and turning tap value off, using located under your sink or close to where the tap comes from your wall.
Find your stop tap
First of all be prepared and know where your stop tap is so you can turn your water off in an emergency. It’s a little tap that’s usually under the kitchen sink, but it could also be in the downstairs loo, garage or cupboard under the stairs. It’s important as this will help reduce water damage to your home if a pipe bursts.
Do you need support?
We can help you apply for benefits, request back-dates, appeal against decisions that you don’t agree with, set up email addresses, open bank accounts, and support you in overcoming any problems you might encounter when applying for benefits. We can help with benefit delays, bedroom tax, benefit caps, benefit sanctions, housing benefits & discretionary housing payments and state Pension and Pension Credits.
Or call 0300 123 2221 and ask to speak to one of our Tenancy Sustainment Team.
