Preparing your home for winter

Cold weather and soaring energy bills mean that many of us are struggling to keep warm at home.

Cheshire East Council and its partners are offering a range of advice and support to residents on how to make sure their home is prepared for winter, to help keep it as warm as possible.

There are a few things that you can do to minimise the effects of bad weather.

You could:

• Insulate pipes and drain off outside taps to prevent frozen pipes;

• Know where your stop tap is and make sure you can turn it on and off with ease;

• If you are going away, consider asking a friend or neighbour to check on your house regularly. That way, if you have a burst, it will be discovered early;

• If you can afford to, leave your heating on low if the weather is forecast to be freezing;

• Insulate your loft or walls to keep the heat in. Free and impartial advice about energy saving measures, grants and discounts is available from the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151 or you can visit our help with heating pages: Help with heating your home (cheshireeast.gov.uk);

• Fit draught proofing to seal any gaps around doors and windows;

• Get your boiler serviced regularly by a qualified engineer. Remember, for gas boilers, check that your engineer is Gas Safe registered. Oil-fired heating needs servicing too;

• Be prepared for clearing ice and snow this winter – have a snow shovel, brush and grit or salt ready;

• If a member of your household is of pensionable age, has a disability, is chronically sick, has hearing and/or visual difficulties or you have a child under eight-years-old, you may be eligible for free or priority services. You can contact your energy supplier to check;

• If electricity supplies go down in your area, do not assume that your supplier knows – call them and have your name, postcode, house number and telephone number handy; and

• If you have a burst pipe, collect the water in a bucket and switch off your central heating. Turn off your stop tap and turn on your sink taps to drain your water system. Do not touch wiring or switches which you suspect may have been affected. If in doubt, turn off your electricity at the mains and call a plumber. For more information, contact United Utilities on 0345 672 3723 or visit: United Utilities - Water for the North West

Dr Matt Tyrer, director of public health at Cheshire East Council, said: “We know that winter can be a daunting time of the year for some people but there are simple things that residents can do themselves, to help them stay warm, well and safe.

“For those that do need a little extra help, there is lots of support out there and we’ll be issuing advice and information throughout the winter period.

“I’d also like to encourage residents to keep an eye on friends, family members and neighbours during the colder weather, as some people can find it quite isolating.”

Councillor Jill Rhodes, chair of Cheshire East Council’s adults and health committee, said: “Winter and the cold weather is a challenging time for many people. The council has set up ‘Warm PlaCEs’, spaces where people can go, free of charge, to spend time to keep warm if they are struggling to heat or keep their homes warm.

“These Warm PlaCEs can offer somewhere to meet people and perhaps enjoy a cuppa or a bowl of soup. For more information, visit the council’s website: Warm places - keeping Cheshire East warm”

For further winter-related advice, visit the winter wellbeing section of our website: Winter Wellbeing in Cheshire East.

Advice can also be found on the council’s Facebook page: Cheshire East Council Facebook and on its Twitter page: Cheshire East Council (@CheshireEast) / Twitter.

Residents can help friends and neighbours, who are unable to access the internet, by downloading and printing off information and giving it to them.