Get your house ready for big winter freeze
AS reports of worsening weather continue, British Gas has compiled a list of top tips on how residents across the region can get their homes winter ready.
With more than 14,000 households in the region experiencing a boiler breakdown last January or February, undertaking a few small home improvements now can help prepare you if a cold snap hits.
1. Wrap up your water tank – you can get the materials you need from most DIY stores and this will help to conserve water, heat and save you money.
2. Block the breeze – make sure all of your home’s windows and doors seal properly to stop warm air escaping. For those that don’t, fitting draught excluders is a quick and cheap way to cut down on your energy bills.
3. Love your boiler – check to make sure that your boiler is working properly. The older your boiler, the more inefficient it will be. If you have a pressure gauge make sure it is at the right pressure and top up as necessary.
4. Insulate your pipes - burst pipes are a huge issue for UK households during winter months. To help prevent burst pipes, ensure all pipes are properly insulated by using lagging.
British Gas is already helping its customers out on the road. Joanna Flowers has worked as a British Gas engineer for seven years, having joined the company as an apprentice. She said: “Things can get very difficult during the winter, especially when it’s dark and snowing. There was a particularly bad winter a few years ago when my neighbours had to help me push my van off my driveway in the morning.
“Thankfully our vans are equipped with special winter tyres and snow shovels – we’ve got everything we could need, from snow shoes to a flask.
“I face challenges, but I have a lot of support from my team so there’s rarely something I’m worried I won’t be able to fix, and the job is always rewarding.
“It’s very satisfying to be able to leave customers with working heating and a warm house. With the weather already turning colder this month, my main advice for any customer worried about winter would be to prepare now. It’s no coincidence that winter is the busiest time of year for us – it’s when people’s boilers and heating systems have to work hardest and are most likely to break down.”