Preparing your home for the winter

Nobody wants the unexpected cost or inconvenience of a leak or burst, especially during winter. Here are our tips for keeping your home and family safe and warm.

What to do if you have a frozen tap or pipe

You should try to insulate your pipes to stop them freezing, but if you do you notice a frozen tap or pipe at home, follow these steps:

Turn off the water supply at the stop tap straight away.
Keep your boiler or immersion heater switched off.
Check to see if the pipe has burst. If it has, use a towel to block off any leaking water and contact an approved plumber as soon as you can.
If not, open the nearest tap. Starting at the end closest to the tap, gently heat frozen sections of pipe with a hot cloth, hot water bottles or a towel soaked in hot water.
Never use a naked flame, hair-dryer or blowtorch to thaw the pipe – it's dangerous and can cause more damage.
Don’t leave taps dripping or running as the water may not drain down the plughole if the pipe below is frozen.

A residential street on a snowy winter's day

How to prepare your home for cold weather

Here are some simple things you can do at home.

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Lag your pipes

Lagging or insulating your pipes with cheap foam tubing is simple and can help prevent your pipes from freezing.

How to lag your pipes

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Find and check your stop tap

Your stop tap allows you to turn off your home’s water in an emergency, such as a burst pipe. Find your stop tap and check it’s working, so you know what to do in a crisis.

Where's my stop tap?

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Leave the heating on low

If you know you'll be away for a while, leaving your heating on low or scheduling it to come on for an hour or two each day helps protect your pipes from freezing. You could also ask a friend or neighbour to check the property regularly. For longer periods, you can also turn off the water at the stop tap and consider draining down the system so there is no water left in the pipes.

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Service your boiler

Your boiler has to work harder in colder weather, that's why they often seem to break in the winter. Remember to service your boiler regularly so it keeps running smoothly. You may also wish to check whether your insurance covers winter emergencies, just in case.

Worker using a screwdriver on a radiator

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Bleed your radiators

If your radiators have air trapped inside, they can take longer to heat your home. This wastes energy which could increase your bills. To bleed your radiator, use a radiator key (you can get these from DIY stores) and gently open the valve at the top of the radiator. You’ll hear the air escape. As soon as a drop of water comes out, twist the valve shut and you’re done.

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Fix dripping taps

If you have a dripping tap, your pipes are at more risk of freezing. After all, even a dribble can freeze inside. Fortunately, you can usually fix a dripping tap simply and cheaply by changing the washer.

How to fix a dripping tap

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Clear your drains and gutters

Leaves and muck can block your gutters and drains, stopping water from flowing. The water can build up and leak into your roof and walls or it may freeze and damage your property. Clear your drains and gutters to avoid costly repairs.

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Disconnect your hose

If water is left in your hosepipe, it can freeze and split the hose – or force its way back into your pipes and cause leaks there. Disconnect your hosepipe and drain it. For extra security, you can pop an insulating bag over any external taps when they’re not in use.

A person placing a draft excluder at the bottom of a door

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Insulate your home

A house loses a quarter of its heat through the roof, so make sure your loft is insulated properly. You can also keep heat in by shutting doors to unheated parts of the property, using draught excluders and drawing your curtains. As well as the potential savings on your energy bills, your home will be cosier too.

Request extra support

If you’ve got individual needs that mean you’re concerned about the cold weather, you could apply to join our Priority Services Register. This is a confidential register for customers with individual needs and helps us know how best to support you. It also helps us know who to prioritise in an emergency, such as your water being turned off.

These tips will help to prepare your home for winter. However, if you're concerned about how you'd cope during an emergency, you could also keep a separate supply of drinking water in the house just in case.

Apply to the Priority Services Register

Our Priority Services Register is a confidential register for customers who have individual needs, such as disabilities, illnesses or other requirements.

Priority Service Register

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