Newbury Sound has put together some hot tips to make sure that your don't get left in the cold during the winter months!

Taps
If you are unlucky enough to get a burst pipe, you will need to turn off the water as soon as possible to stop your home flooding. Make sure you know where the stop taps are: the cold one will be in the kitchen, bathroom or downstairs toilet; the hot one is in the airing cupboard (marked with a red handle). Check that you can easily turn them off.

Pipe work
If your pipes do freeze, find out where they are frozen by turning on the kitchen tap first. If no water comes out then the pipe is frozen between the stop tap and the sink. If water flows from the kitchen tap then try the taps in the toilet and bathroom. Applying gentle heat from a hair dryer or fan on a low setting can melt the blockage. DO NOT use a blow torch or hot air stripper as too much heat could crack the pipes.

If your pipes burst, turn off the stop taps and turn the kitchen or bathroom taps on (depending on where the burst is). This allows some water to drain down the plughole rather than on to your carpets.

Winter Holidays
If you are going away during winter set the heating to come on at a low setting twice a day.

Be prepared
Just in case the worst does happen, insure the contents of your home against damage from burst pipes and water tanks.

How to keep warm
There are a range of things that can be done to help keep your home warmer during the winter months:

• Fit draughtproofing to help seal gaps around windows and doors
• Lay insulation in the loft to reduce heat loss
• Ensure your hot water cylinder and pipes are lagged, including pipes in the loft
• Check your heating system is working properly and serviced at least once a year (your gas or electricity supplier may offer free safety checks)
• Make sure you know how to set the heating controls
• If you're buying a new open fire, check it has air control to regulate the burning rate
• If you're buying an electric heater ensure it has a thermostat
• If you're a tenant, check with your landlord what they can provide, and that there are no restrictions on the types of heater you can have
• Use an electric blanket OR a hot water bottle in bed, but NEVER both together. Many electric blankets are designed only to warm the bed before you get in; if yours is like that, turn it off before you get into bed
• If you can, try to keep a temperature of 21ºC (70ºF) in all the rooms you use during the day. If you can't, at least keep your living room warm throughout the day and warm your bedroom and bed before going to bed
• Keep your bedroom window closed at night in winter; that's when temperatures reach their lowest

The Warm Front Scheme
Grants are available from the Government's WFS scheme to help older people and some others with the cost of making their homes warmer.

Click here for more information

Useful Links
Click on a link below for further information:

Age Concern
NHS - advice on keeping warm and safe this winter
Direct Gov - keep warm keep well campaign