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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.

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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.

 

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.

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