While predicting weather in the UK may never be a simple task, taking steps to protect our homes during icy weather really is.
That’s the message water company United Utilities is promoting with Winter Wise 2017 – a campaign designed to equip around three million homes with tips and resources they can draw on to make sure cold snaps don’t end up taking the fun out of frosty winter days, leaving us all free to say, “Winter? Brrring it on!”
Top of the tips list and one key preparation that many of us forget, is to make sure our pipes are protected by being lagged. Fixing damage caused by household pipes that have frozen and burst can run into hundreds of pounds and can be extremely stressful.
As well as being potentially expensive in terms of calling out an emergency plumber, burst pipes can cause a whole heap of hassle that we just don’t need over winter.
But the good news is that there are simple steps to avoid falling victim to frozen pipe problems.
United Utilities has developed an area on its website – http://www.unitedutilities.com/winterwise – offering advice on this topic, both about preventative measures and what to do should the worst happen. Essentially though, there are two top tips:
1) Find out where your stop tap/stop cock is, in case you have a burst pipe, as this will enable you to turn off water supply to your home.
2) Use lagging to stop your pipes from freezing in the first place.
It’s sound advice. Half of all North West residents have never even checked whether their pipes are lagged, so now is definitely the time to take a look. It’s a cheap, simple precaution that could end up saving you money and a great deal of hassle.
The United Utilities website also features a downloadable guide to other top tips, including advice on keeping yourself and your home warm and well over winter – with links to organisations that can lend a helping hand in a cold weather crisis.
The guide also features details of United Utilities’ Priority Services, a range of services designed to help customers who may benefit from a little extra support due to factors such as age, ill health, disability, mental health problems, financial troubles or language barriers. As well as reading more about the scheme in the winter guide, you can also visit www.unitedutilities.com/priorityservices or call 0345 072 6093 to find out more.
