Are you winter ready?

Cold weather can cause water pipes to freeze and burst – leaving homes and businesses with no water, low pressure, and increased risk of flooding.

But don’t panic, there are things you can do to prepare your home for Winter. With just a few simple precautions, your pipes can stay cosy and dry and save you hundreds of pounds in costly repairs.

Top 3 Danger Cold Spots:

• Outdoor water pipes and taps.
• Pipes in unheated places like attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets.
• Buildings that may be empty for a few days, like businesses, schools second homes or caravans

Preparing your home for winter

As temperatures take a tumble, here are some simple tips to help you keep your home free from burst pipes.

• Wrap up your pipes – keep your pipes cosy by wrapping them up with a lagging kit. We have a limited stock of lagging kits available here.
• If you have an outside tap, turn off the valve, drain down the tap and keep it covered
• Fix those drips! Fixing a dripping tap could prevent water freezing in your pipes.
• Check your stop tap. Know where your stop tap is and check that it works. You’ll need to get to it quickly, and know how to turn it off, should the worst happen.
• Keep your home warm. Cold air from outside freezes pipes inside, so try using draft excluders and closing curtains at night.
• Got a water meter? If your meter is fitted to the wall outside your house, check that the pipes are insulated. If your meter is inside, make sure the cupboard is packed with insulation material, and that the door is firmly shut.

Did you know?

Frozen water can crack even the strongest metal pipe. You may not notice this immediately, and only know you have a problem when the cracked pipe thaws and water starts leaking from it.

Our teams will be working 24/7 to keep things flowing, but you can do your bit too.

And remember, water usage contributes to over 16% of energy bills, so saving water can help you to save energy and money. Head on over to our Get Water Fit calculator to find out how much water you use, get hints and tips on how to save water and order free energy saving products.

Make sure your homes and businesses are ready for winter this year.