Homes not ready for Winter despite warnings.

"over 3 million homes damaged by freeze last year"

40% of homeowners have done nothing to prepare their home for freezing conditions. That's the shock finding in a report by Churchill Home Insurance.

Two thirds have not even had their boiler serviced, ahead of the Winter.

Last year, over 3 million homes were damaged by the freezing conditions with the worst affected areas being Yorkshire and Humberside. The North East  suffered twice as many 'casualties' as the previous Winter.

The insurer goes on to reveal that 35% of homes affected suffered damage to their roof, whilst 33% had frozen or burst pipes.

And just when you need it most, 16% suffered central heating failure, whilst 15% suffered from boiler breakdown.

Churchill are warning homeowners to take serious note of the dangers of not being prepared, and the costs and disruption involved if you're not prepared for Winter. 

What would you do if the pipes burst in your home? Would you know where your stop-valve is - does it even work? The time to find out is now. Oh, and while you're about it, check and apply pipe and tank lagging as required to help ensure you don't suffer the misery of broken pipes.

If you're home heating is on a cover plan, check to see whether you're entitled to a free boiler health check. Waiting any longer will see the heating engineers get booked up for weeks / even months in advance. A little servicing could save you days without heating should the worst happen.

photo credit: bryn pinzgauer

Avoiding frozen pipes

The UK is agreed that the run up to Christmas was a particularly cold one. The problem being that we may still experience similar temperatures as we move into the New Year.

If you managed to avoid any burst or frozen pipes then its no time to be complacent. Because of the snow disruption which accompanied the freezing temperatures, many homes benefited from the heating being on more during the day, which helped ward off the potential for frozen pipes.

However, with the chance of homes being left empty for longer now the festive holidays are over, the risk can increase - especially if you're not leaving your heating on low all day.

So, you need to check your pipes and loft tanks are well lagged and insulated. Re-tape or fix any loose coverings and if required, fit new or thicker layers of protection.

Outside taps should be isolated from inside or well lagged and covered. If a fizzy pop bottle of water can freeze overnight in a parked car, then imagine how easily a pipe exposed to the outside could freeze up.

'have an emergency plan'

Have an emergency plan worked out in advance so if the worst does happen, you know what to do.

Check you and all the other adults in the home (including friends and neighbours that might be watching the property whilst you're away) know where the stop tap is for your water supply and that it moves freely - most important that last bit!

Have the name and number of an emergency plumber close to hand in case needed.

With regards leaving your heating on all day because it's cheaper to have it at a constant low rather than and on/off morning and night, we've been unable to find any substantial proof that one method is cheaper than the other.

'be realistic with thermostat settings'

Both sides of the argument have differing results and it may be down to individual properties and the specific heating method installed whether this actually saves money or not. Most agree that it's worth trying yourself to see if you do save money / lessen the risk of freezing pipes etc not to mention the comfort of a 'warmed house'. Be realistic with thermostat settings and remember to turn them down when leaving the house.

Beware of switching off radiators completely in rooms you're not using as poorly ventilated rooms can experience damp problems as a result. If you've got unused bedrooms etc, the try leaving the doors ajar or even leaving a window slightly open (locked if you're not in) to allow air to circulate.

photo credit: jim clark