Keep warm and well this winter | News

It’s more important than ever to keep you and your family warm and well this winter. We have collated our top tips to help you stay comfortable as the colder weather draws in.

Keeping your home warm

• Run your central heating for 20-30 minutes, to check that all radiators are heating up as expected.
• Make sure you know how your thermostat and radiator valves work.  If you have electrical storage heaters, ensure you have set your input and output charges appropriately.
• Set your heating to come on earlier, rather than just turning up your thermostat to warm your house quickly.
• Make sure you have sufficient credit on your gas and electric meter. If you are struggling to keep your meters topped up, please contact your energy supplier.
• Keep curtains closed at dusk and use a draft excluder on external doors.
• Help prevent condensation and mould by keeping your home well ventilated. Open windows if you are drying washing indoors, cooking or using the shower.
• If you’re going to be away from your home during winter, set the thermostat to 5°C to help prevent frozen pipes.

To report any issues with your heating or hot water, please contact our customer services team on 01274 257777.

Taking care of yourself

There is lots you can do to help yourself stay warm and healthy at home or out and about:

• The Covid-19 outbreak means more people need to access health and care services from home. See how to access NHS services online at: https://www.nhs.uk/health-at-home/

• Don’t delay getting treatment for minor winter ailments like colds or sore throats. Contact your local pharmacist for advice on treatment.
• Not only is flu unpleasant, but it can also cause serious illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. You, or someone you care for, might qualify for a free flu jab. See the NHS website for more information: www.nhs.uk/flu
• Wear several layers of clothing – warmth from your body can be trapped between the layers.
• Light exercise will keep you warm, so keep active and move around.
• Eat regularly to help keep energy levels up.
• In severe weather conditions stay inside – especially if you have heart or breathing problems.
• Wear shoes with a good grip if you need to go outside.
• Keep a mixture of salt and sand handy to put on steps or paths in the icy weather

Be prepared

• Check your lights inside and outside of your home and make sure you have the right bulbs in stock so you are able to replace them.
• Keep a torch handy!

It’s helpful to store emergency and useful contact numbers in your phone:

• Get information on and report power cuts by calling Northern Powergrid on 105
• If you smell gas, call National Grid on 0800 111 999
• You can contact the Incommunities customer services team on 01274 257777

 Repairs

Make sure you know your responsibilities when it comes to repairs in your home.

Emergencies are defects which put your health, safety and security at risk. We aim to attend to emergency repairs within 24 hours from the time they are reported to us.

Let us know about any health problems or disabilities in your household, so we can update your records and respond to calls and emergencies appropriately.

Financial support

You may be able to claim financial and practical help with heating your home. More information on the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payment and Warm Home Discount Scheme are available below:

• www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
• www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment
• www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Contact us

If you have any queries, please get in touch with the customer service team on 01274 257777 or via live chat at: www.incommunities.co.uk

You can follow us on social media for updates at Incommunities.