Staying warm and well in winter
We’ve put together our top tips to help you and your family stay warm and well this winter.
Keeping your home warm
- Run your central heating for 20-30 minutes to check all radiators are heating up as expected – watch our guide on bleeding radiators here
- Make sure you know how your thermostat and radiator valves work. See more on how to adjust your room thermostat settings
- Keep curtains closed on an evening and use a draft excluder on external doors
- Set your heating to come on earlier, rather than just turning up your thermostat to warm your house quickly
- If you’re going to be away from your home during winter, set the thermostat to 5°C to help prevent frozen pipes
- 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
- To report any issues with your heating or hot water, please contact our customer services team on 0330 175 9540
Improving ventilation
Good ventilation not only helps reduce the transmission of Covid-19, but can reduce condensation, mould, dampness, and dust mites.
Opening windows is the simplest way you can improve ventilation at home. Make sure to open windows if you are drying washing indoors, cooking, or using the shower.
Leaving bathroom and kitchen extractor fans running longer than usual with the door shut can also help.
Taking care of yourself
- There are lots of health and care services you can access from home. Find out more about how to access NHS services online at: https://www.nhs.uk/health-at-home/
- Covid-19 booster vaccinations are now available. For more information on the vaccine and how to book appointments go to: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/
- In severe weather conditions stay inside – especially if you have heart or breathing problems. If you do need to go outside, wear shoes with a good grip and keep a mixture of salt and sand handy to put on steps or paths in icy weather.
- Let us know about any health concerns or disabilities in your household so we can update your records and respond to calls and emergencies appropriately.
It’s also 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 Incommunities’ customer services team on 0330 175 9540
Covid-19 health and safety precautions remain in place when we visit your home.
When arranging an appointment, we will check if anyone in your household has Covid-19 symptoms.
If you or anyone in the household is Covid positive, has Covid-19 symptoms, or is isolating due to close contact with someone who is positive, we will attend to emergency repairs only. If you need to rearrange an existing appointment, please get in touch.
Financial support
You may be able to claim financial help with heating your home. Government schemes include:
- Winter Fuel Payment: www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
- Cold Weather Payment: www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment
- Warm Home Discount Scheme: www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme
The Simple Energy Advice helpline and website offer impartial information on reducing your energy bills and making your home warmer. Go to www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk or call 0800 444202.
Our Money Matters team are also here to help Incommunities customers with obtaining welfare benefits, income maximisation, budgeting, and more. Get in touch with the team here: www.incommunities.co.uk/money-matters
Contact us
Over the Christmas period we are delivering an emergency only repairs service – these are repairs which pose a high risk to health and safety such as burst pipes, gas leaks, and loss of power to the whole of your home. For all customer services enquiries, including emergency repairs, contact us on 0330 175 9540.
You can contact Incommunities on 0330 175 9540, enquiry@incommunities.co.uk and live chat at: www.incommunities.co.uk