Winter wise wins

• Cover any external pipes - covering or ‘lagging’ your external pipework with foam tubes will help stop them freezing. Look online or ask at your local DIY store for the best buys (remember to check for external pipes on your appliances that uses water such as your washing machine, boiler, or dishwasher, and any outbuildings such as a garage, shed or loft.)

• Protect any outside taps - keep your outside taps snug by covering them with an old towel or T-shirt secured with duct tape or an insulated tap cover. Remember to remove any hoses attached to them.​
• Find your stop tap - it’s usually under your kitchen sink. Make sure you know where yours is (and that you can turn it) in case you need to turn your water off in a hurry. 

• Use the frost setting on your central heating - or, if you can, leave it on very low when you’re out or away.
• Remember to bleed your radiators – this means they’ll work at their best and heat the room evenly.​
• Keep your water tank warm – you can buy a jacket from your local DIY store to fit over the top to help insulate (remember not to insulate the base). 

• Fix any dripping taps – this stops water build up from freezing.​
• Check your water meter - the pipes leading to and from it need to be insulated, and make sure that the cupboard is packed with insulation material with the door firmly shut.
• Try and stop draughts - cold air from outside freezes the pipes inside, so cover any gaps in doors and windows
• Let warm air flow – perhaps open your loft hatch to help keep pipes and tanks up there from freezing.