Heating your home during the cold season

With energy bills set to remain high, it could be tempting to avoid turning your heating on until you really need it.

Please make sure you test your heating in autumn before the winter hits to make sure it works. If you notice any problems with your heating, report a repair as soon as possible.

When the heating is on, feel the top of your radiators. If they aren’t hot, air may be trapped inside. This makes them slower to warm up and uses more energy to heat your home. Bleed your radiators to let the air out so they heat evenly. Check your boiler pressure after bleeding your radiators to make sure it’s between 1 and 1.5.

Read our online guide to bleeding a radiator (PDF)

Low boiler pressure can stop your heating and hot water from working properly. Check the pressure gauge on the front of your boiler regularly. The pressure should be between 1 and 1.5. If it’s low, follow the instructions in your boiler manual to top it up.

Frozen pipes can stop your central heating system and water supply from working. Check that your water pipes are insulated and keep your heating set above 7°C to prevent them from freezing in cold weather.

Find out how to deal with frozen pipes

This can make a big difference in helping your home warm up and stay warm. There are some low-cost ways to keep draughts out and warm air in.

Visit the Energy Saving Trust’s guide to draught-proofing

Always keep air vents clear so air can circulate. This helps prevent condensation, damp and mould.

Condensation, damp and mould can become a problem during the cold season. Luckily, it can often be avoided by taking some simple precautions.

Read our advice on dealing with condensation, damp and mould

If your boiler stops working outside of normal working hours, report it as soon as possible. Loss of heating and hot water may be treated as an emergency repair, particularly where vulnerable customers, young children, older people, or those with health conditions are affected.

Before reporting a fault, please check that:

• Your boiler pressure is correct
• Your thermostat is turned on
• Your energy supply has not been interrupted.

These simple checks can sometimes resolve the issue. If the problem persists, contact us and we will assess the situation and arrange the appropriate response.

During the winter period, we may experience higher than normal demand for heating repairs. To ensure we can respond to those most at risk, we may need to prioritise customers with vulnerabilities or specific welfare needs. This may mean some repairs take longer than usual to attend, particularly where the proble does not result in a total loss of heating. For example, repairs such as a single radiator not working, partial heating loss, or where the property has an alternative or secondary heat source available, may be tackled after emergency cases affecting vulnerable customers or households with no heating or hot water.

We will always endeavour to respond to repairs as quickly as possible and keep you updated.

Keeping your home warm while managing energy costs can be challenging during the colder months. The best way to prepare depends on the type of heating system you use. Each system works differently, and small changes in how you use them can make a noticeable difference to your comfort and bills.

To help you get the most from your heating, we’ve created some short guides:

• How to use gas central heating efficiently
• How to use electric storage heaters efficiently
• How to run an air source heat pump efficiently

In rooms you don’t use often, you may want to set the radiator thermostat or storage heater input to a lower level. This can save energy and help reduce your bills. Don’t turn radiators off completely, as this can lead to boiler problems and cause pipes to freeze.

Moving any furniture which is right in front of radiators or storage heaters can help increase the flow of warm air and help rooms and your home heat up more quickly.