Advice for homeowners: Are you ready for winter?

According to the Met Office, the UK has just had the wettest summer for a century. A total of 370.7 mm of rain fell across the UK during June, July and August alone – but (with winter approaching) the bad weather look set to continue! This might seem somewhat unfair, but it’s one of the realities of living on this wet, windy island – so it’s important to prepare.


Here are four things all homeowners should do before the nippy spell hits:

Arrange boiler cover

Is your boiler working properly? If you’re not sure (or can’t remember the last time it was serviced) it’s wise to have it inspected. A Gas Safe Register approved engineer will make sure everything’s working properly and will check the efficiency of your system – so you don’t end up with high energy bills. Worried about costs? Then take out boiler cover that includes services and repairs, as this will protect your bank balance in an emergency

Take out home insurance
Arranging insurance might not be the most exciting thing in the world – but it’s an essential part of life. Wind, rain, sleet and snow can damage your abode, so it’s best to safeguard your home ahead of the cold months. Building insurance will protect the physical structure of your home including the roof, door, windows and such like, whereas contents cover will cover the cost of missing or damaged belongings. Please note; your home should be insured for the amount it would cost to build it from scratch if it was completely destroyed.

Insulate your pipes

According to the Energy Saving Trust – a charity which gives impartial, accurate and independent advice on how to save energy – insulating your pipes will reduce the amount of heat that escapes. This will keep your home warmer for longer and will ensure you’re not shivering during the nippy spell. Fitting a British Standard jacket around your cylinder could also save you £40 a year, so it’s worth popping to your nearest DIY store.

Insulate your loft

While we’re on the subject of insulation, why not insulate your loft? This will stop hot air from escaping through the roof and could dramatically reduce your heating bills. Insulation might cost a few hundred pounds to install, but it tends to last for at least 40-years and will pay for itself over and over again. If you’re good at DIY, you could probably do a pretty decent job yourself and this will save you even more money.

Winter’s rapidly approaching, so make your house safe and secure today.

Source: Dan Whiteside October 2012