As the nights once again start to draw in and the colder weather approaches, here are some helpful tips to prepare your home for over the winter months.

• Keeping pipes properly insulated will help stop them from freezing, avoid blockages and bursts. Whether located inside or outside your property, if you become aware of a frozen communal pipe, then you should report this to your Property Team, who will, on your behalf, instruct a suitably qualified contractor to attend.
• It is important to familiarise yourself with your properties stopcock valve and how it can be easily turned off in the event of an emergency.
• During particularly cold days, you should try to keep your home heated for an hour every day even if you are at work or away from home over the festive period. Central heating systems can often be set to activate at regular intervals throughout each day. Details relating to how to set a heating system can often be found online. It’s also worth checking your boiler pressure, as guidance suggests it should be between one and two bars. If you think the pressure is not quite right, you may wish to consider contacting a Gas Safe engineer to have them check it out.
• Bleeding your radiators can be a simple but effective way to help keep your home warm through the winter. If your radiators are cool at the top and warm at the bottom, they likely need bleeding.
• Loft insulation can make a real difference when it comes to retaining heat within your home. Even if you already have loft insulation, it is worth having this checked by a suitably qualified expert to ensure it’s up to the required standard.
• As the leaves continue to fall, it is important to check that your gutters remain clear of debris to ensure that they can help to carry water away from your property. Our Property Teams remain on hand to assist you and your neighbours in arranging this work when required.
• As we previously reported, new legislation from the Scottish Government will come into effect in February 2022, requiring all households in Scotland to install smoke and heat alarms. In the lead up to this date, it makes sense to ensure that your home is fitted with the appropriate equipment to meet the forthcoming legislation. Further information can be found on the Scottish Government’s website at:https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/
• Scottish Water has also published a handy guide on how to better prepare your home for the winter, and further information on this can be found at:https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/en/Your-Home/Campaigns/Be-Prepared-in-Winter
• The Scottish Government has supplied details of organisations to contact in the event of loss of electricity, water, and gas, with further links to information on staying safe in winter weather, storms & strong winds, along with details on flooding support. These can be all found at the following link:
  https://www.mygov.scot/loss-of-electricity-water-or-gas