Is your boiler ready for winter?

Follow our guide, which includes top tips on how to keep safe, warm and cosy on a budget.

Check your boiler

No one wants the hassle of a broken-down boiler, especially in the winter months, so it’s important that your gas boiler is well maintained and in tip-top condition.

We carry out a free gas safety inspection once a year for tenants, to check council-owned appliances like gas boilers are working properly. Not only is this to keep you safe, but it’s to ensure your boiler is working efficiently which is important considering the rising cost of energy prices. We will write to you with details of when the engineer will visit your home to carry out the gas safety check. Please make sure you are in to allow access or let us know if you need to rearrange the date. We can offer ‘school run’ appointment calling between 9.30am and 2.30pm.

Remember, if you have your own gas appliances like a gas cooker or gas fire you should arrange for these to be serviced privately by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. Any faulty gas equipment that we find will be disconnected immediately.

Know how to use your heating efficiently

If you’re worried about your winter heating costs, it’s time to get smart with the way you heat your home. While we ensure that your boiler is safe and efficient, there are simple adjustments you can make at home that will make a big difference to your energy bills.

• Try turning your thermostat down by one degree and you could save 10% on your annual heating bill according to The Energy Saving Trust
• Using your heating programmer to ensure the heating is only on when your home is occupied means you won’t be wasting money to heat an empty property
• When you are at home with the heating on, make sure you maximise the warmth by moving furniture away from radiators to allow heat to circulate more freely, keep internal doors closed and shut the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in
• If you feel chilly, pop on a woolly jumper and make a hot drink to help warm you up before you increase the thermostat temperature (and your bill)
• Finally, check if you can get a better deal by looking at switching your energy supplier

For more quick tips on how to save energy, lower your bills and reduce your carbon footprint visit The Energy Saving Trust website.