Dream of a white Christmas … but plan for a cold one

·         Many people in are Edinburgh hoping for a sprinkling of snow this festive season, but aren’t actually ready for extreme weather

·         Almost one third of people don’t check that their central heating is working ahead of the winter months

·         Almost three-quarters don’t insulate their pipes and one in 10 don’t know how to bleed a radiator

With the clocks going back and the countdown to winter weather under way, new research has revealed that more than 50 per cent of people in Edinburgh are pinning their hopes on a white Christmas this year – but many are not really prepared for a cold snap.

The survey found one third of people don’t check their central heating is working before it’s time to turn it on, and almost half fail to get their boiler serviced ahead of winter, leaving them open to a potential Christmas disaster.

According to the research by Scottish Gas, 25 per cent of people in Scotland have had to endure a cold shower in the past five years and more than half have gone without heating for more than a day* because of a breakdown at home.

Scottish Gas engineers in Edinburgh are urging people to check their homes before the cold really sets in and get themselves snow-ready as temperatures are set to dip below four degrees.

Martin O’Neill, Customer Service Director at Scottish Gas, said: “Our top priority is to keep our customers’ homes and businesses warm, safe and working during the winter months. As the UK prepares for a cold snap, our engineers are on standby to help if anything goes wrong.”

Danny Stuart, a Scottish Gas engineer in Edinburgh, said: “Our top priority is to help keep our customers’ homes and businesses warm, safe and working during the winter months, and as the UK prepares for a cold snap, our engineers are already on standby if anything goes wrong.

“Simple things, like blocking draughts to stop heat escaping, or bleeding your radiators, can help keep your home warm, yet our research shows that very few people actually do them to prepare for the winter months. It’s things like this that can really make the difference in getting your home snow-ready, so everyone can focus on enjoying that white Christmas they’ve been hoping for!

“To avoid even bigger problems, getting your boiler serviced annually can help detect issues, so is really worth looking into now, before the winter weather takes hold.”

Last winter, Scottish Gas completed nearly 200,000 plumbing jobs, and with meteorologists predicting a cold snap this November, its engineers are expecting to visit more than 70,000 homes in the next week.

Getting snow-ready 

Scottish Gas engineers have some smart, simple advice on how to prepare homes and businesses for colder snaps and help protect against potential costly damage as a result of burst pipes, damaged water tanks or overflowing gutters. 

1. Love your boiler: Check to make sure that your boiler is working properly before winter sets in. The older your boiler, the more inefficient it will be. If you have a pressure gauge, make sure the boiler is at the right pressure and top up as necessary.

1. Wrap up your water tank and insulate hot water: The materials can be purchased from most DIY stores and help to conserve heat and save you money.

1. Insulate your pipes: Burst pipes are a huge issue during winter months. To help prevent burst pipes, ensure all pipes are properly insulated by using lagging, which can be bought cheaply from most DIY shops.