Day: November 28, 2021

RWE’s £5 million community investment is upskilling lives in rural Scotland

·       RWE marks £5 million donated over 15 years to community funds in Scotland

·       Flexible financial support has benefited a wide range of local people, groups and infrastructure

·       Bad á Cheò Wind Farm education & training fund provides residents with opportunities to upskill and increase employment potential

RWE, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, has reached the milestone of donating £5 million over 15 years, through its community funds set up at projects it operates in Scotland. The community funds help charities and causes to thrive and supports local communities.

The funds, which are made available in local areas surrounding RWE’s renewable energy projects, are provided directly to local groups and causes to help enhance and improve the services they provide, with projects spanning education and training, sustainability, health and wellbeing support, and community facilities.

This money goes a long way to supporting the sustainable development of the communities in which renewable projects are located. Hundreds of projects and communities have already been supported across Scotland with many other projects ready to be funded across the country.

RWE has a proud history of renewable development and working with local communities in Scotland. Today RWE operates 10 onshore wind farms across Scotland, with 14 more in development and construction, and continues to operate Scotland’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, Robin Rigg.

In total, RWE operates 26 sites in Scotland with many employees living locally. In addition to Community Funds, RWE is committed to offering community shared ownership at many of the projects in development.

The funding process is flexible and easily accessible, with decisions about funding allocations made by a panel of local representatives who know their communities best.

A number of examples of positive, grass roots projects funded by RWE’s Community Funds, including causes such as:

1 – Education and training fund supported by Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm

Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm Education and Training fund is open to residents living closest to the wind farm and provides bursaries to local people to access training and education opportunities that better equip them with the range of skills required to enter into, or retain, employment in key sectors. To date it has awarded nearly £50,000.

Taking advantage of the fund, the first two beneficiaries, Zoe Farquhar and Louise Todd, both undertook courses that increased their ability to generate more income and work for themselves.

Zoe Farquharson undertook an Introduction to Kiltmaking course, to enable her to meet a demand locally for handmade kilts by participants in Highland Dance Schools as well as sympathetic repairs to older garments. Louise Todd formalised her accountancy skills by taking a professional bookkeeping course that enabled her to increase the services her business could offer.

Thirty-five local people have received funding towards courses as diverse as childcare, sign language, deer stalking, welding inspection, accountancy and kilt making, or to assist them with costs whilst completing university education.

2 – Helping communities on their journey to net zero by supporting community energy projects

The An Suidhe Onshore Wind Farm Community Fund provided an investment in equity (share ownership) towards the River Avich Community Hydro Scheme. Providing financial support to the project while enabling a return of 4% back to the An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund.

This was the first investment in a community-owned renewable project from a community benefit fund in Scotland and an exciting example of how an area can achieve its renewable energy ambitions whilst continuously reinvesting in local initiatives.

Community Benefit UK

Katy Woodington, Community Investment Manager UK & Ireland, said: “This is an important milestone, which represents the significant difference that renewable energy can make to people’s day to day lives as well as the planet.

“Funds are set up with decisions made by local people, so it is great to see them making the most of these flexible funds to support innovative projects, push boundaries and help realise their ambitions.”

There are additional long standing community and societal benefits that have been provided as a result of RWE’s green developments including a significant boost to local and regional supply chains, and supporting the development of high skilled, well-paid jobs and training programmes.

To date, RWE, which directly employs around 100 people in Scotland, has invested over £180 million in the country and recently confirmed its participation in the ScotWind seabed leasing round process, as we look to expand our global offshore wind portfolio.

RWE is the third largest renewable generator in the UK with the largest renewable project pipeline including the construction of the 1.4 GW Sofia and 857 MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farms. RWE is also progressing four extension projects in the UK, with a combined potential installed capacity of around 2.6 GW (RWE’s pro rata share: 1.3 GW.)

Furthermore, we successfully bid for two new adjacent offshore sites on Dogger Bank, developing some of the world’s most advanced offshore wind farms, in support of government net zero ambitions.

To find out more about RWE’s Community Funds, and the local projects and causes that they help to support, visit our Community finding in action page.

Healthy Heart Tips: Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is an approach to food where you pay full attention to eating. Research has shown that eating mindfully can improve digestion, help regulate appetite and helps us enjoy our food much more.

Here we share some simple ways to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine:

Preparing your food
For many people, cooking can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be a rushed experience or something we do on autopilot. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or marinating, the art of being mindful when you are cooking is an ideal opportunity to focus your attention on textures, sounds and smells. If your mouth waters – you know you’re on track!

Slow down
Taking the time to eat and chew your food thoroughly will enable you to taste the essence of the food. During a meal, you could practice taking smaller bites of food and try to put down your knife and fork between mouthfuls. You may be surprised at all the flavours that are released that you may not normally notice.

Eating around the table
When life gets busy, it can be easy to slip into the habit of eating on the run and neglect taking time to sit down together. Trying to factor in time for sitting around the table can be beneficial for all members of a family or household. It can help everyone switch off from the stresses of the day and provide an opportunity to reconnect over a meal.

No distractions
We tend to eat more mindlessly when we are distracted. We also don’t taste and experience the food as much because our mind is elsewhere.

Try eating with no distractions; this means eating without your laptop or phone, or when reading or watching TV so that you can relax and enjoy your food in the moment.

Mindful eating takes practice, and the more you practice, the more natural it will feel!

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

NHS Lothian: Free staff parking permit scheme re-introduced at Little France to ease congestion

NHS Lothian is to re-introduce a staff car parking permit scheme on the Little France campus as part of a plan to help ease traffic congestion.

The scheme, which was suspended during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be reinstated next year as a free permit for staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) amid safety concerns around growing levels of congestion and queueing traffic on the site.

Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, said the site was unable to sustain the sheer volume of cars that arrive each day and the problem was causing delays for patients, staff and visitors, as well as blue light services which need access at all times.

He added: “The decision to re-introduce free staff car parking permits has been carefully considered and planned over recent months and is not a decision that was taken lightly.

“We have been experiencing significant congestion across the Little France campus which cannot be sustained. It causes delays to patients, visitors and staff and for the buses which are essential to service the hospital.

“Critically, however, it also causes serious issues for our blue light services which must be able to travel through the hospital site at all times.

“We are actively looking for additional long-term solutions for staff, including the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair. In the meantime, a temporary new car park to provide more than 300 extra spaces on campus will also open in January.

“We will continue to engage with our staff throughout this process.”

The application process has been updated and staff who are interested in a permit are being asked to apply for the permit scheme, which will go live on January 17.

Forms will then be cross checked against the eligibility criteria, which is consistent across all NHS Lothian sites and includes questions about how far they have to travel, how long it takes, public transport links, the times of their journey and whether the role they perform requires them to move between sites during the course of a shift. Separate arrangements will be in place for those who have to attend in an emergency.

Staff who are already in possession of a staff parking permit will be able to use their current permit for one year, after which, it will be subject to an annual eligibility review.

Tracy Anne Miller, RIE Partnership Lead, NHS Lothian, said: “These next steps are essential. The site cannot cope with the levels of congestion we are experiencing. We will continue to engage with staff directly and help ensure they have equitable access to the scheme.”

NHS Lothian is actively investigating additional long-term solutions, and discussions are ongoing around the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair.

In the meantime, a temporary car park, which will provide an additional 250 spaces will be available in January.

Staff are also being urged to consider car-share schemes. Where possible, car-sharing will be facilitated within departments, however plans are being developed to try and help match people from different departments, if required. More details will be released in due course. All car sharing schemes will be operated in line with Scottish Government guidance.

Toby Anstis launches festive fundraiser to help adopted young people reach full potential

Broadcast legend Toby Anstis has opened up about challenges he faced as an adopted young person. He is backing Adoption UK’s bid to establish the UK’s first specialist youth service for adopted young people.

The HEART presenter, who was adopted as a baby, told how he “never quite felt good enough” and how he suffered from insecurity.

Adoption UK’s Chance to Thrive programme will help adopted young people share experiences, gain new skills and make connections with others who understand them.

Toby is fronting Adoption UK’s Christmas appeal to raise funds for the charity’s Chance to Thrive programme, which hopes to establish a national youth service across the whole of the UK over the next three years.

Toby said: “I occasionally got bullied at school for being adopted. I was also dealing with and overcoming the feelings of being different and not wanting to be rejected. It’s for these reasons that this campaign is very close to my heart.

“When you are adopted, you can sometimes feel like you are not quite good enough. Overall, I am a very strong person but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had insecurities that have had a major impact on my life over the years” 

Earlier this year Adoption UK published its Adoption Barometer report which reveals two-thirds (64%) of adopted people aged 16+ have sought help with their mental health. 

The report also found that almost half (46%) of adopted people aged 16-25 were involved with mental health services in 2020, compared to the national figure of 17%. Yet most say they have been unable to access the support they need. Problems are often compounded by children falling through the cracks between child and adult services. 

The Chance to Thrive programme aims to reduce these numbers through specialist engagement activities. Adoption UK’s CEO Sue Armstrong Brown said: “We urgently need to develop services which help adopted young people build resilience and improve their life chances.” 

Toby, who is about to celebrate his 30th year in show business, started his career in 1992 fronting and appearing on countless TV shows and live events. He played Teen Angel in Grease, in the West End before broadcasting for Heart for a record 20 years.

Three quarters of the children adopted have been removed from their birth families due to abuse or neglect. Early trauma affects a young person’s mental health, ability to trust and future chances.

Adoption UK is taking part in The Big Give’s match funding Christmas Challenge so donations totalling up to £12,500, made between 30th November and 7th December, will be doubled. 

Toby added: “Give big to the Big Give to help adopted young people create a positive future that is not determined by their past.” To donate click here: bit.ly/3kvObl8

Ventures selected for University entrepreneur incubator programme

20 innovative start-ups have been selected for a University of Edinburgh incubator programme aimed at developing and commercialising academic entrepreneurship.  

The Venture Builder Incubator 2.0, part of the Data-Driven Entrepreneur Programme, is supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University’s commercialisation service. The incubator is delivered by the Bayes Centre on behalf of the University’s five Data-Driven Innovation Hubs. 

The start-ups selected for the incubator include eight companies operating projects in the field of cancer. This follows a new partnership, announced in September, between the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK to support PhD students and researchers in developing and accelerating commercialisation of ideas aimed at combating cancer.  

The cancer-focused ventures include NanoTara, which is exploring a method for early cancer diagnosis using magnetic nanorobots; 10zyme, a start-up devising a simple method of detecting cancers through urine or saliva samples; and ForceBiology, developers of a versatile, more accurate and cost-effective high throughput drug-screening platform for cancer.  

This year’s programme also includes innovative Edinburgh start-ups in a range of other sectors including Quas, a healthy, plant-based non-alcoholic beverage. Also selected are Zoforia Technologies, developers of an online wellbeing platform for children; Amitabha, an efficient and accurate AI-driven conveyancing solution; and Robocean, a subsea robot that can plant seagrass 30 times faster and significantly cheaper than other methods.  

Other participating ventures are: Amytis Labs, Cexal, EVA Biosystems, FastMedCare, Flimology, Insilico, Janus, Onboard.ID, Outfit of Tomorrow, Oxford Onco-Therapeutics, Sentinal4D, Therapev, and Whimsylabs.  

The Venture Builder Incubator is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs build their skills and take their businesses to the next level.  

The start-ups in this year’s cohort were chosen after an application process which includes PhD students and post doctorates from University of Edinburgh or Heriot-Watt University, as well as research staff focused on cancer-related projects from across the UK. 

Each venture is provided with £2,000 and business support through a series of workshops, networking events, mentoring, peer to peer learnings and access to the University of Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its data expertise.  

The Venture Builder Incubator, funded through the Data Driven Innovation programme of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, forms part of the ambitious Data-Driven Entrepreneurship Beacon Programme at the University of Edinburgh to support post-COVID recovery.  

The delivery of the programme is supported by Edinburgh-based strategic design consultancy Nile, Scale Space and edventure, a pan-European university venture builder and accelerator, launched in 2020 by three Edinburgh students. 

The Incubator has also formed a partnership with FinTech Scotland to leverage its network to support entrepreneurs. 

Charlotte Waugh, Enterprise and Innovation Programme Lead at Edinburgh Innovations, said: “We are delighted to welcome some of the most promising entrepreneurial students in Edinburgh along with leading academic researchers from other parts of the UK to participate in Venture Builder Incubator 2.0.

“The programme features 20 companies that have been engaged in academic research to address some of the world’s major challenges including the climate emergency, health and wellbeing, children’s mental health, and financial security.  

“We look forward to supporting these ventures, helping commercialise their ideas to transform them into world-leading businesses. This programme further builds on our ambition to establish Edinburgh as the Data Capital of Europe.”   

Laura Bernal, Venture Builder Incubator Programme Manager, said: “We’re delighted to welcome all our new cohorts including the eight start-up companies recruited in partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), with ideas to transform the way we treat cancer.  

“These companies are focused on developing early diagnosis tools and less invasive testing to enable better and quicker treatments and improved outcomes for cancer patients.” 

City council: less hot air!

Council reports record greenhouse gas emissions fall for 6th year running

The City of Edinburgh Council greenhouse gas emissions have continued to fall for the sixth year running.

This has been helped in part by the upgrading of LED street lighting across the city, and a drop in fleet emissions.

The findings, which have been released as part of the latest Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) report, reveal that Council emissions have been cut by 11% in the past financial year – supporting the Council’s ambition of becoming a net zero organisation by 2030.

The reduction, which also includes emissions from Edinburgh Leisure, is mainly thanks to a fall in electricity consumption, achieved through lighting or other energy efficiency upgrades, property closures during the pandemic and greening of the electricity grid.

The upgrade in LED street lighting across the city also contributed to a third of the drop in overall electricity use. A decrease in the use of the heavy vehicle fleet and a drop in business travel during the lockdown also helped emissions fall.

In 2020-21, emissions from buildings made up 66% of the Councils carbon footprint. Meanwhile, emissions from waste totalled 9%, fleet 10%, business travel 1% and other energy consumption, such as street and stair lighting, alarms and traffic signals made up 14%.

The report will be considered by the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday 30 November, alongside the final Council Emissions Reduction Plan – which outlines the initial steps the Council needs to take to become a net zero organisation by 2030.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “It’s fantastic to see our hard work paying off, cut our carbon emissions for the sixth year running. It shows that major programmes of work to support a greener, net zero council by 2030, such as making Edinburgh’s street lighting more energy efficient, is having a real positive impact on the organisation and the city.

“While achieving an 11% drop in emissions this year is a significant achievement that we’re looking to build on, we must not become complacent. We know that 2020-21 was a unique year, and some of the changed to how we worked during the pandemic have contributed to this drop.

“As we transition back into the workplace over the coming months, we need to build on our progress to date and bank some of the progress of changes made during the last year. By continuing to make our buildings more energy efficient and encouraging colleagues to use more active and sustainable means of travel for work where possible we can recover from the pandemic in the greenest way possible and keep us on the track to net-zero by 2030.”

As well as reporting on the Council organisational emissions, the PBCCD report also covers the action taken by the Council to get ready for the unavoidable impacts of climate change – such as flooding and heatwaves.

It highlights that there has been a large increase in adaptation and climate risk activity being embedded across Council services, policies and plans – including the creation of the Edinburgh & Lothians Strategic Drainage Partnership to spot and reduce flood risk in the city and work to identify risks and protect Edinburgh’s World Heritage site, historic buildings and coastal communities.

It also highlights the Council’s new sustainable procurement strategy, which was launched in March 2020. The new policy means that Council procurement activity now contributes to its compliance with climate change duties.

Depute Leader, Cammy Day added: “The challenge we now face as a Council is how we maintain and improve on these reductions in emissions – which is why I’m delighted to see the publication of our Council Emissions Reduction Plan.

“By calculating the emissions impact of all of our activity and providing a clear plan for how we can cut our footprint, we can continue to make progress and build on our successes to date, helping to deliver environmental benefits along with wider health, economic and wellbeing benefits for everyone who lives and works in Edinburgh”.

The report will be discussed at Tuesday’s Policy and Sustainability Committee.

Key stats from the report:

  • 69% – fall in Council’s business travel emissions footprint – caused by lockdown.
  • 2.3% – the total increase in household waste tonnage collected by the Council. This is due to citizens spending more time at home during and after national lockdowns.
  • 25,300: The number of average UK household’s annual energy needs which can be covered by the electricity generated from Millerhill Energy from Waste plant.
  • 52,810 – The number of energy efficient streetlights installed in Edinburgh to date (up to Friday 5th November). A further 2,190 lanterns are still set to be installed by the end of the year. NB 9,000 were already energy efficient.

Action Fraud alert: Shop safely ahead of Cyber Monday

Scam online shopping bargains which were ‘too good to be true’ cost shoppers £15.4 million over the Christmas period last year

New data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, reveals that 28,049 shoppers were conned out of their money when shopping online over the Christmas period last year – an increase of almost two thirds (61 per cent) when compared to the same period in the previous year.

Ahead of Cyber Monday, Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when shopping online as reports of online shopping fraud have continued to surge as shoppers continue to buy from web based retailers in light of the pandemic.

Pauline Smith, Director of Action Fraud, said: “Christmas is an incredibly busy time for us all but sadly, criminals will see this is as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of shoppers who are caught up in the excitement of securing a bargain online.

“If you think you have found a bargain that is too good to be true, it probably is. Stop and think before making a purchase as it could protect you and your money.

“Always shop with official retailers and follow our simple advice to enjoy shopping online safely and ensure you are not left empty handed this Christmas.”

During the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale events last year (23 November – 6 December 2020), almost £2.5 million was lost to criminals – an average loss of almost £550 per victim.

Shoppers reported buying mobile phones (26 per cent), electronics (17 per cent), vehicles (10 per cent) and clothing and footwear (8 per cent) on sites such as Facebook (18 per cent), eBay (14 per cent) and Gumtree (7 per cent), only to have the items never arrive.

Over half (54 per cent) of reports that mentioned electronics referenced popular game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation 5.

The highest percentage of reports (27 per cent) came from 20 to 29 year olds and over two thirds (68 per cent) of victims were aged 20 to 49 years old.

One common tactic used to defraud victims is the use of fake websites that are purporting to be reputable companies. These websites are created to look identical to the real website they are imitating and will advertise items but at a much cheaper price than retail price to entice victims. In reality, these websites are fake and the victim will never receive the item they have paid for.

How to protect yourself

Choosing where you shop: If you are making a purchase from a website or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first. Look online for reviews of the website or person you are buying from. If you are purchasing an item from an online marketplace, you can view the seller’s feedback history before going ahead with the purchase.

Payment method: Use a payment method that offers buyer protection, such as a credit card if you have one, as most major credit card providers will help you get your money back if the item is faulty or damaged, or if it never arrives.

Staying secure online: Use a strong, separate password for your email account. Criminals can use your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping. You should also enable two-factor authentication (2FA), where possible, which gives your online account additional protection by double checking that you really are the person you claim to be, when logging in. For further information about how to stay secure online, visit www.cyberaware.gov.uk.

Watch out for phishing emails or texts: Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. If you are unsure, don’t use the link and visit the website directly instead.

If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, you can report it by forwarding the email to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service at report@phishing.gov.uk.

You can report suspicious texts you have received by forwarding the original message to 7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad.

You can report suspicious websites via the National Cyber Security Centre’s scam website reporting service.

Action Fraud also advises that the public follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to keep themselves safe from fraud.

  • Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
  • Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
  • Protect: If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you’re in Scotland, you can report it to Police Scotland on 101.

For more advice, please click here here.

UK Space Agency launches satellite logo design competition

Children across the UK have the chance to make history by designing a logo that will be displayed on the first small satellite launches from the UK next year

The competition, run by the UK Space Agency, is open to primary school children aged between 4 and 11 years old, and will help inspire the next generation to consider a career in space.

Next year, the UK is set to become the first country in Europe to host small satellite launches, as set out in the National Space Strategy. Satellites help us monitor climate change and improve connectivity, so having the capability to launch them from the UK will benefit people and businesses across the country.

This new competition will draw on the creativity and enthusiasm of children from across the UK to design a logo to commemorate the first launches.

Logo designs should reflect how data from small satellites can help inform solutions to climate change as well as generate a source of pride in the UK’s space ambitions. Around half of the different types of data needed to accurately monitor the Earth’s climate are currently collected from space.  

To enter, go to logoliftoff.org.uk.

Science Minister George Freeman said: “2022 will be a historic year for the UK space and satellite industry, with the exciting prospect of the first small satellites launching from British soil.

“The continued strength of our growing space industry depends on finding and attracting future talent, and this competition is a great way for children to learn about the importance of satellites and to showcase their creativity.”

The UK Space Agency competition will run until March 2022 to ensure teachers, parents and children have sufficient time to get involved.

The overall winning design could be displayed on the rocket that launches into space and finalists may even have the opportunity to attend the first satellite launch from the UK.

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO, UK Space Agency said: “Next year, small satellites will launch from UK spaceports for the very first time, helping to support our world-leading Earth observation capabilities and create high-skilled jobs across the country.

“This competition offers young people the chance to learn more about this exciting activity and hopefully inspire them to be the next generation of space talent and be part of the UK’s thriving space sector.”

Satellites are used routinely to monitor the polar ice caps and changing sea levels, measure the temperature of the oceans and deserts, and even to count endangered animals such as whales and walrus.

The UK is playing an important role in three new missions to measure carbon emissions from space (MicroCarb), improve climate data (TRUTHS) and monitor the health of forests (Biomass).

Older students (16+) and adults can enter a separate competition to design a satellite that could be used to help inform solutions to climate change.

Winter is here: seasonal driving hacks to save motorists money

A leading insurance comparison firm is revealing the top winter driving hacks that could help motorists avoid higher premiums and retain those all-important No Claims Bonuses.

Quotezone.co.uk says many motorists overlook the winter conditions and can make unnecessary mistakes that will hit them hard in the pocket.

The firm, one of the UK’s leading car insurance comparison websites, says even minor adjustments in behaviour could save hundreds of pounds. Here they lay out some of the pitfalls motorists can find themselves in this winter: 

Defrosting – It is tempting to leave the engine running while the windscreen unfreezes, and the car warms up. However, if an opportunistic thief takes the vehicle, many insurance companies will not cover the loss. 

Leaving engines running is also an offence under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Doing this is known as ‘idling’,and is bad for the environment as it increases the amount of dangerous gases emitted into the air from the car’s exhaust.

Don’t use boiling water on windscreens – Glass can crack when it experiences a sudden change in temperature, and windscreen damage isn’t always covered by a standard car insurance policy.

Simply using a frost guard, a defogger or even homemade de-icer – lukewarm water mixed with rubbing alcohol.

Clear your windscreen before you set-off – Windscreens with inhibited views can land owners with a £1,000 fine and three points on a driving licence. So any leaves, snow, ice, mud or even condensation, needs to be fully cleared before setting out.

Check tyres – Motorists can be fined an eye-watering £2,500 for each faulty tyre and receive three points on their driving licence. If the police see another tyre falling short, it doubles to £5,000 and six points. Four faulty tyres could even see the maximum 12 points – resulting in the loss of a driving licence. 

Commercial vehicle drivers, where the car or van is owned by their employer – could land firms with penalties of up to £20,000.

Numberplate – Excess mud and grit on the roads this time of year can make your car dirty very quickly, and if the numberplate isn’t clearly visible, drivers could face a fine of £1,000.

Floods – Some car insurance policies include clauses advising policyholders not to drive through flooded roads, and may specifically exclude cover for any water damage to the car if the motorist goes against this advice.

Avoid puddles – Soaking pedestrians by deliberately driving through large puddles can results in a £100 fine and three penalty points.

Greg Wilson, Founder of car insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk said: “As winter approaches, it’s not just the fines that motorists should worry about, points on a driving licence are noted by insurers as a sign of how safe a driver is and what the risk of a claim might be when calculating premiums.

“Three points on a licence can add 5% to premiums every year until the points are spent after four years. Six points pushes premiums up by as much as 25%, and let’s not forget No Claims Bonuses and what they might be worth if they’ve been built up over time and now have to be accrued again from scratch.

“Careful, considerate and patient drivers who plan for the winter weather and adjust their behaviour to meet the conditions give themselves the best chance of avoiding points and keeping their premiums low.” 

Quotezone.co.uk helps around 3 million users every year, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products including car insurance, convicted drivers and breakdown cover. 

Quotezone.co.uk is recommended by 97% of reviewers on Reviews.co.uk