Helpful resources

Your Home

Further advice to help prepare your home for colder temperatures:

Keep your home warm: make sure heaters are well-maintained and working properly. Keep furniture away from radiators and other heat sources so they don’t block heat from circulating freely. Thick, lined curtains are very effective at slowing down heat loss. You can also fit aluminium foil behind any radiators which are on outside walls to reflect heat back into the room. Leave internal doors open so that the heat reaches all parts of your home where there are water pipes. If you have thermostatic radiator valves you can set these to the frost setting to further ensure that you use the minimum amount of energy to protect your home.
Keep a small emergency pack handy in case of loss of power or other services – include items such as a torch, radio (with spare batteries) and copies of important documents like insurance policies. You may also want to include repair putty or a repair clamp in your pack for those temporary pipe repairs.
Keep a note of the telephone numbers of your local licensed plumber, electrician, council and insurance company for emergency use (you may want to keep a copy in your emergency pack).
Be a good neighbour: when cold weather hits, keep an eye out for your neighbours, especially the frail and elderly or disabled.

Remember: any pipework within your property boundary is your responsibility, and spending a little time on good frost protection now could help you avoid trouble and expense during cold weather.

Licensed Plumbers

We would always recommend the use of licensed plumbers and we support the WaterSafe scheme. Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) runs the Plumbing Industry Licensing Scheme, which is part of WaterSafe. To find a licensed plumber in your area visit WaterSafe at www.watersafe.org.uk or SNIPEF at www.needaplumber.org.

Scottish Water is not responsible for burst or frozen pipes in your home or that lie within your property boundary. We recommend you contact a licensed plumber to fix problems with pipes in your home. Find out more on our Pipework Responsibility pages.

Home Energy Scotland hotline

The Scottish Government's Home Energy Scotland hotline offers information on home energy initiatives, as well as expert advice on how to save energy and money in the home. Find out more about discounted or even free insulation offers by contacting them on 0808 808 2282 or visit their website here.