Keeping your home warm and safe

One of the most common cold-weather issues in our homes is boilers losing pressure.

People usually discover this problem when they've had their heating off for a while. As soon as you start it up you may see a warning code of 'E119' or 'E118'. This is sign that the pressure in the pipes that supply your radiators has dropped and it means the boiler won't work. 

Thankfully it's an easy problem to fix yourself. We've put together a handy video to explain what to do to get the pressure back to normal. Watch it here.

Frozen pipes can also stop your boiler from working and cut off the water supply to your taps. Not taking care of frozen pipes in the right way can cause burst pipes when the weather warms up too.

All you need is a kettle and the problem can be solved.

Watch our video.

If you have a power cut or electricity supply issue in your home (and neighbours aren't affected), contact us to report a repair in the usual way.

If, however, your neighbours have lost power too and other things such as street lights are out of action, it could be a bigger fault that Futures' can't fix. In this case, contact Western Power on 0800 6783 105. 

Most of our properties have some kind of back-up heating such as an electric fire or immersion heater.

If you need to use either of these, it is important to check them before our office closes at the end of the working day so that, if your boiler fails, you know there is something in place to keep you safe, warm and comfortable until your boiler is up and running again.

Did you know that running out of credit on your gas meter can seriously affect your boiler if your gas supply stops?

Keeping your account topped up will help keep your boiler working and make sure you have the heat and hot water you need.

If you're struggling with your bills and finances, remember you can get helpful advice and information from our Money Advice team. Just talk to our contact centre team to get the ball rolling. 

Caring for yourself and loved ones

Age UK have published a handy guide with top winter tips for older people. It also offers useful contacts.

Give it a read.

If you or someone close to you has a lifeline system, now would be a good time to check it's in full working order.

You can do this by pressing your pendant or the 'help' button on the unit.

Managing your money

Winter brings bigger energy bills for all of us, so it's a time when it's particularly important to have a household budget. 

  • Think about your priority bills (for example rent and utility bills). There can be serious consequences if you don't keep up with these so it's important to sort them out first.
  • Take note of your income and outgoings. If you have any Direct Debits or standing orders, make sure that you know what is coming out and when so that you can be ready and make sure there is enough in your account to cover them.
  • Use a spending diary. You can download a template here that will help you keep track of everything you spend.

If you are struggling with managing your home finances, talk to our customer contact team. They can signpost lots of useful helps and resources and put you in touch with our Money Advice team.

We all struggle from time to time and the festive season can be particularly difficult. With the added expenditure Christmas brings, people can find themselves in a position where they have little to no money to feed themselves or their families.

There’s a lot of stigma around the use of food banks and pride or worry stops many people from using these services. But the staff and volunteers at food banks are not judgemental and they make no preconceptions about those using them. Often, they are giving a little back after needing the service themselves and so understand the courage it takes to ask for help. They want you to feel welcome and alleviate any concerns or anxiety you may have.

If you find yourself worrying about having enough food over the Christmas period, you can find information on local food banks here:

And if you're in a position to support your local foodbank, why not pick up a few items next time  you're in the supermarket - it could make all the difference.

Find out more about keeping your costs down while helping the planet

We've created a series of six mini-guides collating helpful tips and advice to help save the planet and your pocket.

While they are full of useful information that you can use year-round, lots of the advice can make an even bigger difference during the colder months.

You can download and read them here by following the links:

 

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