Keeping warm

The Be Ready checklist puts it plainly: homes can become cold very quickly when the heating goes off. Boilers and heat pumps do not work without electricity.

Who is most at risk

Be Ready says older adults, babies and young children, and people with long-term health problems are the most likely to become ill if they get too cold. Its cold weather page adds pregnant people, people with learning disabilities, people at risk of falls, people who live alone, people who are housebound, and people who are homeless or sleeping rough. Hypothermia is a medical emergency and needs hospital treatment; the NHS describes the symptoms at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypothermia/. If you are worried about someone's health, Be Ready says to contact a pharmacist, a GP or NHS 111.

What to keep

The checklist lists blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing under light and warmth, alongside the torch.

In a cold spell or a power cut

Be Ready's advice during a power cut is to keep warm with blankets and layered clothing, keep the doors of unused rooms closed, and close the curtains to keep heat in. Its cold weather page adds:

• Heat the rooms you spend most time in, such as the living room or bedroom, to at least 18°C.
• Keep windows closed, particularly at night, and reduce draughts.
• Wear several layers of thin clothing rather than one thick layer.
• Stay active indoors where you can.
• Wear shoes with good grip outside to avoid slips on ice.

Check the Met Office forecast and warnings, and act on any Cold Health Alert from the UK Health Security Agency covering your area.

Before winter

The cold weather page lists checks to make before the cold arrives:

• Have heating and cooking appliances checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer, listed at https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/.
• Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets British or European standards (BS Kitemark or EN 50291). The risk from faulty appliances rises in winter.
• Find out what is causing any damp or mould and deal with it.
• Get seasonal vaccinations.
• Check you have enough food and medication in case it is harder to leave the house, and agree who could collect them for you.

The Energy Saving Trust at https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/ has advice on heating a home more efficiently and improving insulation.

Heaters, candles and fire

Be Ready's fires in the home page asks you to keep portable heaters clear of curtains and furniture and never use them to dry clothes, to turn heaters off and put up fireguards before bed, and to secure candles in a proper holder away from anything that could catch. For light, the checklist says torches are safer than candles.

Help with heating costs

Be Ready's cold weather page lists government energy saving tips, grants and advice on energy efficiency at https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency, help with heating at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/find-energy-grants-for-you-home-help-to-heat, and help with bills at https://www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills. Ofgem publishes information for people who cannot afford their energy bills and for prepayment meter users. UKHSA's Keep Warm Keep Well leaflet, with easy-read and translated versions, is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-warm-keep-well-leaflet-gives-advice-on-staying-healthy-in-cold-weather.

Anyone in a vulnerable situation can join the Priority Services Register at thepsr.co.uk. During a gas outage the register can bring alternative heating and cooking facilities; see the Priority Services Register.