Get set for winter
Wheatley Housing South is helping vulnerable tenants stay warm and safe during the winter.
Make sure you – and your home – are set for winter. It is important to make sure your home is in good condition, to reduce the risk of burst pipes and cut fuel bills too.
Find out more with our advice and tips below.
Tips to beat the chill
Follow our simple advice to help you stay safe and warm during the cold weather
- If you’re not going to be at home for a period of time, set your heating to come on for a couple of hours a day and leave a key with a friend or neighbour
- Have regular hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day
- Wear several light layers of warm clothes to keep the heat in
- Keep active and wrap up warm if you go outside, draw your curtains at dusk and keep doors closed to block out draughts
- Keep your living room at around 18-21°C (64-70°F) to keep warm and cosy.
Remember to make sure you’ve had your annual gas service to ensure your heating is working properly.
It’s also important to report repairs as soon as you can before they become a bigger problem.
Frozen or burst pipes
If you do have frozen or burst pipes, turn off your close or house mains water supply, if you can. Then tell your neighbours the water supply has been turned off.
Call us on 0800 011 3447.
Fuel advice
Our fuel advisors help tenants of all ages with useful energy advise that can help you reduce your energy bills. Advisors can also arrange low-cost repayments if you have fallen behind with payments – or, in some cases, get debts written off.
Request a visit from a fuel advisor using our online form, by speaking to your housing officer or by calling us on 0800 011 3447.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme
As you may already be aware, the Energy Bills Support Scheme provides a £400 non-repayable discount to households to help with their energy bills during autumn this year and winter 2023.
You do not need to apply for the discount, and there should be no need to contact the energy supplier.
The discount started in October 2022 and will be applied to customers’ monthly household electricity bills until March next year.
- £66 in October and November
- £67 in December, January, February and March
Traditional prepayment meter users should get equivalent vouchers they will need to redeem, and the discount is generally applied from the first week of each month. You will get the discount automatically either by redeemable vouchers; SMS text; email, post, or by automatic credit when you top up at your usual top up point.
The electricity supplier will let people know how they will get the discount.
If the funds are delayed there could be a number of reasons for this, such as the supplier not having your most up-to-date details. In this event, please contact your energy supplier.