Prevent costly bills during the cold snap

With the unusually mild winter weather up to now, many people may not have been too worried about the cost of their gas and electricity bills.

But with a cold front from Siberia descending on the UK, the mercury is expected to drop as low as minus nine degrees C, making energy efficiency more important.

The AA has warned that Brits are ill-prepared for the cold weather and has urged them to take steps to protect and insulate their home to ensure they do not fall foul of rising bills or frozen pipes.

"As many of us enjoyed unseasonably mild weather for much of this winter it's easy to forget the extremely cold winters of the last few years and be unprepared for the current cold snap," said Tom Stringer, of AA Home Emergency Response.

"Our research has shown that winter emergencies can land homeowners with some hefty bills, which may not be covered by their standard home insurance."

He recommended that lofts should be properly insulated to prevent the heat from escaping.

All pipes in the loft, exposed areas or running outside need to be properly insulated to prevent them from freezing and bursting. The narrower the pipe, the more insulation it will need.

Remember that if you go away during the cold weather, your home is particularly at risk of frozen pipes. A sure-fire way to protect against this is to turn off the stop valve and completely drain the system so that there is no water to freeze.

Frozen pipes are particularly concerning because it causes the water inside to expand, often causing them to burst.

If a burst pipe is not dealt with, it can cause flood damage in the house which can be very costly to repair.

Direct Line also warned that condensate pipes from boilers are at risk of freezing if they run outside the house.

It advised lagging them in insulation and using a hot water bottle or heat wrap to thaw them should they freeze.

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2012-02-03 13:20:37 © Moneyextra.com