This year, Fife Housing Group are advising our customers and colleagues to follow three simple steps during periods of severe adverse weather:
- Get in – stay indoors as much possible and only travel if absolutely necessary
- Get warm – wear several layers of clothing and use your heating to ensure you and your family stay warm in winter
- Stay in touch – make sure you have someone to call in case of emergency e.g. family or friends
It’s also worth taking a few minutes to do a little extra preparation BEFORE severe weather hits:
- Create a household plan for emergencies
- Keep a mixture of salt and sand and a shovel handy to put on steps or paths in icy weather
- Keep simple cold, flu and sore throat remedies in the house and order repeat prescriptions in plenty of time
- Keep basic food items in the cupboard or freezer in case you cannot get out to go shopping
- Keep a battery-operated radio, torch and spare batteries handy in case there’s a power cut
- Keep a list of emergency numbers, such as your utility companies, by your phone
If you’re concerned about how much it is going to cost you to stay warm during this cold snap here are five simple tips which could help you save 10%-20% on your energy bill
- Turn down your heating to 20ºC or lower. For every degree you lower your heating between the 16-21ºC mark, you can save up to 5% on your heating costs
- Wear warm clothing when you are feeling the cold and leave the heating on at 20ºC degrees or lower
- Turn down your hot water where possible to an acceptable temperature
- Report draughty windows or doors to our repairs team
- Close your curtains to help retain heat
It is business as usual for Fife Housing Group during our winter months and full services will be running during any bad weather as far as we possibly can. Our customers will be notified of any disruption or changes to our services at the earliest opportunity.