1. Avoid the urge to switch the heating off entirely. If you think you save money on this, you’re putting your house at risk. The cold can be very damaging for the pipes, so keep the temperature on low – around 10 degrees centigrade.
2. Be sure that all of your water pipes are insulated with preformed insulation.
3. If you have dripping taps, fix them as soon as possible. Because if dripping water freezes, the pipe will become blocked.
4. Insulate outside taps, too. Turn them off at the stop tap, or drain them before you go away.
5. Leave the door to the loft opened so that any heat from downstairs circulates and finds its way into the attic.
6. If you left a set of keys to the neighbours make sure they know where the inside stop valve is and check that it is working. They’ll need to get to it quickly in the event of a burst water pipe.
