We’ve got some simple and cost-effective ways to help protect your home this winter.
With a small amount of effort, you can make a huge difference and enjoy a cosy winter at home without worrying about burst pipes caused by the cold.
Check out our top tips and advice on what to do if your pipes do burst or freeze below.
Top tips to protect your home
1. Wrap up your pipes
When water freezes and turns to ice, it expands which can cause pipes to burst. We recommend you cover all water pipes, including the pipes outside your home, with a foam tube called lagging. You can order some for free here*. It's also available from most DIY stores and is easy to fit. Just measure how much you need and cut with scissors to fit. Remember to use waterproof lagging for any outdoor pipes.
2. Bleed your radiators
Trapped air causes radiators to have cold spots, reducing their efficiency. Release the air by bleeding your radiators. It’s simple to do yourself using a radiator key or a flat-headed screwdriver. Slowly turn the radiator valve anti-clockwise until water starts dripping out (it's useful to have a cloth to hand to catch any dribbles!) Giving you a warmer home this winter.
3. Be prepared
Find your stop tap and test it works, as you may need to turn your water off quickly if your pipes freeze or burst. For our guide on how to find your stop tap, see here. Most stop taps are under the kitchen sink or in the cupboard under your stairs. Write down the name and number of a qualified plumber so it's to hand in case you need it in an emergency. To find an approved plumber in your area, visit our dedicated webpage here. You can also pop one of our handy tags around your stop tap once you've located it. You can download it here(opens in a new tab).
4. Service your boiler
It's important to get your boiler serviced yearly if you can. Lots of modern boilers have a frost setting too, which is great for preventing frozen pipes when your central heating isn't in full use.
5. Protect your outside tap
Once you’ve lagged your outdoor water pipes, don’t forget to protect your outside taps too. They’re also prone to freezing, which could lead to a burst. Most homes that have gardens will have an outside cold-water tap. Using a handy tap cover will reduce the risk of it freezing. Order one for free here*, or you can find one at most DIY stores.
6. Warm your home efficiently
Putting reflective foil behind your radiators will reflect heat into the room, keeping the room warmer. Draught excluders also keep the heat in the rooms you use most often, keeping your home warm and helping to protect the pipes within it.
*Subject to availability
What to do if your pipes freeze or burst
Frozen pipes
If your pipes freeze, first and foremost turn off your water at your stop tap.
You can then very carefully thaw your pipes using warm towels or a hairdryer. Start at the top nearest to the tap and work your way down. Please remember never to use a naked flame or blow torch.
Burst pipes
If you have a burst, turn the water off at the stop tap.
You may need to turn off the electricity if water runs near any electrical appliances.
Turn on all the taps to drain the system and put towels down to soak up as much water as possible.
Then call a qualified plumber. You can find a list of trustworthy, approved plumbers here.
Once it is repaired, don't forget to turn the taps off to avoid further flooding.
Here for you
Winter can be challenging for many, especially if you're elderly or have additional needs. That's why we have our Priority Services Register to help those most in need.
Registering for our free Priority Services means we'll be able to offer additional support, such as bottled water deliveries or tailored communications when the unexpected happens. You can register yourself or someone you care about online here.
If you need help paying your bill, we have a range of tariffs to support you financially including:
- Social Tariff: Caps your water bill and includes a discount on your water-out charges. This can help if your household income is less than £18,725 excluding any disability and housing payments.
- WaterSure: This tariff puts a cap on metered water charges, so you will not be charged more than our average bill. To qualify you must have a water meter, be in receipt of a qualifying benefit and have either three or more children under the age of 19 or have someone in your home with a medical condition that requires additional water usage.
- Helping Hand Scheme: A scheme funded by South East Water which offers financial assistance to clear water and waste water debt.
- Water Direct: This is a third-party scheme administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and can help if you're on qualifying benefits with money taken directly from these benefits to help pay your bill.
- Short Term Payment Support: We have several options to help you manage your water bill including payment breaks.
- Single Occupier Tariff: This is designed for those without meters who are the sole occupier of their property. It helps to bring the assessed charge down to the equivalent of a one-bedroom assessed property.
- Single Room Tariff: This can support those who occupy a single room with communal hot water and laundry facilities, such as sheltered accommodation and bedsits.
Find out more about the tariffs and apply here.
For priority services or help with your bills you can also call our team 0333 000 (opens in a new tab)0001. All of our advisors are specially trained to offer confidential advice and support. Lines are open Monday to Friday between 8am - 7pm.
If you're worried about heating your home this winter, SGN Gas also has an initiative which may be able to help. The scheme offers funding to connect homes to the gas network and could help with the costs of installing central heating. Find out more on the SGN website(opens in a new tab).
Leaks on our network
In colder months all pipes, including ours, are more prone to burst causing an increase in leaks. This is because the pipes contract and expand due to the cold, to the point that they burst.
A freeze followed by a rapid thaw, like we saw in 2022, can also over-stress pipes, causing them to burst.
We take leaks seriously, which is why our teams work round the clock to find and repair leaks as quickly as they can. There is a rigorous process to fix leaks, and you can find out more about this here.
We also invest £40 million a year managing and reducing leaks and have 52 leak repair teams and 60 leak detection experts using innovative technologies.
We appreciate your help with reporting leaks you may see when out and about. For a guide on how to report leaks and tackle them in your home, as well as seasonal Met Office advice, please see the links below.
