Overview
- An early-January freeze with snow and sub-zero temperatures is in place, with an amber cold-health alert in England from the UKHSA until January 9.
- British Gas estimates about 54,000 households may need help this week, noting engineers handled more than 1.2 million callouts last winter.
- Frozen or poorly insulated pipes—especially condensate pipes on modern boilers—are flagged as the main cause, with advice to thaw using hot but not boiling water and to shut off the stopcock if a burst is suspected.
- Experts advise setting thermostats between roughly 18°C and 21°C, warn that turning it up does not heat homes faster, and say lowering by 1°C can cut bills by around 10%.
- Heating should typically be used only when needed via schedules rather than left on low all day, with some exceptions for heat pumps, alongside low-cost steps such as bleeding radiators, draught-proofing, pipe insulation, reflective panels and targeted portable heaters or heated throws.