Useful information about your home

Avoiding fires in your home

The last thing you want is a fire in your home. If you follow the guidelines below, these will help you avoid unnecessary and dangerous incidents.

You should:

Check that any new electrical appliances you buy are B.E.A.B. approved as a guarantee of safe design. These initials stand for "British Electrical Approvals Board" and appear on a label or swing ticket. You should have second-hand electrical goods checked by an expert;
Check and renew worn flexes. Flexes should always be as short as possible and never run them under a carpet or rug. Not only can they cause fires, they are easy to trip over;
Have your electric blanket serviced regularly by the makers. Please persuade your elderly relatives and friends to do the same, as electric blankets can cause tragedies if they are not checked. Switch it off when you go to bed unless you have an all-night blanket;
Never place anything on or against night storage or any other heaters. You should never dry or air laundry on any appliance which has not been designed for that purpose, this includes night storage heaters;
Never overload electrical points and avoid using multi-way adaptors;
Switch off and unplug your television before you go to bed;
Keep the entrance hall to your home, staircase and any communal landings free from all obstructions and combustible material that may catch fire:
Keep doors closed when not in use, especially at night;
Never store flammable materials, especially liquids, on the premises; and
Buy flame-resistant furnishings and fabrics when you can, especially for your family's night clothes.

If you should discover a fire:

Don’t try and put the fire out;
Dial 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade, giving your exact address. If you don't have a telephone of your own, ask a neighbour;
Get your family out of the property as soon as possible;
If possible, close all doors and windows to prevent the fire spreading;
Warn your neighbours; and
Remove your vehicle if it is obstructing emergency vehicles

Use the following link to checkout the website for Greater Manchester Fire Service.

What to do if you smell gas

If you smell gas in your home there could be a leak. Take the following steps:

Put out all cigarettes or naked flames;
Open doors and windows;
Avoid turning electrical switches on or off;
Check that you have not left a gas appliance or pilot light on; and
Call Transco on 0800 111 999.

Condensation

Condensation is dampness caused by hot or warm wet air (i.e. steam) settling as water on walls and other cold surfaces.

A certain amount of condensation in any home is unavoidable, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. If it spreads around your home it can cause mould which smells, can damage decoration and woodwork and which may even damage your health if not dealt with.

You can reduce condensation by:

Keeping your home reasonably warm most of the time;
Not leaving kettles or saucepans boiling;
Shutting the kitchen or bathroom door and opening a window whenever you are doing something in those rooms that causes a lot of steam;
Wiping over steamed up windows before the water runs between the glass and frame or onto the sill;
Ventilating your home (open all air vents); and
Not drying clothes on radiators.

If you get black mould growth around your home it can usually be washed off using hot water and household bleach.

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is a method of reducing the amount of gas and electricity used to provide warmer, healthier homes that are cheaper to heat.

Reducing energy also helps the environment by reducing the use of raw materials and emissions of gases into the atmosphere.

Why is Energy Efficiency so Important?

With UK households spending £6.5 billion more than they need to on fuel bills last year due to energy inefficiency, there’s never been a better time for people to keep the cost of living down and help the environment.

It is well known that much of the energy used in UK homes is needlessly wasted.

Did you know?

Reducing your heating thermostat by 1 °C can cut up to 10% off fuel bills. You’ll still be warm enough but you could save between £15 and £40 each year and the savings start straight away.
Using a 40°C washing machine cycle rather than 60°C means you use a third less electricity by being energy efficient.
If everyone in the UK put an insulation jacket on their hot water tank, we would save £21 million worth of energy and CO2 emissions would be cut by 310,000 tonnes.
If everyone in the country upgraded their fridge freezer to an energy efficient recommended one, we’d be cutting more than 2 million tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions and doing something positive to combat climate change. A new energy efficient fridge freezer could also reduce the amount of electricity used by up to £50.
A shower uses only two-fifths of the water needed for a bath.
Walls lose more heat than any other part of your home.
We spend more than £4billion a year running the lights and appliances in our homes.
Loft insulation that is 250mm thick can cut 20% off heating bills.

Useful links to other organisations for energy information

Energy Saving Trust

National Energy Action

Keeping warm

During winter, it's essential to keep warm. As the weather gets colder, we are all more likely to catch colds or flu; and if your body temperature drops then the risks of a heart attack, stroke or breathing difficulties increase.

This is especially true for older people, if you have a chronic disease or are vulnerable due to a physical disability

These simple steps will help to protect you:

At home

Wear several thin layers of clothes rather than one thick layer – the warmth from your body will get trapped between the layers.
Choose clothes made with wool, cotton or fleecy synthetic fibres that are designed to be light and warm.
In the coldest weather, a good way to keep warm in bed is to wear bed socks and a nightcap or scarf around your head, as well as thermal underwear and a warm nightdress or pyjamas.

Outdoors

Several thin layers of clothing under your coat will keep you warmer than one thick layer.
Wear something on your head, otherwise you will get cold very quickly.
Wear warm, dry, flat, non-slip shoes or boots, especially in frosty weather.

Keep Warm, Eat Well

Food is fuel; it helps keep you warm. Aim to have at least one hot meal a day and have hot drinks regularly through the day.
Have a hot drink before bedtime.
Prepare a thermos flask of a hot drink to have by your bed in case you wake up in the night feeling cold.

Get your home ready for winter

There are a range of things that can be done to help keep your home warmer during the winter:

Fit draught proofing to help seal gaps around windows and doors.
Lay insulation in the loft to reduce heat loss.
Ensure your hot water cylinder and pipes are lagged, including pipes in the loft. Let us in to check your heating system is working properly and serviced every year. Make sure you know how to set the heating controls.

For more information on how to keep warm, click here

How to beat bogus callers

Most people who call at your home will do so for genuine reasons, but someone could turn up unannounced with the intention of tricking their way into your home. These people are known as 'distraction burglars' or 'bogus callers', whose only aim is to get into homes to distract people and steal their money or valuables. You should always be aware when someone you don't know calls at your door.

Bogus callers may be smartly dressed and claim to be from the council, the police, health organisations or gas, water or electricity companies. They can be convincing and persuasive.

They use 'props' like an identity card or wear overalls with a company logo. If you are expecting the caller, remember to check their identification very carefully and if in doubt, don't let them in.

If you are not expecting a caller and are alone, you can ask them to call back when you have someone with you at a later time or date. If they are genuine, they will have no problem in doing this.

What to do when someone official calls at your door

If someone who looks official calls at your door, always do the following:

Stop: Before you answer, stop and think if you are expecting anyone. Check that your back door is closed and locked and take the key out.

Chain: Put the door bar or chain on. Look through the spy hole (if your door has one) or the window to see who it is. Always keep the bar or chain on while you are talking to the person on your doorstep.

Check: Ask for and carefully check their identity card, even if they have a prearranged appointment (all genuine callers will carry one). Do they look like the person on the card? Close the door while you do this. If you are not expecting them and they have not shown you an identity card, do not let them in until you have checked and double-checked that the caller is genuine.

You can do this in three ways:

1. Look up the phone number in the phone book and check it against the card the caller has given you. Do not be tempted to just ring the number on the card as it may be a fake;

2. Phone directory enquiries. It will help to check whether the company is genuine; or

3. Look at a recent bill to check the phone number. You should also think about keeping a list of useful phone numbers, like gas, electricity and water services, in a handy place. Many now have free phone numbers to help you check the identity of their workers.

If, after these checks, you have any doubts about the caller, especially if they came unannounced, tell them to call back later when someone can be with you. You can also tell them to contact you by letter to arrange a more convenient time.

Only let them in when you are absolutely sure that they are genuine.

Report bogus callers

Bogus callers sometimes work in pairs or even teams. They are often well organised. One will distract the person while the other searches the house for money or other valuables. They can be men, women or children (or often a combination).

Watch out for anyone who says they are in a hurry. Don't let them pressure or confuse you.

If you think a bogus caller has called at your door, report it to the police immediately – dial 999 and tell them what has happened. Try to give the police a description of the person. While they are on their way, tell a neighbour or Neighbourhood Watch representative just in case they try at other homes in the area. The earlier the police know that bogus callers are working in the area, the quicker they can investigate.

Home Security

Home security is the best way to reduce your chances of being burgled. A lot of burglaries are opportunist; a burglar may see an open window or other easy point of entry and take their chance. If you follow these tips below then you will have gone some way to making life harder for a burglar.

Basic tips:

When you are going out and are leaving your house empty, always lock all the doors and close all the windows - even if you are just going out for a short time;
Window locks, especially on older windows, will help stop people getting in. A burglar is less likely to break in if they have to smash a window;
If you have deadlocks on your front and back doors you should always use them. They make it harder for a thief to get out again if they have got in through a window. But don't leave the key near the door, or in an obvious place;
Don't leave spare keys outside, or in a garage or shed, and put car keys or garage keys out of sight in the house;
You can buy timers for lights and radios if you need to be away from home overnight. They will create the impression that someone is in and therefore a burglar would probably move on past your home; and
Visible burglar alarms, good lighting, and carefully directed and limited security lighting can act as deterrents. But make sure that lights don't disturb your neighbours, and that alarms turn off after 20 minutes.

Fitting a 'spy hole' allows you to see who is at the door.

Having a door chain means you can open the door a little way to talk to them.

Always ask to see identification and never let anyone into your home unless you are completely sure about who they are.

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