Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Kate Forbes backs Scottish Gas boiler campaign; urging Ross-shire residents not to get caught out by the winter cold
RESIDENTS in Ross-shire are being urged to make sure their homes are fully prepared for the colder winter months.
January and February are the coldest months of the year and, yet despite 1.3 million homes across the UK experiencing a boiler breakdown every year, studies show that barely a third of households have had theirs serviced in the last 12 months.
This increases the risk that they could put themselves at risk of a similar crisis.
And Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Kate Forbes has now added her voice to a Scottish Gas campaign urging Ross-shire residents to make sure they “stay warm” for winter.
This winter, Scottish Gas’ team of engineers have worked with Google to launch ‘Boiler Support’. This is a free service available via the Google Assistant app which helps people fix some of the less technical boiler problems at home.
Kate Forbes said: “It’s really important for homes to be prepared for the winter.
“I want everyone across the Highlands to understand what help is available to them, and for their family and friends.
“Being energy efficient and keeping bills under control is also really important, so I’d encourage people to seek advice from their energy supplier and take practical steps to help with their energy use this winter.”
Scottish Gas engineer Julie Dickson added: “Last winter was fairly mild but you never know when we might see an extreme weather event in the UK – the Beast from the East wasn’t until March just when we expect things to start getting warmer
“There are some really simple steps you can take to help prepare your house for winter and keep everything running, but if something does go wrong, we’re always on standby to come to the rescue.”
During the Beast from the East, temperatures of below -10°C and wind speeds of more than 60mph led to the busiest week on record for Scottish Gas, with 104 calls for assistance coming in every second.
Scottish Gas has urged residents to follow several simple tips to stay warm, including making sure to get a Gas Safe registered engineer to service your boiler annually.
People should also bleed their radiators to maximise their effectiveness and save money. Once they are bled people should also check the pressure in their boiler to make sure it hasn’t dropped.
Better insulation, and using draught excluders, can also make a difference.
For more winter tips and advice visit www.scottishgas.co.uk/home-services/boiler-support.html
