British Gas tells households to purchase sleeping luggage and ‘3 days of meals’ – see checklist
Energy giant British Gas has issued advice for UK households preparing for heavy snow this weekend, with the Met Office warning of blizzard conditions
CAMBORNE, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 25: Food stocks from the charity Transformation CPR are seen at the foodbank being run at the Camborne Centenary Methodist Church in Camborne on July 25, 2017 in Cornwall, England.
Transformation CPR is run by local churches and oversees and develops social care projects in the Camborne, Pool and Redruth area in partnership with other agencies. The foobank is currently providing between 8000 and 10,000 meals every month to people who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families. Figures released by Eurostat in 2014 named the British county of Cornwall as one of Europe’s top ten poverty areas falling behind Poland, Lithuania and Hungary. Average wages were £14,300 compared with the UK national figure of £23,300 and £20,750 across Europe. UK government statistics show almost a quarter of people living in the Camborne, Pool and Redruth (CPR) area of Cornwall are in one of the most deprived areas of England with the highest level of childhood obesity, almost a quarter of children aged under 16 living in poverty and the lowest life expectancy. The area, which has long suffered from severe industrial decline with the demise of the copper and tin mining industries, has not shared in the wealth created in nearby tourist havens such as Newquay, Padstow and St Ives. Cornwall is the only UK county to have previously received emergency funding from the European Union (EU) and was one of the major beneficiaries of the UK’s membership of the EU due to the large amount of funding made available through the EUs Objective One and Convergence programmes. Despite this voters overwhelmingly backed the campaign to leave the European Union in the June 2016 referendum. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
British Gas has issued guidance for UK households preparing to face heavy snow this weekend. Several areas are bracing themselves for blizzard conditions on Saturday and Sunday.
The Met Office has put a yellow weather warning in place for heavy snow, starting at 3pm on Saturday for Scotland and running for 12 hours until 3pm on Sunday. It is also warning areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to prepare for powerful winds and potential power outages.
The Storm Dave warning from the Met Office said: “Snow and for a time blizzard conditions may disrupt travel for parts of northwest Scotland in association with Storm Dave.
During the evening snow may turn heavier and as winds increase, blizzard conditions with drifting and blowing snow likely to lead to very poor visibility across the hills and mountains of the northwest of Scotland.”, reports the Express. It added: “Accumulating snow on roads will mostly be above 200 m elevation, where 5-10 cm is possible and a small chance of 10-20 cm.”
Energy supplier British Gas has a list of advice for homes, encouraging people to undertake several preparations.
The list includes:
– Improve insulation, including weatherproofing gaps
– Safeguard pipes, and apply insulating tubing to any exposed pipes for your boiler or heating or water supply.
– Keep additional wood for a log burner inside, in case you can’t access it, and avoid placing electric heaters near furniture.
The company also encouraged people to inspect smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, particularly if using indoor heating such as a log burner. Households were also advised to locate their stopcock, in case they need to shut off the water supply due to a burst pipe.
The firm also urged people to prepare for being without heating. It said: “While it’s unlikely that a heavy snowfall will leave you without any heating, it’s always worth keeping sleeping bags, blankets and warm coats handy.”
The supplier also encouraged people to assemble an emergency kit, adding: “It’s a good habit to have at least three days’ worth of food and essentials stored in an easy-to-reach part of your home.” This includes like medicines, drinking water, non-perishable food and snacks, and extra blankets.
Its advice suggests that people should also keep a torch, batteries and a phone charger within reach too. For those with a car, the firm said to inspect several key elements.
It said: “Have your brakes, heater, tyres and windscreen wipers checked to make sure they’re in good working order before winter.”
The business has also encouraged individuals to check on their neighbours. It said: “When severe weather hits, you might find yourself stranded away from home. So plan how you’ll stay in contact with the rest of your household and where you’ll meet if you can’t get home due to heavy snow.
“Check in on elderly or vulnerable relatives and neighbours to make sure they’ve got everything they need to get through a cold snap.”
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