Protecting your home

We strongly advise you to take out home contents insurance as we do not insure your contents, fixtures, fittings and decorations, or against theft, fire, vandalism or leaks.

You can find more information about contents insurance here.

In cold weather, water inside pipes, cisterns and basins can freeze and expand causing serious damage. At the start of a cold spell take these precautions to avoid freezing:

• Make sure that all taps are turned off at night
• Report any running overflows
• Keep your home as warm as you can
• Find out where the main stopcock is and how to turn it off

If you are leaving your home empty for more than a few days, and there is a danger of a hard frost draw off any water from the domestic system after turning off the stopcock, or if you have a central heating system, leave it running at a low temperature to provide background warmth.

If you have a burst pipe, you should:

• Switch off your central heating system or immersion heater if you have one
• Turn off the main stopcock
• Put something under the leak to catch the water
• Turn on all taps to drain the system as soon as possible
• Call the repairs number.

Dampness in buildings can be caused in many ways. The most frequent cause of reported damp is condensation.

Condensation occurs when moist air reaches a cold surface and deposits water on, or in, that surface. Air can become heavy with water vapour from cooking, washing, hot baths and drying clothes. Dampness shows up as black mould growth, particularly near windows or in areas where air cannot circulate.

To limit condensation:

• Reduce the amount of water vapour in the air by drying clothes outside. If you have to air them indoors, keep a window open
• After a bath or shower keep the bathroom door closed and the window open so that steam can escape without getting into other rooms
• Try to ensure that there is enough heat and ventilation in each room. If you have an airbrick or vent in the wall or window do not block it up or you will stop moisture getting out and prevent essential ventilation
• If you experience continuing problems a Maintenance Surveyor can carry out a check on the cause of the dampness and give further advice

For more information, visit our condensation page.

We do not treat vermin such as cockroaches, mice or rats, or remove fleas, bed bugs, wasps, bees, and ants. Your local council offers a service that will deal with pests/vermin that are harmful to public health.

We will block up holes/access points that pests/vermin are using to enter your home.