Gavin Newlands MP urges households to ‘Keep a Step Ahead of Winter’

New research from Scottish Gas has highlighted that having no heating or hot water would be the number one disaster for households in Scotland this winter. Even so, many people in Renfrewshire have not taken action to ensure their homes are winter-ready.

British Gas – Stay warm this Winter 2017

Despite the autumn chill, a national survey* shows that more than a third of households (35%) in Scotland have not checked that their central heating is working and nearly four in ten have not prepared their home for winter by getting their boiler serviced.

Keeping homes safe is an important part of winter preparation, yet only four in ten households in Scotland have checked that their carbon monoxide alarm is working. Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’, because the gas has no odour or taste, and is invisible.

Being energy efficient is particularly important during the winter months, and technology can help with this. Whilst more than half of households in Scotland (51%) acknowledge that technology could help their home to run more smoothly during winter, less than a third (32%) have smart meters.

Having smart meters installed can help keep household energy in check, as they automatically send readings to the energy supplier.  Smart meters also come with a display that shows you how much energy is being used, in pounds and pence, in near real-time, and identify where savings can be made.

Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said: “It’s really important to be properly prepared for winter. I want everyone in Renfrewshire to understand what help is available, not just for themselves, but their family and friends too. Being energy efficient and keeping bills under control is really important, so I’d encourage people to get in touch with their energy supplier to find out what support is on offer.”

Scottish Gas engineer Stephen Cosgrove, who fixes and repairs boilers, said: “Winter can be a challenging time for households, but there are some practical steps that you can take, with our help, to make sure that you are prepared.”