Advice on how to keep warm, reduce risks and stay well during the winter.
Keep your home warm, efficiently and safely
- Heat your home to the right temperature. Your living room should be 21°C (70°F), and your bedroom and the rest of the house heated to 18°C (65°F). Above this and you may waste money; below this you may risk your health.
- This will keep your home warm and may lower your bills
- If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and your bedroom just before you go to bed
- Get your heating system and cooking appliances checked and keep your home well ventilated
- Use your electric blanket as instructed and get it tested every three years. Never use a hot water bottle with an electric blanket
- Switch your appliances (such as TVs and microwaves) off rather than leaving them on standby
- Do not use a gas cooker or oven to heat your home; it is inefficient and there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and this can kill
- Make sure you have a supply of heating oil or LPG or solid fuel if you are not on mains gas or electricity – to make sure you do not run out in winter
Keep the warmth in by
- Fitting draught proofing to seal any gaps around windows and doors
- Making sure you have loft insulation, and if you have cavity walls, make sure they are insulated too
- Insulate your hot water cylinder and pipes
- Draw your curtains at dusk to help keep heat generated inside your rooms
- Make sure your radiators are not obstructed by furniture or curtains
Look after yourself
- Food is a vital source of energy and helps to keep your body warm so have plenty of hot food and drinks
- Aim to include five daily portions of fruit and vegetables. Tinned and frozen vegetables count toward your five a day
- Stock up on tinned and frozen foods so you don’t have to go out too much when it’s cold or icy
- Exercise is good for you all year and it can keep you warm in winter
- If possible, try to move around at least once an hour
- Wear lots of thin layers – clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres are particularly good and maintain body heat
- Wear good-fitting slippers with a good grip indoors and shoes with a good grip outside to prevent trips, slips and falls
- Make sure you have spare medication in case you are unable to go out
Look after others
Check on older neighbours or relatives, especially those living alone or who have serious illnesses to make sure they are safe, warm and well.
Get financial support
There are grants, benefits and sources of advice to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills.
It’s worthwhile claiming all the benefits you are entitled to before winter sets in.
Plymouth Energy Community has been established to help people save on fuel bills, improve energy efficiency and create opportunities to invest in renewable energy sources.
Norovirus
Also known as the winter vomiting bug, is highly contagious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea in people of all ages.
Having norovirus is unpleasant but not generally dangerous and most people make a full recovery within a couple of days.
If you have norovirus, the following steps should help ease your symptoms:
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
- Take paracetamol for any fever or aches and pains
- If you feel like eating, eat foods that are easy to digest
- Stay at home and don’t go to the doctor, because norovirus is contagious and there is nothing the doctor can do while you have it
- Contact your GP to seek advice if your symptoms last longer than a few days or if you already have a serious illness.
The virus is easily spread by contact or contaminated food/drink. The following measures should help prevent the virus from spreading further:
- Wash your hands frequently
- Do not share towels and flannels
- Disinfect any surfaces that an infected person has touched
Get your flu jab
Protect yourself – and your children – against the flu.
People in at risk groups in Plymouth are encouraged to get their flu jabs to protect them against seasonal flu.
Visit the NHS website for information about flu jabs.