Here’s some information and advice about keeping your home warm and healthy in colder weather.
If you have any questions, or need to tell us about an issue or repair, get in touch calling 0800 1380 380 or email repairs@syha.co.uk.
Paying bills
If you’re struggling to pay your fuel bills over winter, please get in touch – we’re here to help. We’ll talk about the support we can offer, and let you know about some useful local organisations and charities.
Green Doctors also provide free advice and support – including a home check-up and energy saving tips. Refer yourself to their free service here.
Managing condensation
Condensation happens when moisture comes into contact with a colder surface (like a wall, ceiling or window). It can cause peeling wallpaper, damp patches and mould growth, and is more common in colder weather.
To prevent condensation, damp and mould, it’s important to keep your home warm and ventilated. Try and heat your home to 18-21°C in colder months, make sure there is a good flow of air, and manage excess moisture.
We all produce moisture in our everyday lives – it’s completely natural! However, there are ways to reduce the levels of moisture in your home.
When you’re cooking…
- Close the kitchen door
- Turn on the extractor fan
- Put the lids on pans
- Open the trickle vents in your windows
When you’re taking a bath or shower…
- Close the bathroom door
- Turn on the extractor fan
- Open a window, or open the trickle vents in your windows
When you’re washing clothes…
- Dry laundry outside, if possible
- Or – dry laundry on a clothes horse in the bathroom. Keep a window open or the extractor fan on, and the door shut.
Condensation and excess moisture can also cause mould growth. If you have a very small amount of mould, you can safely remove it with a mould treatment. This is often the quickest and most effective way of managing any mould in your home.
However, if the mould keeps returning, you have a large amount of mould, or if you think the mould is caused by a damp or condensation issue, please let us know.
We take damp, mould and condensation very seriously – we’ll work with you to identify the cause, find a solution, and prevent it from happening again. Get in touch if you have any questions or issues by calling 0800 1380 380 or email repairs@syha.co.uk.
Radiators
This is a good time of year to check that all your radiators are working properly. Bleeding your radiators releases any trapped air, and makes your radiators warmer and more efficient. It’s a simple and quick job, and you can find out more about how to bleed your radiators in this video.
Bleeding radiators is not a repair that we carry out. You can find out more about the repairs we complete, and the maintenance that you’re responsible for, on our website.
If you have an issue with your central heating or hot water, please let us know on 0800 1380 380 or email repairs@syha.co.uk.
