Taking care of your home

PROTECTION FROM FROST DAMAGE

Most winters have cold spells. To avoid the misery and damage caused by burst pipes during cold weather:

• Keep heating on a low setting all night
• If you have a water tank in the loft, open the loft hatch to allow warm air to rise into the roof space, this will increase the temperature slightly and may help to stop the tank freezing
• Run taps and flush toilets to check pipes are not frozen
• Replace washers on dripping taps
• Lag pipes to help prevent freezing
• Stop draughts blowing directly onto water pipes.

IF YOU GO AWAY

• Leave the heating on a low setting
• If you're leaving your property for a long time and the weather is very bad, it might be necessary to drain the water system down - let us know how long you're going away for and we'll advise you what needs to be done
• If you live in a flat or a maisonette, leave a spare key with a neighbour - a flood in an upstairs flat can cause damage to the whole building.

WHEN YOU GET BACK

• Make sure all taps are left on before turning on the stopcock
• Turn off taps only when water is running freely from them
• Make sure the hot water system is refilled with water before turning on immersion heaters and lighting fires
• If a tap runs dry, the pipes are frozen - turn the water off at the mains

IF YOU SUFFER A BURST WATER TANK OR PIPE DUE TO THEM FREEZING

Turn off:

• Water at the stopcock, often found under the kitchen sink
• Electricity at the mains
• Central heating or put out the fire if you have a back boiler
• Gas heating appliance /immersion

Turn on:

• all taps

CONTACT US FOR ADVICE IMMEDIATELY 

During office hours on:

0800 028 0835

or call the EMERGENCY REPAIRS NUMBER:

0800 028 0835

after 5pm and any time at weekends and Bank Holidays.

INSURANCE

We insure the building where you live. You should insure the contents of your home and your personal possessions.

Home Contents Insurance

Why do I need it?

If you are a tenant who rents, then your landlord may not cover your contents as part of the tenancy agreement. It's a good idea to consider what a home contents insurance policy would cover you for in order to help you make an informed decision on whether you need one.

Contents insurance is designed to help protect your possessions. No matter how careful you are, there's always a risk that your belongings could be broken, damaged or stolen so home contents insurance can help provide peace of mind.

To help you decide whether home contents insurance is right for you, Gosport Borough Council have teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks, and Ageas Insurance Limited who provide the Crystal Insurance Scheme, a specialist Tenants Contents Insurance policy.

The Crystal Insurance Scheme can offer you insurance for the contents of your home including cover for items such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding, electrical items, jewellery, pictures and ornaments.

How do I get further information?

•             Ask your local housing officer for an application pack.

•             Call Thistle Tenant Risks on 0345 450 7286

Alternatively, please visit the www.crystal-insurance.co.uk for more information or to request a call back.

The Crystal Insurance Scheme is a product name arranged and administered by Thistle Tenant Risks a trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Thistle Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 310419. Registered in England under No. 00338645. Registered office: Rossington's Business Park, West Carr Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SW. Thistle Insurance Services Limited is part of the PIB Group. For information about what we do with personal data please see our Privacy Policy at www.crystal-insurance.co.uk/Privacy-Policy