Always Keep a Microwavable HotPak or Hot Water Bottle Nearby

Ensure you always have a hot water bottle on standby. They are a quick, easy and cost-effective way of warming you up on these cold days and nights. Use one in your bed to warm it up before you get in or use one on the sofa whilst you cuddle up. The heat they give off can also be great for relieving any stress in tight muscles after a long day’s work.

Available in many different shapes and styles, whether it’s a Long Hot Water Bottle which you can wrap around your body, a Kuddli Friend or Lavender Wheaties.

Make Sure you Always Have a Spare Heater

It is estimated that around 1 in 5 boilers will breakdown during the Winter months.¹ A recommendation to lower the chances of your boiler breaking down in Winter, is to turn your central heating on for 10 minutes every month throughout summer. This will help to keep all the parts moving and help prevent any parts becoming clogged which could lead to a breakdown. Ensuring you have a spare heater in your home however, gives you a means of keeping warm if your boiler breaks down or your central heating fails at the time you would need it most. There is nothing more miserable than when you have no heating and can see your own breath whilst trying to eat your dinner!

There are a wide range of portable heaters available from small fan heaters for additional warmth at your desk to electric fires to heat entire rooms. Ranging from cheap and practical to those with flame effects to create a focal point in your room.

Wrap up Warm

Always have some warm waterproof clothing, a pair of hard-wearing waterproof shoes and a blanket in your car. You never know when you may have to help another driver who has got stuck in the snow. Then if you get caught out, you can benefit from some thick, waterproof clothes on hand to keep you warm and toasty whilst you wait for assistance. You may have noticed our changing weather conditions, the more frequent flooding in recent years, or that we are having more frequent high winds from big storms and ‘hurricanes’²

There is a full range of high quality country and workwear clothing available in-store from brands such as Dickies and JCB.

Expect and Plan for the Unexpected

In the UK it can be mild one day and icy and freezing cold the next. Always keep a supply of de-icer in your car and your screen wash topped up with a spare bottle in the boot should it run out on a long journey.

We have a range of pre-mixed and concentrated screen wash plus de-icer cans and bottles in stock at our Ely store. There is also a range of snow shovels, grit and salt in stock which can be used to clear snow and ice on your paths and driveways. It is also a smart idea when snow is forecast to pop the snow shovel in the boot, should you need it if you or a fellow driver were to get stuck in the snow.

Always Have a Spare Supply of Batteries

During the short dark days and bad weather, it is a good idea to make sure you have a couple of torches and batteries on hand to power them, should you be unfortunate enough to suffer a power cut. With it being dark by the time you get in from work, it is always a good idea to carry one with you in the car. A spare supply of batteries can help to ensure you can keep your tools running as well. Batteries have a shorter life span when subjected to extreme temperatures. They perform best when kept at a temperature around 20C (68F), so during our Winter it is likely their efficiency may sometimes be reduced.

Keep Your Fire Place Safe and Well Stocked

A real open fire is a great feature in the home, it adds a cosy atmospheric touch whilst providing warmth and heat quickly and effectively. It is important to use a fire guard though to keep the fire contained within the fire place. Otherwise it could change from cosy atmospheric to frightening destruction – something nobody wants in their home. A fireguard will also help to stop any flyaway embers from escaping and ruining your flooring. It is also paramount that you have a working fire alarm and carbon monoxide detector. A range of different fire logs, coal, kindling, fire lighters and smoke detectors can be found in-store at Pecks Groundcare and Country Store now.

Sources

¹ http://www.testolimited.com/1-in-5-boilers-will-breakdown-this-winter

² https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries

³ http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharging_at_high_and_low_temperatures