Wheatley makes sure oldest won't be coldest this winter

Scotland’s largest provider of social housing, Wheatley Group, has launched its WinterReady initiative, a free service for people over 60 to ensure their homes are prepared for winter.

Almost 16,000 tenants across central Scotland are eligible for the scheme which includes checking the heating system, the radiators and pipes, guidance on how best to set heating and advice on how to avoid frozen pipes.

According to new research by the Met Office, 91% of adults underestimate how cold British winters can be.

This Thursday (December 1) marks the official first day of winter and with the Met Office’s latest long range weather forecast predicting that December is likely to be ‘colder than normal’, now is the time to get ready for winter.

To mark the launch of the WinterReady initiative, TV weather man Seán Batty visited GHA tenant Elizabeth Bashir at her home in Cardonald, Glasgow, to see the check being carried out.

Seán reckons that the scheme works well in making sure that older Scots are ready for winter saying: “You can never be too prepared for the coldest months and Wheatley is doing a great job in making sure its older tenants are ready for whatever winter brings.

“The end of November came as a bit of a shock to most, with temperatures remaining sub zero on a few of the days. The temperature dropped to -8C at Glasgow Airport early on the 25th of November, and Glasgow and Renfrewshire experienced their coldest weather since 2011.

“Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict what lies ahead of us this winter in any great detail, but there’s a lower chance of stormy conditions, and a heightened risk of more settled but colder weather for December, especially through the second half of the month.

“In the last seven years we’ve had wild swings from severe cold and ice, to severe storms and floods, we must be prepared for all the elements that can be thrown at us during the winter months.”

Elizabeth Bashir from Cardonald had her WinterReady check done this week and is glad she got it booked.

“I think it’s quite a useful service and I’m very pleased I got the checks done,” she says. “The young man explained everything in great detail and I feel a lot more prepared - I’m all ready for winter now.”

Wheatley Group’s six social landlords, who provide 51,180 homes for social rent across central Scotland, are taking part in the initiative.

Tenants with Glasgow Housing Association, Cube, West Lothian Housing Partnership, Loretto, Dunedin Canmore and Barony can all book a visit from one of the WinterReady plumbers by speaking to their housing officer or giving their landlord a call.

Wheatley Group’s WinterReady experts offer the following tips to stay safe this winter:

• If you’re not going to be at home for a period of time, set your heating to come on for a couple of hours a day and leave a key with a friend or neighbour.
• Have regular hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day
• Wear several light layers of warm clothes to keep the heat in
• Keep active and wrap up warm if you go outside draw your curtains at dusk and keep doors closed to block out draughts
• Keep your living room at around 18-21°C (64-70°F) to keep warm and cosy.

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