Be Prepared

The Met Office can provide the latest forecasts and weather warnings and also gives seasonal advice to help you keep stay safe and warm.

Water Pipes and Tanks

Maintain an adequate level of heating to prevent water pipes and tanks from freezing.

Make sure all water pipes and tanks are lagged, windows are not broken and openings are sealed and all stopcocks are in working order.

If a pipe does freeze, do not use blowlamps or any form of naked flame to thaw the pipe. Always isolate the pipe by closing the stopcock on the feed from the tank or main.

If your building is unoccupied for a lengthy period, turn off the water supply and drain the system

Power Cuts

Whoever your supplier, you can now call 105; a free national power cut phone line. You can report a power cut and see when the power is estimated to be back on, receive updates via text message and get advice about what to do during a power cut.

You can also sign up for extra support during a power cut and also register a family member or someone else you know who may need extra help.

Snow and Ice

Herts County Council have primary responsibility for clearing snow and ice in Stevenage and provide details of their gritting and salting routes.

If prolonged snowfall prevents services such as refuse and recycling collections, we will deploy those teams to assist Herts County Council in the clearing of pavements, footpaths and roads.

Follow the Met Office's Snow Code to clear snow and ice from the pavement outside your home or public space.

Storms

During adverse weather conditions such as a storm, some trees can get damaged and become dangerous. If you see a fallen, split or uprooted tree, particularly in the vicinity of a public road, walkway or in a residential area, we would appreciate you reporting it to our Customer Service Centre on 01438 242242 or 01438 314963 if out of hours.

Get support

HertsHelp can provide practical support, guidance and information you need. Call 0300 123 4044 (local rate) and quote HOME1 Monday - Friday 8am to 6pm or email info@hertshelp.net.

The NHS provide advice on 'how to stay well in winter'.

The Red Cross ask you to consider how prepared you are for a journey in the cold weather.

The GOV.UK website provides information on 'fire safety in the winter' and can tell you of the local services disrupted by severe weather.

Weather warnings from Herts County Council can be used to find information on highways, bus travel, school closures, libraries and recycling centres.

You can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the latest information.

Councillors