UK households told not to make dangerous heating mistake during snow

UK households are being urged not to make a dangerous heating mistake as snow blankets the country this weekend.

Severe amber weather warnings for snow and ice are currently in place for parts of England and Wales, while yellow alerts for snow, ice and rain cover much of the UK.

The Met Office has warned that up to 40cm of snow may fall in parts of Northern England today before turning to freezing rain.

The national forecaster says there is a “good chance” the wintry weather will cause power cuts and possible mobile phone outages, while travel delays and road closures are likely.

Rural communities are also at risk of being cut off due to the snow, with households advised to prepare in case they lose power and are left isolated.

The Met Office has urged people not to make a dangerous heating mistake by ensuring that electrical heaters are turned off before going to bed, as it poses a significant fire risk.

Leaving electric heaters on all night, even if weather conditions are freezing, is not advised as they can ignite if they malfunction or have frayed wiring.

They can also make the air in the room very dry which makes it more likely for items in the room to catch fire if they malfunction.

Most electric heaters don’t produce carbon monoxide, but if you have one that burns fuel like propane or kerosene then there is also a risk it can leak and cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

Additionally, electric heaters are generally more expensive to run than gas, so you can incur some pricey energy bills by running them a lot.

A better option is to set your central heating to stay on continuously through the night and keep your thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and night during bouts of cold weather.

The NHS, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Age UK, recommends a minimum temperature of 18C to safeguard against the cold. For families with babies, rooms should be heated between 16C and 20C while they sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Safe ways to keep your home warm during cold weather also include closing your curtains at dusk, keeping doors shut to block draughts, installing draught excluders, shutting bedroom windows during the night and wearing multiple layers of lighter clothing, as this provides more warmth than a single thick layer.