Staying safe and well in winter

Be prepared for a power cut

Bad weather can sometimes cause damage and disruption to your gas or electricity supply, so it’s a good idea to be prepared for a power cut or gas leak.

• Know your free emergency numbers – in a power cut dial 105 or, for a gas emergency, dial 0800 111 999.
• Prepare your home – get your appliances serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Keep spare bulbs, batteries, a charged torch and a mobile phone handy in case of an emergency.

It’s also a good idea to join the Priority Services Register (PSR). People on the PSR may get support in a power cut, like alternative heating or cooking facilities. You can sign up if you:

• have reached State Pension age
• are disabled or have a long-term medical condition
• have a hearing or sight impairment
• are in a vulnerable situation.

Fire safety           

This winter, you may be spending more time cooking, heating your home and using electrical appliances. Visit our webpage about fire, gas, solid fuel and electrical safety for tips on ways to keep yourself safe in your home.

Slips and falls 

In your home

It’s important to ensure your home is safe, especially if you are doing more exercise and activities in it. See our webpage Staying steady on your feet for tips on avoiding a fall in your home, and what to do if you have one.

Being careful outside

If you have to go out when it’s icy, wear shoes with good grip and a warm lining, and put on thick socks. Keep grit and/or salt to put on your path. Check if your council can give it to you for free, or you can buy it from a DIY store. Some councils provide it for free in on-street grit boxes.

If you live in England and Wales, you can find out which streets your council will grit at Gov.uk. If you live in Scotland, visit Traffic Scotland.

It’s a good idea to carry a mobile phone with you if you can. Make sure it’s fully charged before you go outside.

Scams              

Scams are crimes, where criminals trick people into giving away money and personal information. These tricks can be complex and take a long time, or can be as instant as a text message or phone call. Scammers take advantage of times of uncertainty, like the current cost of living crisis. Scammers are also more active in winter, because we all stay at home more.

Visit our Scams hub for more information.

Stock up on medicine

It's common to catch a cold or flu, or to get a sore throat in the colder months. Keep your medicine cabinet stocked up with a range of everyday medicines in case you get ill, such as:

• painkillers
• cough medicine
• throat lozenges
• sore throat sprays.

You can contact your pharmacist for advice if you're feeling unwell. Some pharmacies operate a minor ailment scheme, which may enable you to get medicine for some minor illnesses for free. You'll need to be registered with a GP surgery that is taking part in the scheme.

Some pharmacies offer a home delivery service for repeat prescriptions. You can also order repeat prescriptions online and get them delivered to you.

Mental health and wellbeing

If you find yourself feeling isolated, anxious or overwhelmed over the winter months, there’s support out there for you. Reach out to your GP, or an organisation like The Silver Line or Samaritans for help.

As well as exercising and eating well, staying connected with others can help to improve your mental health. Stay in touch with friends, family, neighbours, clubs and your community by phone or meeting up. It can be useful to keep a list of these phone numbers to remind you to call, or use a calendar to remind you of important events and reasons to reach out. If you’re able to volunteer, giving back to our communities is a great way to feel connected. Visit our webpage Staying connected for more ideas.

If you struggle with low mood and tiredness during the winter, you may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you're experiencing SAD symptoms, speak with your GP or visit the NHS website for more information.

Eating well

You might be worried about having to cook food this winter, when energy bills are rising, but it’s important that you eat at least one hot meal a day to help keep you warm and healthy. EnergyGuide has information about how much appliances cost to run.

If you need it, we’ve got more information about how to eat a balanced diet on a budget.

If you’re struggling to get out, some charities offer help if you have difficulty with food shopping. For example:

• In England, Age UK supplies home delivery services for a small fee. You can search for services near you

• In Wales, Age UK Cymru also have a supported shopping service

• In Scotland, Food Train make food deliveries, and can also help with household jobs and provide books through a library service.

Your council also might be able to provide food delivery, or meals on wheels. If you live in England or Wales, you can check at Gov.uk/meals-home. If you live in Scotland, visit the Care Information Scotland website.

If you're struggling to buy or prepare food yourself, call our free Helpline on 0800 319 6789 to see if you can get extra help at home.

Food banks

If you’re having trouble affording food, you could contact your local food bank. They can supply emergency food and support. The Trussell Trust has more information about where you can find a food bank. You can also find your nearest food bank using the Independent Food Aid Network’s online map.

Keeping active

Any movement is good for us, particularly as we go out less. It can make us feel warmer, and can improve our sleep, appetite and mood. Visit our Staying active page for more information.

Getting your jabs               

It’s important to have a flu jab every year. Even if you had one last year, it might not protect you from this year’s flu. Make an appointment with your GP or see if your local pharmacy offers the flu jab.

The pneumonia vaccine (also called a pneumococcal or pneumo jab) is a one-off jab. It helps protect against pneumonia, meningitis and septicaemia. You can get a free jab if you’re 65 or over. Contact your GP to get the jab or to check if you’ve already had it.

Check whether you qualify for a COVID-19 seasonal booster jab.

You can get a shingles jab free with the NHS – check on the NHS website to see if you're eligible. Once you qualify, a GP or practice nurse will offer you the vaccine if you go to your doctor for any reason. If you don’t want to wait for this, contact your GP surgery to arrange an appointment to have the jab.

You can use our three checklists to mark off the practical steps you have taken to stay warm and well in winter, both before and during the colder months.

• Download our Preparing for winter checklist.
• Download our Keeping well during winter checklist.
• Download our Winter benefits checklist.