There are ways to protect your pipes and tanks from extreme weather. Lag all external pipes and any internal ones that are exposed to extreme cold as well as your storage tank if it’s in a particularly cold part of the house.

Do you have a loft? Take a look at the water pipes and water storage tanks inside it and ask yourself whether the loft insulation is good enough to protect them from severe cold. Replace old-style felt lagging on pipes with the right foam insulation, checking that all joints and bends are covered too. One easy way to keep your loft warm in very cold weather is to open the loft hatch to let the warm air from your house circulate inside it.