As the dark nights set in and the weather continues to bring more unsettled conditions, Severn Trent customers are being encouraged to get prepared for the winter ahead and support their communities. 

The Met Office is predicting further changeable weather right through to the middle of December, but while we wait for the frosts to arrive.  

Severn Trent is here offering helpful hints and tips to everyone so we can ‘weather the winter together’. 

From advice on how to lag your pipes, checking in on your neighbour or family members and reminding them how they can benefit from our support with paying bills, to offering guidance on what to do with fats, oils and greases, we are here to ensure it’s a hassle-free winter for all. 

Jodie Bowen, Customer Contact Lead at Severn Trent, said: “We know the winter can be a difficult time for many and we want to make sure we’re there for each other - for family, friends and our communities. And we’re on hand to offer help, advice and support when our customers need it too. 

“We hope that our customers will come together to support their community, and we’re doing our bit to support our community too. Our teams will be working hard to look after the network and prevent any issues this winter. If anything does happen, we will make sure that we get it fixed as soon as possible.” 

As the unsettled weather continues, now is the perfect time to make sure the home is protected and ready for freezing temperatures and blockages. 

Severn Trent is providing several top tips and advice to get homes ready and keep them protected throughout the winter: 

Around the home: 

• Insulate your pipes in unheated areas of your homes (such as lofts, roofs, outbuildings and garages) to keep them protected from bursts or leaks this winter 

• Cover your outdoor tap to prevent it from freezing  

• Make sure you know where to find your stop tap and check that it works   

In the bathroom: 

• Check for and fix leaky loos, taps and showers – customers can let us know about any issues by sending a video using the Vyn platform here 

• Only flush the 3Ps - pee, poo and toilet paper and keep a bin in your bathroom for all unflushable items such as, sanitary towels, tampons, nappies and wipes 

In the kitchen: 

• Use kitchen roll to soak up grease from plates and pans before washing up   

• Collect used cooking oil, fat and grease into a container, jar or tin and put it in the bin once cool   

Further information on how to prepare your home for winter can be found here.   

Winter means that people are putting on the heating which can obviously have an impact on energy bills. The good news though is that a lot of people who are on a water meter could potentially save some money by making a few small changes to the ways they use water at home.  

Severn Trent offers free of charge Home Water Efficiency Checks, where one of our expert engineers will visit your property, answer questions and provide tips and advice on ways to bring down water use. They can also fit free water-saving devices, such as low-flow shower heads or hippo bags for the toilet cistern.  

Winter can also be a tough time for customers who may struggle to pay their bills over the winter, but they are being reminded that Severn Trent is there for them and can offer support. 

There are a number of ways that customers can get help and support with their water bills from Severn Trent to make sure they are as affordable as possible. This can include getting a free home water check that can be signed up for here, using water saving products and signing up for different financial support schemes. More details about all the support available to help keep bills affordable can be found here. 

If you do run into problems this winter, with either slow drains or a blocked sewer which is Severn Trent’s responsibility, you can report it at www.stwater.co.uk or by calling 0800 783 4444. Our teams both in the call centre and in the field work all day, every day, so even on Christmas Day we’ll be here to help with any problems our customers might have.   

Severn Trent also offers a webchat service online via the website and you can contact us on Twitter via @stwater. If the flooding is due to rainwater, there is no need to call unless it’s still there some time after the rain has stopped.