As a severe cold snap grips the nation, British Gas is advising households to use a simple kitchen trick to help stay warm. With temperatures predicted to plunge as low as -12C, the energy supplier recommends leaving your oven door open after cooking to let residual heat warm your kitchen.
Essential Cold Weather Advice from Energy Experts
The urgent guidance comes as vast areas of the UK, including Birmingham, contend with snow and ice. The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for Scotland across Monday and Tuesday, while six regions in England are under a yellow warning.
Jessica Rawstron, a smart energy engineer at British Gas, explained the logic behind the oven tip. "We all close the oven door once we've taken our dinner out," she said. "But that heat is a valuable resource. By leaving the door ajar, you allow that warmth to transfer slowly into your kitchen, helping to keep the house cosy while you eat." She strongly emphasised that families must keep children and pets safely away from the open oven door.
Preparing Your Home for the Freeze
Beyond the oven advice, British Gas has issued a series of recommendations to protect homes and ensure safety during the freeze. Key actions include insulating any exposed pipes connected to your boiler or water supply and storing extra wood indoors if you use a log burner.
Households are also urged to perform critical safety checks. Testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is vital, especially when using additional heating like log burners. Furthermore, knowing the location of your home's stopcock is crucial in case you need to turn off the water supply due to a burst pipe.
While major heating loss is unlikely, British Gas suggests being prepared. "It's always worth keeping sleeping bags, blankets, and warm coats handy," a statement advised.
Widespread Disruption Forecast by Met Office
The Met Office has detailed significant disruption from the wintry conditions. The amber warning indicates that heavy snow showers will become more frequent, potentially merging into longer spells of snow, leading to travel disruption.
For areas under the yellow warning, the forecast is for scattered snow showers moving inland from the North Sea. While not all places will be affected, accumulations of 5-8 cm are possible in parts of southeast Scotland, North and East Yorkshire, and Redcar and Cleveland.
The weather authority also warned that snow showers are expected to push further inland across Wales, northwest England, the West Midlands, and southwest England during Sunday. Icy stretches are likely to form widely, creating hazardous conditions on untreated surfaces.
