Everything you need to know about the cold-health alert

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold-health alert (CHA) of the winter for households in Yorkshire & Humber, the North West, and the North East.

All other regions in England will be under a yellow alert until Saturday 22 November.

Cold-health alerts are issued by the UKHSA and the Met Office to warn when temperatures are expected to drop low enough to affect people’s health. These alerts are designed to flag when cold conditions could:

• Increase deaths, especially among people aged 65+ or those with health conditions
• Put pressure on remote health services
• Disrupt deliveries
• Make it harder to keep indoor temperatures at the recommended 18°C, increasing the risk for vulnerable groups

How to stay warm during a cold snap

With energy bills still high, it’s understandable that many households are trying to keep heating costs as low as possible. But staying warm is really important for your health. Here are some simple, low-cost ways to protect yourself this week.

Heat your home

If you can, try to keep your home at a minimum of 18°C, especially in rooms you use often like your living room and bedroom. Cold homes are particularly risky for older people, young children, and anyone with existing health conditions such as heart or respiratory problems. They can also make you more vulnerable to colds, flu, or other illnesses, and can increase the risk of falls if your muscles and joints are stiff from the cold.

Stay active indoors

Try not to sit still for more than an hour. Light movement such as walking around, stretching or doing small household tasks can help boost circulation and keep you warmer.

Make sure you eat and drink well

Warm meals and hot drinks are essential in cold weather as they help your body stay warm. Stock up on affordable staples like tinned soup, pasta and frozen vegetables in case you can’t get out.

If you’re struggling to afford food, you can get a referral to your local food bank from your GP, your child’s school, the police or organisations like Citizens Advice. Some food banks can also deliver if you’re unwell, disabled or have no one to collect on your behalf.

Reduce draughts

Stopping cold air from getting in can make a big difference. You can buy cheap draught-proofing strips for windows and doors or use silicone or brush strips.

For a budget-friendly fix, fill old tights with fabric scraps to make a homemade draught excluder. And close your curtains as soon as it gets dark to help keep heat inside.

Heat safely

It’s worth getting your boiler and appliances serviced regularly to keep them running efficiently and avoid breakdowns, which could cost you more in the long run.

And remember, to keep yourself safe:

• Never use a gas cooker or oven to heat your home
• Avoid using an electric blanket and a hot water bottle at the same time
• Use a plug-in space heater with an automatic shut-off

You should also have working smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide detector. If you can’t afford one, your local fire service may fit a free smoke alarm during a Home Safety Fire Visit, and some offer carbon monoxide detectors too if you’re at risk.

Stock up on medications

Make sure you have enough of any prescribed medication in case cold weather stops you from leaving the house.

Visit a warm space

Warm Spaces are free heated places such as libraries, community centres and churches. Many offer hot drinks, Wi-Fi, charging points and advice sessions on things like budgeting. Visting one means you can get out of a cold home and warm up for free for a few hours.

You can find your nearest Warm Space through your local council or by visiting the Warm Welcome Campaign website.

Use your emergency energy top-up if you need it

If you’re on a prepayment meter, you’ll usually have access to a small amount of emergency credit (often around £10). Insert your key or card into the meter to activate it - you may need to remove first and then reinsert.

Remember that you’ll have to repay the emergency credit the next time you top-up, so try to add enough to cover both the emergency amount and your usual usage.

Seek help through the household support fund

Your local council may be able to offer emergency help through the household support fund. This can include cash payments, prepayment meter vouchers or help repairing or replacing essential appliances.

Check your council’s website for details, as support varies by area.

Cold weather payments

Cold Weather Payments help people on certain benefits with heating costs. Between 1 November and 31 March, you could receive £25 for every seven-day period where the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below. The payments will be automatically added to your account.