Watch out for the 'big freeze'

Earlier this week, the Met Office offered up winter weather warnings for large partsof the UK, as snow fell and ice set in across parts of Wales. Cautions were given to those living especially in areas like the north-east, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With those warnings in mind, it seems like much of the UK's rental homes and private house residents are worried about how their homes will cope. Results of a new survey published by Santander have revealed that 25 per cent of the public are concerned about their house being damaged by cold conditions.

The biggest worries appear to be getting aired in Scotland, where some 36 per cent said they fear damage to their homes, more than any other region in the UK, and 47 per cent said they were worried that they might not be able to afford to pay their bills to keep the house heated and protected.

A property which is not well heated could end up suffering from frozen and broken pipes, which in turn could lead to costly home insurance claims for those living in UK property.

Steve Burton, head of marketing at Santander, said: "In winter many people have more concerns and fears due to darker nights and the effects of harsher weather conditions. People are concerned about a wide variety of risks from the effects of adverse weather or their ability to pay the bills during the winter, but in some instances there are steps that can be taken to reduce the level of risk."

Santander has offered homeowners tips on how to prepare for winter has to throw at them. It says that keeping a torch handy in case of a power outage is vital, and also said that homeowners should make sure they are aware of where they can cut of their water supply if pipes should freeze and burst, leading to floods.