Get your home ready for colder weather

Start with where you spend time sitting, sleeping or caring for someone. Staying warm matters particularly for older people, young children and people with some health conditions or limited mobility. The right arrangements need to fit the people living there.

Check that you can use the heating controls and that anyone helping you knows how they work. If a fault or cost is stopping you heating your home, ask for help before colder weather makes it more urgent. UKHSA's cold-weather guidance for England points readers towards local council and energy-bill support.

1. Check curtains and close them at dusk to help retain warmth. Keep them clear of radiators so they do not obstruct heat reaching the room.
2. Look for draughts around doors and windows that can be dealt with appropriately. If you rent, discuss repairs with the person responsible for the property.
3. Keep suitable layers and bedding easy to reach. Think about someone who cannot readily fetch another layer or adjust a control without assistance.
4. Arrange heating maintenance through an appropriately qualified professional. Raise problems with the landlord or responsible service provider where that is their role; don't attempt a fuel-appliance repair yourself.

Choose the position before switching it on. Keep portable heaters clear of curtains, bedding, furniture and anything else that can catch fire, following the manufacturer's clearances. Put the heater where it will not be knocked over and where its cable will not cause a trip.

Do not use it to dry clothes. Keep people who may struggle to move away from heat in mind, including children and anyone with limited mobility. Turn the heater off and let it cool before moving it.

An extra heater changes the room's fire risks as well as its temperature. If it cannot be used with the space and supervision its instructions require, find another arrangement rather than squeezing it into an unsafe position.

Use the boxes while you read, or tick them on a printed copy. This site doesn't save your ticks.

• The heating controls are understood and any fault has been reported.
• Curtains, layers and bedding are accessible without obstructing heat or ventilation.
• Any portable heater can be positioned and used exactly as its instructions require.
• You know who to contact about heating costs, property repairs or support with keeping warm.
• Fuel-appliance maintenance and carbon monoxide protection have not been overlooked.

Some heating systems need electricity even when their fuel is gas or oil. Check your own system rather than assuming that a different fuel means it will keep working. The power-cut guide helps you consider that interruption; the fire-safety guide covers warnings and escape arrangements.