Ideally you should heat your whole home to around the same temperature - ideally between 18° and 21°C - so no really hot or really cold rooms. It’s also important to get the ventilation/heat loss balance right to help prevent respiratory problems and stay healthy – find out more about ventilating your home.
If your heating’s not working, then please let us know – but it’s worth giving these things a go first to see if there’s a quick fix.
If everything’s working as it should be but your home is still cold, here are some tips to try such as tackling draughts, keeping pipes cozy, using insulation, and installing radiator reflector panels.
If you've tried these tips and you feel your home is still colder than it should be in the winter months, get in touch so we can check for any other possible causes.
Remember to tell us as soon as possible if you're concerned about damp, mould or condensation in your home, especially if you think it might be having an impact on your health or the health of members of your household – find out how to let us know about damp, mould or condensation.
By law, when the outside temperature falls below -1°C, the minimum heating standard is at least 18°C for bedrooms and 21°C for living rooms.
We have to make sure that there is a dependable source of heat and hot water available at all times – but it’s the tenant’s responsibility to use the heating in their home and tell us about any issues as soon as possible.
Head over to our Problems with your heating page for things to check, and details of who to contact.
As a responsible landlord, we take gas and heating checks very seriously and have a strict procedure which must be followed by us and our contractor, Sureserve Compliance South. Under your tenancy agreement you must allow us access for this.
Under The Gas Safety (Installations & Use) Regulations 1998 we have a legal duty to carry out annual safety inspections of any gas appliances in our homes - failure to comply with this duty is a criminal offence.
Check out our Energy saving tips page for ways you can cut the cost of heating your home.
Take a look at our Energy saving page to find out how we can support you and help you improve your financial situation so you can afford your energy costs.
If you're struggling to keep up with your energy costs, it's so important to contact your supplier, especially if you miss or are in danger of missing a payment – they should be able to give you advice or help you find a way to manage your payments. You might also benefit from one of the government's schemes designed to assist people who struggle with their energy bills.
- Visit the Citizens Advice website for information on the different schemes available
- Find out more about how we can help you afford your energy costs.
The Priority Services Register] is a free support service for people in vulnerable situations offered by energy suppliers and network operators. to help. To register you need to contact your energy supplier and/or network operator. Once on the Priority Services Register, you will be able to access help such as:
- Priority support in an emergency
- Regular meter reading services
- Advanced noticed of planned power cuts
- A scheme allowing you to nominate someone to receive communications and bills on your behalf - for example, a family member, carer, or someone else you trust
- An identification and password scheme so you can feel confident if callers need to visit or contact you
- Help with prepayment meter access
- Accessible information - for example, account information and bills in large print or braille.
You can visit the Ofgem website for full details on the help and support you can get, how to register, and to check if you are eligible.
Tenants in our sheltered homes are responsible for reporting their own gas and heating repairs - you can report online or by calling 020 8269 5981. In an emergency, or if you need help, get in touch with us for assistance.