Hundreds of houses are without electricity across the UK due to stormy weather. Here, the business comparison experts at Bionic have pulled together some emergency guidance for anyone who may be affected, which will also be useful future extreme weather events. Roofing megastore also has some advice on checking for roof damage.

What items should you keep in your home as part of a survival kit or to protect yourself during an outage? : Portable charger - ensure that essential electric items like your phone still have charge. You’ll need to be able to alert others that your power has gone off and that you may need assistance. You’ll want to call your electricity supplier first, and then check in with neighbours and family.

Water bottles - Ensure that you keep some bottled water or purified water for emergencies. If your taps aren’t running clean water due to a tank failure, and you aren’t within a short distance of a shop, it’s important to have essentials to stay hydrated.

Matches, lighters, candles and flashlights - These are an essential to ensure you are able to light your home and not have any accidents. If you are relying on a flashlight, ensure that you have the correct batteries to keep it working.

Cash - You won’t be able to make any online transactions, especially if your phone has already died. Make sure that you have some cash to hand in case of emergencies.

Think about installing fibre-optic broadband, if possible. Fibre-optic cables are not as susceptible to some of the more severe weather conditions that the UK sees compared to cable internet, meaning it helps to minimise outages, especially in rural areas.

What can you do - quickly - to keep your home safe and secure from burglaries if you have to leave during a power outage?

Close all the windows and lock doors before you leave the house. Remember, no power means your burglar alarm may not work properly. If possible, use a portable music device like a bluetooth speaker to play music in your home while you’re gone. This will create the illusion that someone is still in and may deter burglars from entering. Do not allow candles to stay burning while you aren’t in as this poses a serious fire hazard.

You should also leave one or two light switches on. This way, if the power comes back on while you’re out of the house, a burglar will assume that someone is still in your house. Switch off all electrical appliances at the switch. If the power suddenly comes back on, you may leave appliances on and unattended without knowing it, which may end up causing a fire.

What steps should you take when the boiler stops working because of no electricity or other issues?

If your boiler has gone off, sometimes a simple reset is all that's needed - the boiler reset button should be somewhere on the front control panel. If you can't find it, check your boiler manual and follow the instructions. If this fails, try and turn it off and on again.

Alternatively, your boiler may also just be low on pressure, which happens over time. To fix this you need to find the filling loop - usually the silver flexi pipe with either one or two black taps on. Then start to increase the pressure by opening your taps fully until they lock at 45 degrees. You should start to see the pressure gauge increasing. When it goes green, you’ll need to close the taps again. To find out how to top up the pressure on your specific model of boiler, check out your user manual.

If your boiler has been giving low-pressure readings on an all too regular basis, is over 10 years old and has seen better days, you may want to consider getting a new boiler installed. Never dismantle any part of your boiler and don’t do any work that involves touching the gas pipes. If a simple reset of the boiler or a top up of pressure doesn’t work, call a gas-dafe registered engineer to fix it.

Other support?

If you’re located in an area that has been badly affected by the storm, welfare centres have been set up to provide customers with hot food and respite. Energy network operators are also working with the British Red Cross to provide extra help and support, especially for vulnerable customers. Customers who are vulnerable, elderly or may need extra assistance can sign up to the Priority Services Register via the Energy Networks Association. If registered, the association will contact vulnerable customers registered in affected areas to offer any assistance that is needed in the event of a power outage.

Compensation may be available for customers due to a power outage. Ofgem, the independent regulator for the UK’s energy networks, sets a service level that energy network operators must meet - this includes rules on how quickly operators must restore power and compensation payments to customers if the standards are not met.

ROOF ISSUES

Gian-Carlo Grossi, Managing Director at Roofing Megastore comments:

"It’s no secret that the Great British weather often favours a spot of rain. When the drizzle turns into a downpour however, there are many ways in which heavy rainfall can damage a property. Whether it’s damp and mould in your loft space due to high levels of moisture, or high winds during a storm blowing away roof tiles, there’s plenty to be aware of.

Due to how exposed it is, your roof space will often be at risk of damp and mould. Not only do these present significant health risks to any residents, but they can also weaken the structure of your roof if left unchecked. If water ingress, mould, and moisture damage are left to run amok for too long, they can lead to rot within the structural timbers of your roof space. This is both difficult and very expensive to fix, especially if not caught early.

The most common cause of serious damage in these events is a roof leak. Sometimes fixing leaks is as simple as spotting the source and replacing a few roof tiles, however more serious leaks can be difficult to diagnose and may require professional help. We recommend checking your loft space after heavy rainfall to catch any issues early.

Storms often feature high winds, which can wreak havoc on vulnerable roofs. Any roof tiles or shingles that are loose are at risk of being broken or blown off completely, which is both unsightly and presents significant weak spots if left unfixed.

While hail is less common than driving wind and rain, it can still cause serious damage to a property. It’s important to inspect your roof tiles after a heavy hailstorm, as any dents left in the tiles are a perfect breeding ground for future mould growth and potential leaks.

In most cases, storm damage will be minor enough to handle yourself. It could be a few dislodged tiles, a number of hail dents or a blocked guttering system. These issues are easy to fix with some basic DIY knowledge, although if you don’t feel comfortable doing the work you can always consult a professional.

The first step is to carry out a thorough inspection of your roof, ideally both inside and outside. Are there any loose or missing tiles? Is there any visible damage? Has a leak formed in your roof space? Whatever the issue you might have encountered, it’s important to sort it as soon as you can."

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How to prepare yourself and your home for extreme weather events