British Gas issues urgent warning as 60,000 households could lose heating or hot water in the next few days

The major energy provider is anticipating approximately 60,000 service calls over the coming days.

The severe weather system is forecast to bring snowfall of up to 20cm, widespread ice warnings, and overnight temperatures plummeting to as low as -12.5C.

With such extreme conditions on the horizon, the company is encouraging customers to familiarise themselves with basic troubleshooting steps should their heating fail during the cold snap.

Service and repair engineer Joanna Flowers has outlined straightforward checks that householders can carry out independently before requesting professional assistance.

The storm is expected to arrive from Thursday evening onwards, delivering hazardous conditions including substantial snowfall and sub-zero temperatures that could leave many homes without warmth.

British Gas is urging people to ready themselves for potential heating breakdowns during the severe weather event. When temperatures drop dramatically overnight, households commonly experience problems such as frozen pipework, drops in boiler pressure, and timer malfunctions that can result in heating systems failing.

The energy supplier notes that numerous such issues can actually be resolved through straightforward home checks, enabling people to restore their heating systems without waiting for professional help.

Ms Flowers said: "If you wake up and your heating isn't working during a cold snap like this, don't panic. There are some simple checks you can do yourself before calling an engineer."

Her first recommendation is verifying that gas, electricity, and water supplies are all switched on. Householders should also ensure their room thermostat is turned up sufficiently and that the clock timer is activated.

The pressure gauge on the boiler's front panel should display a reading of approximately 1 bar. For systems equipped with a permanent pilot light, it's worth confirming this hasn't been extinguished.

Ms Flowers advises attempting to run the heating at maximum output briefly to see whether this generates any warmth. Checking that the boiler timer displays the correct time is also essential, as a recent power cut may have reset the central heating timer to factory defaults.

Householders should look for a reset switch on the boiler's front panel and consult their user manual for guidance. Simply switching the boiler off and on again can sometimes resolve issues.

Regarding frozen pipework, Ms Flowers explains that condensate pipes on modern condensing boilers can freeze in extreme cold.

She recommends slowly pouring hot water - never boiling - over the affected plastic pipe and applying a hot water bottle to thaw the ice, then resetting the boiler.

Should a burst pipe be suspected - typically indicated by a sudden loss of water pressure, damp patches, or water marks appearing on walls and floors - the water supply should be shut off at the stopcock immediately.

All taps should then be opened to drain the system, with the supply remaining off until a qualified engineer can inspect and repair the damage.

Low boiler pressure frequently occurs following radiator bleeding or when there's a leak present. The pressure gauge should read between 1 and 1.5 bar; anything below 1 bar indicates repressurising is needed.

To repressurise, householders should switch off the boiler, locate the filling loop, open both valves until pressure reaches the correct level, then close the valves and restart the system.

Ms Flowers said: "If you try all these steps and your heating still isn't working, or if you're not confident doing these checks yourself, call us and if you call before 11am, one of our engineers will be with you the same day."

To prepare homes ahead of severe weather, she recommends bleeding radiators if the top feels cooler than the bottom, and wrapping pipes with inexpensive insulation to prevent freezing and potential bursting.

Maintaining thermostat settings between 18°C and 21°C is both comfortable and economical, with each degree reduction potentially cutting heating costs by around 10 per cent.