Britain has been struggling through a cold snap that has seen temperatures plunge as low as -17.3C, and the big freeze continued through the weekend.
But with temperatures suddenly shooting up, homeowners have been warned of the danger of burst pipes - as frozen water may have cracked pipes and the thaw will then lead to leaks.  
Temperatures as low as -10C hit parts of the country over the weekend, leaving many households at risk of property damage.

Yet, a dramatic turnaround has seen temperatures jump up into positive territory, with the Met Office forecasting 12C across South East England today.
With temperatures then forecast to fall again next weekend, insurance experts have given simple tips on how to stave off the risk of expensive home repairs.




Our central heating is broken: With our entire family coming... Turn your radiators down! Lower your boiler flow temperature...
Some stopcocks look like this - while others are like a traditional hosepipe tap


Leave the heating on
If you can afford to, leaving the heating on at 15C can help avoid pipes freezing during seriously cold weather.
Energy bills currently cost thousands of pounds a yearfor the typical household, kombi Servisi but Geddes said even one burst pipe can make this look like small change.
Geddes said: 'We do recognise the challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis and high energy costs, but the damage caused by leaking pipes can be incredibly expensive to resolve.'

Know where your stopcock is
The stopcock controls all the water supply to a property.

If a pipe does burst, turning the stopcock off will prevent further damage.

Open your loft hatch
This lets warm air move into your loft, which helps warm pipes and help stop them freezing up.

Fit lagging to pipes
Finally, Direct Line recommends fitting lagging to any external boiler pipes. 
This lagging costs less than _1 a metre at hardware stores such as B&Q and Screwfix.




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