New research from British Gas has highlighted that having no heating or hot water would be the number one disaster for households in Wales this winter. Even so, many people in Pembrokeshire have not taken action to ensure their homes are winter-ready. Despite the autumn chill, a national survey shows that more than a third of households (39%) in Wales have not checked that their central heating is working and four in ten have not prepared their home for winter by getting their boiler serviced.

That same research showed that only a third of people (33%) in Wales have checked that their carbon monoxide alarm is working and that whilst four in ten households in Wales acknowledge that technology could help their home to run more smoothly during winter, just under a third (32%) have smart meters.

Local Assembly Member Paul Davies said: “I want everyone in Pembrokeshire to understand what help is available for them, to stay warm this winter. There are some really simple steps that you can take to better prepare yourselves for this winter such as ensuring your doors and windows are properly sealed and fitting draught excluders. Being energy efficient and keeping bills under control is really important, so I’d encourage people to get in touch with their energy supplier to find out what support is on offer.”

British Gas engineer Rob Jones, who fixes and repairs boilers in Wales, said: “Winter can be a challenging time for households, but there are some practical steps that you can take, with our help, to make sure that you are prepared.”