Cold weather warning for holiday home owners

Tourist industry leaders and holiday home owners in the Highlands are teaming up with Scottish Water to ensure holiday properties are protected and prepared for winter.

Last year's unprecedented Big Freeze - which included the coldest December on record - saw Scottish Water repairing around 2,000 bursts and answering more than 40,000 calls between Christmas Eve and New Year.

Around 7,500 calls would normally be expected.

Despite this, Scottish Water maintained supplies to over 99 per cent of its 2.4 million household customers.

Particularly vulnerable to the damage that burst pipes can cause are holiday homes.

If the water supply to the property isn't shut off the risk of burst pipes and water damage is very real when there is prolonged freezing weather.

In some cases the burst isn't noticed until neighbouring occupied properties start to lose supply.

VisitScotland is helping spread the word about Scottish Water's simple winter code - available on line at www.scottishwater.co.uk/winter.

Highway Code-style signs highlight the need to protect pipes and property, what to do to prevent a burst or frozen pipe, how to locate a stop valve and what to do in an emergency.

Joanna Peebles, Scottish Water Communities Manager, said: "While we're advising all customers to take action to protect their properties it's important we make a special effort to reach holiday home owners.

"Over the last couple of winters our frontline teams have responded to potential supply problems in rural communities, discovering bursts inside unoccupied holiday homes or community facilities.

"The support of the tourism sector is essential to protect our communities."

Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland's Regional Director, said: "Preparation is key here and I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is for holiday home owners to take heed of the advice offered by Scottish Water.

"The cost and stress involved in clearing up after burst pipes and water damage far outweighs the effort of implementing sensible precautions."

He added: "I would urge all holiday home owners to learn from the experience of last year for their own benefit and also for the benefit of their neighbours and the community in which their property is located."

Holiday home owners are advised to follow Scottish Water's winter code:

*Heat, insulate and protect your pipes.

*Leave your heating on at a low setting.

*If your holiday home is unoccupied make sure you regularly check for any problems.

*If the property is going to be vacant over the winter months, turn off the water supply and drain the system. A licensed plumber should be able to advise you about this.

*Keep insurance documents somewhere secure and water-tight so you can access them easily if needed.

*Locate your stop valve.

*Keep a note of the telephone number of a licensed plumber.

*Keep a note of the Scottish Water Customer Helpline number - 0845 601 8855.

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