Temperatures across the UK are set to plummet below freezing next week, marking a cold start to 2026 after a record-breaking mild December.
According to British Gas, 54,000 households across the country may need help with their heating and hot water systems.
British Gas is urging households to take action as a rise in frozen pipes leaves many homes without heating or hot water during this week's deep freeze. When temperatures drop below zero, uninsulated pipes can freeze, and the expanding ice forces pressure to build, often enough to crack the pipe and trigger leaks or flooding when it thaws.
Very cold tonight, as temperatures fall widely below freezing - Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/RaToYZht1n
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 3, 2026
Last winter, more than 1.2 million customers called on British Gas engineers to fix broken boilers and get their heating and hot water systems back up and running.
To help Brits cope with the drop in temperature, British Gas engineer, Joanna Flowers shares practical tips to help households keep their homes warm and safe this winter while also saving on energy bills.
She said: “Frozen pipes are one of the most common issues we see during cold snaps, but the good news is they're usually simple to sort out if you act quickly. If you notice your heating has stopped working or water isn't flowing from the taps, here's what to do:
- Locate the frozen section You’ll need to find out which pipe is frozen. If you have a modern condensing boiler, it’ll most likely be your condensate pipe. This will be a plastic one that comes out of your boiler - find where it goes outside to see if it’s frosted over.
- Thaw it safely Once you’ve found the culprit, you’ll need to thaw it out to get things flowing again. Slowly pour hot (but never boiling) water over the frozen pipe and place a hot water bottle over it to help melt away the ice.
- Restart the boiler Once thawed, reset the boiler. It should fire up normally if the frozen pipe was the issue.
- Burst pipe If you suspect a burst pipe, often shown by a sudden drop in water pressure, damp patches or water marks on walls and floors, turn off the water supply at the stopcock straight away. Open all the taps to drain the system and keep the supply off until a qualified engineer can assess the damage and carry out the repair.
"If you do run into any issues and you call before 11am, one of our engineers will be with you the same day."
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