Listen: frontline engineer on what households should do if heating fails

As winter conditions continue across the UK, engineers are warning that heating failures remain one of the biggest day-to-day disruptions for households during cold weather.

New research from British Gas shows that boiler breakdowns are the winter scenario most likely to disrupt daily life, ranking above power cuts and frozen or burst pipes. Waking up to no heating is cited as the most frustrating winter issue for many households, outweighing concerns such as loss of internet, TV or mobile signal.

The findings suggest the UK is far from resilient when temperatures drop. Only a small minority say they cope well with extreme cold, while most admit they struggle or manage while complaining. When heating fails, people resort to short-term coping tactics such as wearing multiple layers, confining themselves to one room, or staying in bed all day to keep warm.

Aston spoke to Peter Knowles, technical repair engineer at British Gas.

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