Keeping warm

There is a direct link between cold winter weather and the higher number of deaths, heart attacks and strokes among older people and others in at-risk groups.  Cold weather is also an issue for children and young people, and those with long-term health conditions.

Insulate and heat your home efficiently

The Better Housing Better Health website has free, impartial advice about:

• cheaper prices for gas and electricity
• discounts for insulating your home
• managing debts from your fuel bills
• repairing or replacing your heating
• energy saving tips that save you money
• other options for help and support

Watch a one-minute explainer video which explains what BHBH can do:

• If you work in the community 
• If you work for the NHS

Find help and advice about keeping warm on Live Well Oxfordshire.

Financial help

You may be eligible for a winter fuel payment, warm home discount, or cold weather payment to help you stay warm in winter, especially during periods of very cold weather.

See our Sustainable Warmth Grants webpage for more information on local energy efficiency grants that might be available.

Information and advice to help you this winter on the Age UK website.

Other sources of help

For health information, head over to the local NHS page on staying well over winter.

To stay safe on the roads during the winter, view our community safety pages. You can also follow the council's Traffic X account here for the latest news on road conditions.

Find a local warm space and warm welcome. Many of these are your local library, and they are spaces where you can feel at home. They have more than books to while away the time, like board games and jigsaw puzzles.

For advice on homelessness and rough sleeping, if you're experiencing it or would like to help, head over to Homelessness Oxfordshire. This includes information on SWEP (severe weather plan), which is decided by each District or City council and is activated when there is a Met Office alert of severe weather.

Community resilience is supported by emergency planning. Find out more about planning for cold weather. 

You can help us share information and advice by supporting our winter warmth campaign, which includes being able to order printed publicity materials.

Research and evaluation of Better Housing Better Health

We've worked with the NHS South West Central Commissioning Support Unit and the University of Salford to evaluate the Better Housing Better Health service's impacts on health and well-being. Read more about some of the findings.

The privacy statements of each organisation explain how your data is handled.