Keeping safe and warm with a terminal illness

The reasons for keeping our appliances, like boilers and ovens, safe might seem obvious. But your home being cold can have a serious impact on your health too.

You should be able to keep your home to a minimum of 18°C. Your main living area should be 21°C.

This is particularly important if you:

• Have health problems that mean you are more likely to have issues with your heart or breathing problems if you aren’t warm enough.
• Use medical equipment that needs electricity.
• Are more vulnerable to infections which are more easily spread in the cold. A reliable source of water is also needed to stay clean.
• Would find it harder to recover from falls and injuries, which are more likely when your brain and your body is working hard to stay warm.
• May be dealing with stress, anxiety and mental health challenges relating to your illness which are made worse by cold, unsafe and unpleasant living conditions.

Common problems are:

• You cannot afford to pay your bills or are using less water, electricity, or heating so that you can.
• You are having problems communicating with providers, or you cannot understand your bills.
• Your supply or the appliances in your home are not working properly.
• Your provider is repairing the equipment that supplies your home, cutting off your supply for a short time.