Around 34,000 homes could be left without heating or hot water over the coming days — here's how to make sure you're not one of them

British Gas has warned of mass boiler breakdowns as the cold weather sets in people turn their central heating on for the first time in months. It's been reported that the energy supplier estimated that 34,000 households could be left without heating and hot water, right as temperatures plummet.

Despite a mild start to autumn, you might have adopted a few habits over the last couple of weeks to delay turning on your central heating. With the end of October (and the clock change) fast approaching, most households will decide it's time to use their heating for the first time since the early spring.

But unfortunately, this is the exact time that many will discover that their boiler isn't working, leading to a surge in calls for urgent repairs. 'The first really cold day of the year is often when people discover there's a problem with their boiler,' says Sheena Anker, Engineer at British Gas. 'Unfortunately, that's also when demand for repairs starts to rise.'

If you haven't tried your central heating yet, and you want to limit your chance of being one of the thousands of homes at risk of a boiler breakdown, there are a few things you should do right now.

1. Check your boiler pressure

While there are a few signs your boiler is about to stop working, not all of them can be rectified on a DIY basis. But one that can is boiler pressure.

If your boiler seems to be working, but your house just isn't warming up, it may be that the boiler pressure is too low (a reading of between 1-2 bar is the sweet spot). When it comes to what to do if your boiler pressure is too low, the good news is it's relatively simple, provided you haven't seen any signs of leakage around radiators, pipes and valves. If you spot this, you will need professional help before you try to repressurise your boiler.

But if you don't see any signs of leaks, and you follow the instructions in your boiler manual, you can locate the filling loop and slowly open the valves to introduce more water into the system. Once the pressure is in the sweet spot you can close the valves.

2. Bleed your radiators

If you can feel your radiators getting warm at the bottom but their cold at the top, you likely just need to release trapped air from the system to get your home feeling warm again.

Make sure you turn your heating off before you bleed your radiators, and bleed them in the correct order for the best results.

This is what you'll need to bleed your radiators in the most mess-free way possible:

‘You’ll know a radiator has been bled properly when water flows out in a steady stream without any hissing or spluttering,’ says Nick Duggan, Managing Director at The Radiator Centre. ‘After bleeding, the radiator should heat evenly from top to bottom, and any cold patches at the top should disappear. It’s also worth checking your boiler pressure afterwards, if the pressure is stable and the radiator is heating well, you’ve done it right.’

3. Keep the heat you do have in

If you do find that you have a problem with your heating that requires a professional, then it's important you keep as much heat in your home as possible so you can stay warm until it's fixed.

Close windows, keep internal doors closed and block any draughts around windows, doors and chimneys to limit heat loss.

If you do find yourself without heat for a short time, little things like leaving your oven door open after you've cooked will give you a little burst of heat when you need it.

4. Have an electric heater on hand

You might not think you need an electric heater or oil-filled radiator, but as someone whose boiler packed up a couple of years ago during a very cold February, I definitely wish I'd had one to hand when I was wearing all the layers to try and stay warm.

Having something suitably powered to heat the rooms you use most will be well worth the money if it gives you peace of mind that you won't have to sit there freezing while you wait for your boiler to get repaired.

Something light and compact, like the Dreo Atom 316 electric heater will be ideal for moving around your home with you, while if you are looking to heat a larger space over a longer period, the De'Longhi Dragon 4 oil-filled radiator can heat spaces up to 50m2, while the Vonhaus 2500w 11 fin oil-filled radiator will warm rooms up to 30m2 and carry on kicking out heat for up to an hour after being turned off.

5. Add a boiler service reminder to your calendar

To avoid emergency call outs, right when you need your heating needs to be in good working order, it's a good idea to get it serviced well before you actually need it.

You should only need your boiler serviced once a year, and the ideal time is either the spring or later summer/early autumn. Although if you experience any of the signs your boiler needs servicing, it's best to call the plumber sooner rather than later. At this time, your requirement for a service won't be fighting with the throngs of people needing a plumber because their boiler has stopped working altogether.

As well avoiding boiler breakdowns, you can also avoid unexpectedly costly repairs.