Footprint Trust Helps Islanders Prepare For Christmas Emergencies

Tuesday, 21 December 2021 14:09

Local charity, The Footprint Trust, has created a list of tips to help Islanders prepare for emergencies over the festive period.

It is easy to put other things out of your mind, while focusing on buying presents, sending cards and ordering the turkey, but being prepared for various eventualities might just save you a trip out in the cold when the shops are likely to be shut.

Here's the charity's 12 top tips.

1. Check you have a stash of emergency food that can be eaten without cooking it, in case of power failure. Tinned food being the obvious choice.

2. Keep emergency numbers and important contacts in an easy-to-see place, such as on the fridge door. These might be a nearby neighbour and your doctor.

3. Senior citizens, disabled people and those with young children can go on the free Priority Services Register, held by your energy and water company. They can then contact you during a power cut, or mains water interruption, and get you assistance.

4. For those with pre-payment Key/Card meters - check you have enough credit on them for the bank holidays. Contact your energy company and ask for emergency credit, if you have no money.

5. If you are struggling with energy bills, then try just to keep your living room and bedroom warm, rather than the whole house. Do not let the temperature drop below 18 degrees.

6. When cooking the Christmas meal try and use the oven for cooking the vegetables too, this cuts energy wastage. If you have a microwave over this can be the most efficient way of cooking various meals, follow manufactures instructions. Put lids on saucepans.

7. Avoid candles, they are more expensive than light bulbs to run, give off soot and cause hundreds of house fires every year.

8. When cooking or showering ventilate, and keep internal doors closed to prevent steam and damp traveling around the house. Extractor fans only cost pennies to run, or open window to get rid of moisture.

9. Turn stuff off! If you're not watching the TV, turn it off and put the radio on or listen to music via your tablet or smartphone – they are much cheaper to run.

10. Try and keep good quality wrapping paper to re-use next year, and recycle packaging you can’t re-use.

11. After Christmas donate all those unwanted and old quality gifts to charity shops or sell on eBay.

12. ‘Bubble & Squeak’ is a good way of using up leftovers, and of course a turkey curry is always a treat!

Footprint Trust Helps Islanders Prepare For Christmas Emergencies

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