Gas supplier advises pre-winter boiler test

An energy supplier is warning people to give their boilers a test-run to ensure they will not be cold this winter.

Based on data from emergency call-out patterns last year, British Gas predicts that more than 20,000 boilers could break.

A spokeswoman for the company said 68 per cent of people fail to prepare their homes for winter before a problem arises.

She said people should check by switching the heating on for an hour to reveal any problems before temperatures plummet.

British Gas's managing director of home services Chris Jansen said: "We look after half the homes in the country, which means it's our responsibility to help the nation prepare their homes for winter. That's why we're encouraging everyone to check their boilers before the cold weather kicks in, and ensure they don't get caught out."