Website and telephone payments Sunday 19 May
Our website and telephone payment systems are unavailable between 9am and 2pm on Sunday 19 May. You will not be able to pay for any council services on our website or over the phone during this time.
Prepare for winter with tips on keeping warm, safeguarding your health, and accessing financial support.
This guidance provides advice to help prepare and look after yourself and your health during the colder winter months.
To help prepare for winter you can:
Keep up to date with the latest forecast online, or with local and regional news programmes. You can check weather forecasts, and view or register for local weather alerts on the Met office website.
The Weather-Health Alerting System provided by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in partnership with the Met Office, provides cold weather early warning alerts when temperatures are likely to impact on our health and wellbeing. You can register to receive these alerts online.
Check the forecast for your journey before you travel in wintery cold weather. Allow extra time, stay up to date with the latest weather conditions and alerts, and be prepared for weather changes on your route. See our tips for driving in wintery and wet weather here.
View our gritting routes across North Yorkshire and check updates on our social media pages.
Low indoor temperatures can have a serious impact on your health, especially if you have medical conditions or are older. These simple changes can help keep your home warm:
Heating the human, not the home, can also help reduce the costs of heating large spaces. Keep yourself warm by:
Try to have the heating on even if lower than needed to keep you warm and ventilate rooms. Turning off central heating can cause issues like damp, mould, and frozen pipes. Advice about fixing damp and condensation from the Energy Saving Trust.
Keeping your baby and small children safe and warm when the weather gets colder is important. Wrapping up your baby to keep them warm can however result in overheating leading to sudden infant death syndrome. For advice on safer sleep for babies and very young children visit the Lullaby Trust.
The Warm Welcome campaign helps provide warm and welcome local community spaces. To register a venue or find a local space near you visit Warm Welcome Space website.
Ensure you continue to look after yourself and your health during the cold months:
Other people around you, particularly older neighbours, family and friends may need extra support during cold weather. To help:
If you are worried about someone else’s health, contact your local pharmacist, your GP or NHS 111, who will all be able to offer advice and support
If you think they may have hypothermia, contact NHS 111 for further assessment, and in an emergency dial 999. Typical signs that someone may be suffering from hypothermia include shivering, slow breathing, tiredness or confusion, and pale, cold skin
Many illnesses are more common during the winter months and the best way to protect yourself and those that you live or work with is to have all the vaccinations you are eligible for. You can check at Get vaccinated - Let's Get Better.
Flu and COVID-19 are two respiratory diseases that are highly infectious and can make you feel very unwell for up to two weeks. These are seasonal illnesses which means the virus changes each year and the vaccinations are altered to ensure they are effective. It is important to get vaccinated every year:
If you are at risk of getting seriously ill with pneumonia, it's recommended you get the pneumococcal vaccine. It protects against an infection that can cause pneumonia. Adults and children more at risk should also get a flu vaccine every year. For more information visit the NHS Pneumonia website
Shingles is an common condition that causes a painful rash, particularly in older adults. The shingles vaccine helps reduce your chance of getting shingles and the chances of getting serious problems if you do get shingles. Find out more about the shingles vaccine.
The winter months can be challenging for our mental well-being, with cold weather and shorter days potentially leading to increased sleep, appetite changes, and a decrease in activities we typically enjoy.
You should consult a GP for further guidance if Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms, a type of depression often experienced during the winter, are interfering with your daily life
For advice about improving your mental health and accessing local support please visit our webpages. For more information on the Ways to Wellbeing please visit the NHS website.
There are various types of grants, benefits and financial support available to help keep your home warm. These include:
You can also check you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled on the government's heating and housing benefits page. Find out about the Local assistance fund in North Yorkshire.