Health · England
Keeping warm safely
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This guide is for adults.
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Tell people how you feel
Tell someone if you feel cold or uncomfortable.
You can use words, pictures, signs or your communication aid.
Keep rooms warm
Try to keep rooms you use at 18°C or warmer.
You may need a warmer room.
Ask for help with heating controls.
Wear comfortable layers
Choose clothes that feel comfortable.
Several layers can help keep you warm.
Change wet clothes and use dry blankets.
Food, drinks and movement
Eat regular meals.
Follow your plan for safe food and drinks.
Move gently if this is safe and comfortable.
Use heating safely
Keep heaters away from clothes, curtains and bedding.
Sit at least one metre away.
Never use your cooker or oven to heat a room.
Check heated products
Ask for advice if you cannot feel heat well.
An electric blanket may not be safe for you.
Never use one with a hot water bottle.
Ask for help early
Tell someone if your heating breaks or bills are difficult.
Agree who can help you stay warm.
Do not change medicines without professional advice.
Dangerous cold needs emergency help
Being very cold with confusion, unclear speech or slow breathing can be an emergency.
Call 999 if you think this is happening.
While help is coming
Stay with the person in shelter.
Replace wet clothing with dry blankets and cover their head.
Avoid hot baths, hot water bottles, rubbing and alcohol.
Only offer drinks if fully awake and able to swallow safely.
What you can do next
Ask for help to keep warm safely.
Call 999 if you think someone has become dangerously cold.
Read UKHSA advice about keeping warm Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- UKHSA: keeping warm and well Web page
Practical advice about warmth, checking on others and preparing for cold weather.
- London Fire Brigade: electric blankets Web page
Checks, safe use and situations where an electric blanket should not be used.
- London Fire Brigade: heaters and fires Web page
Safe positioning and use of heating equipment.
- NHS: hypothermia Web page
Emergency signs and what to do while waiting for help.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Keeping warm safely
Practical ways to stay warm, get help with a cold home and recognise when being too cold is an emergency.
Adults · England · General information for individuals, families and supporters
Make warmth comfortable for you
People experience temperature differently. Ask what feels comfortable and use the person’s usual words, signs, pictures or communication aid. Aim to heat regularly used rooms, including the bedroom, to at least 18°C. Some people need a warmer room; ask the health team about individual needs. A room thermometer can help check conditions, but it does not replace noticing how the person feels.
Use layers, food and suitable movement
Offer several comfortable layers, dry clothing and an ordinary blanket. Change wet clothes promptly. Regular meals and comfortably warm drinks can help; follow any swallowing or fluid plan. Move regularly if this is comfortable and safe, including gentle seated movement if appropriate. Choose outdoor clothing and footwear for the weather and your mobility needs.
Heat your home safely
Keep portable heaters away from curtains, bedding, clothing and furniture, and sit at least one metre away. Do not dry clothes on them. Position equipment so people cannot easily trip or fall onto it, and follow its instructions. Never use a cooker or oven to heat a room. Arrange appropriate appliance servicing and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Ask your local fire service about home safety advice.
Check heated products and burn risks
Hot water, heaters and heated bedding can cause burns, especially when someone cannot feel heat normally or move away easily. Ask a nurse or occupational therapist about safe options; do not use heat packs on areas with reduced feeling without professional advice. Check electric blankets for damage and follow their instructions. Never combine one with a hot water bottle. London Fire Brigade advises against electric blankets with air-flow pressure-relieving mattresses or when using emollient skin creams. Ask about a safer way to stay warm.
Agree the help you need
Plan who will help with heating controls, clothing, meals and checking comfort, including overnight if needed. Offer choices of fabrics and layers; do not assume everyone wants the same blanket or room temperature. Record how the person shows cold, discomfort or illness and respond to changes. Ask a pharmacist about medicine concerns; do not stop or change prescribed medicines yourself. Arrange supplies and contact details before severe weather.
Get help with a cold home
Tell a supporter, landlord or housing provider if heating is broken or the home is persistently cold. Contact your energy supplier or Citizens Advice if bills make heating difficult. Ask your supplier about extra support and the Priority Services Register. The related bills and renting guides explain useful next steps. Arrange a safe place to keep warm if heating fails; do not improvise with unsafe appliances.
Recognise dangerous cold and call 999
Hypothermia means body temperature has fallen dangerously low. Warning signs include shivering, very cold skin, unclear speech, unusually slow breathing, confusion or marked tiredness. Call 999 if you suspect it; do not wait to take a temperature or assume the person is just sleepy. Tell the call handler about changes from their usual communication or behaviour.
Help while the ambulance is coming
Take the person into shelter, remove wet clothing and cover them with dry blankets, including their head. Stay with them and follow the call handler’s advice. Offer a warm drink or food only if they are fully awake and can swallow safely. Avoid alcohol. Do not try to warm them with a hot bath, hot water bottle or heat lamp, or rub their limbs.
Words you could use
“Please help me stay comfortably warm, use heating safely and make a plan if my home becomes too cold.”
More useful links
- UKHSA: keeping warm and well Web page
Practical advice about warmth, checking on others and preparing for cold weather.
- London Fire Brigade: electric blankets Web page
Checks, safe use and situations where an electric blanket should not be used.
- London Fire Brigade: heaters and fires Web page
Safe positioning and use of heating equipment.
- NHS: hypothermia Web page
Emergency signs and what to do while waiting for help.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 9 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- UKHSA: keeping warm and well Web page
Room temperature, layers, suitable movement, supplies and extra support.
- London City Hall: cold weather advice Web page
Warm food and drinks and avoiding cookers or ovens as room heaters.
- London Fire Brigade: portable heaters and fires Web page
Separation from people and fabrics, equipment safety and carbon monoxide precautions.
- London Fire Brigade: electric blankets Web page
Damage checks, instructions, hot water bottles, pressure mattresses and emollient creams.
- Cambridge University Hospitals: reduced sensation Web page
Reduced sensation increases the risk of damage from hot water and heat sources.
- Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust: planning daily tasks PDF
Seek professional advice before heat or ice use with reduced sensation or poor circulation.
- NHS: hypothermia Web page
Emergency recognition, shelter, dry coverings, safe drinks and avoiding direct heat or rubbing.