𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝟒 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬.

This winter could be cold and dark for millions of South Africans, with Eskom expecting between 37 and 101 days of load shedding in the coming months.

This is according to Wynand van Vuuren, the client experience partner at King Price Insurance who says that as more people look to alternative heating sources like gas and paraffin heaters and open fires to keep themselves warm, it’s important to take some basic precautions to make sure you don’t become one of South Africa’s winter home fire statistics.

Home heating is one of the leading causes of house fires and can easily occur if you’re not careful how you heat your home. So, what can you do to stay warm and safe this winter? Van Vuuren offers some tips:

𝟏. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

There are several things you can do to retain as much heat in your house as possible, especially when the power is off. Keep your curtains closed, close the doors to unused rooms, make sure all windows are properly closed, and put rolled-up towels in the cracks under your doors. Dress cleverly: layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing will keep you warmer than one bulky sweater.

𝟐. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬

All heating equipment can be dangerous if not handled carefully. Make sure the pipes on your gas heaters are secure and keep anything that can burn at least a metre away from the heat source.

“One of the biggest concerns around house fires is the belief that ‘it can never happen to me’,” says Ricardo Coetzee, Head of Auto & General Insurance, “The fact is that it can and will if you let your guard down. It takes only one ember close to a flammable material, one faulty gas hose or wire or one switch left on or in an open setting for you to become part of the statistics of total loss of your property… or worse.”

When the power is on, be sure to plug only one heat-producing appliance into one outlet at a time, and plug power cords directly into wall sockets, and not an extension cord. And if possible, don’t use candles for lighting: when the power goes off, rather use flashlights or LED lights.

𝟑. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞

When the power goes off, suburbia comes alive with the buzz of generators. But be sure not to use a generator inside your home, garage or shed, even if you have doors and windows open. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills many South Africans every year. And make sure your generator is installed and certified by professionals.

“You can’t just buy a generator at your local hardware store and stick an extension cord into a wall socket. That’s called back-feeding, and it’s dangerous. All generators and alternative power supplies must be installed professionally by an electrician, or you run the risk of fires and damage to your appliances,” says Van Vuuren.

𝟒. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫

Rather be safe than sorry. Make sure your buildings and home contents are covered properly. This includes making sure they’re covered for their current replacement value, not what you paid for them. To help you assess your home contents correctly, here’s a handy home contents inventory. For your buildings, make sure you have enough insurance to rebuild your home entirely if you need to.

Bradley Du Chenne, CEO of online comparison website Hippo.co.za, says it is important that people understand what cover they prevent any fire-related claims from being rejected.

Insurance cover for fire damage will depend on which type of cover you have, be it car insurance, buildings insurance, household insurance or business insurance. “You cannot, for example, claim for fire damage to your furniture if you only have buildings insurance,” says Du Chenne.