Protecting Your Home

Protecting your home

Protecting your home from burglars
Fire safety
Emergency contact numbers
Utility suppliers
Your Phone
Maintenance and Repairs
Alterations to your home
Gardening

Protecting your home from burglars

Make sure you secure windows and doors before you leave the house
If you are in the garden or upstairs, make sure your downstairs doors are locked and that you have a key with you to get in or out in a hurry
Fit window locks and keep the keys in a safe place
Keep tools and ladders securely locked away
Display your burglar alarm and neighbourhood watch sticker prominently
Put up a warning sign for visitors if you have a dog as this will deter thieves
Keep valuable items out of view. Don't leave keys under a doormat or on a string through the letter box. Burglars expect this

Contacting the police

Call 101 for non emergencies.

Always call 999 in an emergency

Home check

The Bobby Van service offers advice to older people about home security and can provide simple devices such as door chains and spy holes to help prevent burglary and replace locks after a burglary. Tel: 01267 226468

Fire safety

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service will provide home fire safety advice and will supply and install a smoke alarm free of charge. Tel: 0800 169 1234 or Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service (opens new window)

In case of emergency always call 999

Emergency contact numbers

Pembrokeshire County Council 01437 764551

Council out of hours emergencies 0845 6015522

Water Emergency line

Information on water services and emergencies

0800 052 0130 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Gas Emergencies

Gas Emergency Contact Number 0800 111 999

Electricity Emergencies

South and West Wales - Western Power Distribution 0800 052 0400

Floodline

0845 988 1188 (24 hour service) or Type talk 0845 602 6340

Help on the web

Environment Agency Wales (opens new window)

www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk

www.resilience.info

UK Government Websites (opens new window)

You can contact the Emergency Planning unit on 01437 775586 or email emergency.planning.unit@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

A leaflet ‘Ready to Respond' is also available from the Council's Emergency Planning Unit.

Utility suppliers

SWALEC electricity and gas customers Careline is a free priority service. To receive any of the services which Careline provides, you just need to join the Priority Service Register.

Tel: 0800 622 838
Textphone: 0800 622 839

British Gas

The Home Energy Care (opens new window) team at British Gas, provides essential services for vulnerable customers.

To sign up to Home Energy Care Tel 0800 072 8625 or Textphone 18001 0845 955 5202

Your Phone

The British Telecom (BT) Free Priority Fault Repair Service scheme, aims to provide a fault-free service for vulnerable people, who are unable to leave the house because of an illness or disability and for who the telephone is a vital lifeline. if you have a chronic long-term illness or a severe disability you can apply. BT asks that your application is supported by a medical practitioner.

How to report a fault online - go to www.bt.com select 'At home' and click on 'Report and Track faults'. Tel 0808 800 151 (Text phone 18001 0800 800 151) free of charge, 24 hours a day.

British Telecom (BT) Advice Line Ask for the Disability Team and information about specially adapted phones. A free BT booklet about equipment and services is available. Call 195 to find out if you are eligible for free directory enquiries. Freephone 0800 800 150.

Maintenance and Repairs

Major Repairs

You need to make sure that your home is maintained properly, so that it is safe for you to live there. If it needs repairs, you can get advice and help.

If you own your own home, are elderly, aged 65 and over and/or disabled you can:

Apply to Pembrokeshire County Council for a repair grant Tel 01437 764551
Get advice from Pembrokeshire Care and Repair Tel 01437 766717. They can advise whether you qualify for a grant to help pay for the work and if so, how to apply for one. They can recommend a reliable building contractor and the Council will check the grant aided work has been done to a good standard
If you are a tenant you should contact your landlord

NEVER agree to repairs to roofing or driverways offered at the door. Always go to a reputable trader.

Small Repairs

There are some local handyperson schemes which deal with small repairs and home maintenance.

Age Concern Pembrokeshire Tel 01437 769972

Pembrokeshire Care & Repair

Meyler House,
St. Thomas Green,
Haverfordwest,
SA61 1QP

Tel: (01437) 766717

Fax: (01437) 767327

Alterations to your home

If you are finding it hard to manage in yoru current house or flat, you may want to consider altering it to suit your needs. Phone Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 764551, this is the first step to having your needs properly assessed.

Alterations can range from installing grab rails and ramps to building a walk-in shower, adapting the height of kitchen units and widening doorways so that a wheelchair can go through easily.

Pembrokeshire County Council can provide Disabled Facilities Grant to pay, or help pay, for alterations. Grants are means-tested and people also have to meet the medical criteria for a grant. You can get information and advice about these grants from the Council. Staff at Pembrokeshire Care & Repair can help you with your application. If you do not qualify for a grant, staff at Pembrokeshire Care & Repair can suggest other means of funding the work.

Gardening

Keeping your garden maintained can become a concern. For advice on making your garden easier to manage you can contact Thrive on 0118 988 5688 or look at the website www.carryongardening.org.uk for tips to achieve this.

ID: 20238 Revised: 21/6/2012

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