Prof David Glew
Energy efficiency expert

Robert says keeping windows shut and heating low causes lots of condensation which can turn to mould - he asks how to combat that.

Correct, if you have generated a large amount of moisture from washing or cooking then there will be high risk of condensation in homes in cold snaps, and so you need to get rid of this moisture vapour from your home.

Keep using extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms during cold snaps, turning them off after you have finished washing or cooking and the moisture has gone.

Having condensation on windows during a cold snap is not a necessarily a problem for short periods of time, if you wipe this clear each day the mould will not have the moisture it needs to grow.

If there are unheated rooms, close the doors to these so the moisture you generate in the home will not find its way there, and a big no-no is drying clothes indoors.

Leave the laundry for a few days until it warms up or if you are drying clothes, again use an extractor fan.

As well as reading the brilliant tips and advice on this page, you can also watch a special programme now from the BBC News Channel at the top of this page.

Simon Read, the BBC's personal finance reporter, will be answering questions on cold weather payments - who gets them and how.

Meanwhile Dr Joseph Costello, exercise and environmental physiologist at Portsmouth University’s extreme environments laboratories, will talk about what happens to your body when it gets cold.

Click the 'play' button above from 1530.

A mum in Medway Towns has told the BBC that she has had to start selling her possessions so she can pay her energy bills.

Sarah Brown, who has a one-year-old child, says despite being careful with the amount of time she has the heating on, her fuel costs have rocketed.

She says she's also yet to receive any of the government's £400 energy bill discount from her supplier.

This has led to her selling an X-Box and some jewellery and she's also thinking about selling her engagement ring.

"We spent six hours in the shopping centre yesterday because it was warmer... It's just too cold at home," she said.

Dr Raquel Nunes
Assistant professor, University of Warwick

Indoor temperatures should range between 21C (70F) in living rooms and 18C (64F) in bedrooms for a minimum of nine hours a day, according to the World Health Organization's recommendation.

Reducing the exposure to low indoor temperature is essential to reduce the health impacts of cold weather, which can range from illness to death.

Overall, the main message I would like to leave people with is the need to keep your home and yourself warm by wearing appropriate clothes and several layers.

I would also advise wearing warm slippers or shoes with good grip to avoid falls, having lots of hot food and drinks, moving around and exercising if possible, as well as asking for support from friends, family or health and social care services if you need to.

Prof David Glew
Energy efficiency expert

Steve asks: Our ground floor is always much colder than our first and second floors. Is it better to turn the radiators on the upper floors down – or off entirely – and only heat the ground floor and allow that heat to slowly rise and warm the rest of the house?

Upstairs rooms are often warmer due to the natural stratification of heat (warm air rises) and because we tend to have well insulated lofts so the heat stays in the house.

However, all homes have idiosyncrasies that mean some rooms are colder than others. This can be related to the level of insulation in the walls or roof, if there are any draughts or if they are North or South facing (south facing rooms tend to be warmer).

The size and number of radiators can also affect how warm a room is, as can the order of radiators in the system, i.e. how close they are to the boiler.

Radiators at the end of the system take longer to heat up and may not get as hot if the system is not designed properly. Your upstairs radiators may be the first radiators on the system which may be why they are warming up those rooms better than the downstairs.

Reducing the thermostat or the flow to these radiators would in this instance mean more heat gets delivered to the downstairs rooms.

Also hot water pipes are often not insulated so by the time the water gets to the end radiators on the system much of the heat will have been lost under the floor, meaning radiators are less effective. So insulating your hot water pipes may also help.

Dr Raquel Nunes
Assistant professor, University of Warwick

Image source, Getty Images

This is a really important question as babies and children who live in cold homes are more than twice as likely to experience negative impacts such higher rates of respiratory illness, lower weight gain and slower development than those who live in warm homes.

The National Childbirth Charity provide top tips to keep your baby warm in winter, external which include wearing multiple layers of clothing, keeping their head and hands warm, whilst at the same time avoiding overheating and keeping their bedroom temperature between 16C and 20C (61-68F).

Image source, PA Media

Extra emergency accommodation for rough sleepers have opened across London, as the weather turns colder.

A Met Office cold weather alert, external will be in effect in the capital until Monday morning.

The alert requires social and healthcare services to target services for high-risk groups of people.

According to the London mayor's office, all boroughs in the capital have committed to a pledge that no-one will be asked to leave emergency shelters until a more permanent support plan is in place for them.

Data from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network suggests the number of people either new to rough sleeping or living on the streets in London rose 24% between June and September compared to the same period last year, meaning more than 3,600 people slept on the capital's streets.

Read more on this story here.

When you think of a white Christmas it might evoke images of fields and towns blanketed in heavy snow but the Met Office defines it as when just one snowflake is observed to fall in the 24 hours of Christmas somewhere in the UK.

A full-on white Christmas is now a rare event. There has only been a widespread covering - where more than 40% of weather stations in the UK reported snow on the ground at 09:00 - four times since 1960, in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010, according to the Met Office.

Here's a snapshot of some of the odds for a white Christmas this year.

Dr Raquel Nunes
Assistant professor, University of Warwick

This is a question of personal preference, the cost of purchasing and using such devices, as well as safety of operating them.

These products can be very expensive to buy and use - and can be a safety hazard as well.

If you do decide to use them, do it as instructed and keep them away from water and fire.

Despite this, the advice to keep your home warm, to at least 18C (64F), and wear appropriate clothing still stands.

Prof David Glew
Energy efficiency expert

Alistair asks: Is it cheaper to have a large hot water bottle that you keep topped up, rather than heating the whole house?

It depends. If you are not using all of your home for an extended period, then it can make more sense to heat one single room, or in the more extreme case snuggle up and use a hot water bottle to stay warm.

If, however, there are many people in the house using lots of rooms then central heating is always cheaper than alternatives.

Zoning your home is a good option, turning off radiators in unused rooms and closing doors between heated and unheated spaces.

Clothes are a form of insulation, in thermal comfort studies one of the parameters we consider first is the “clothing value”, so always wear additional layers in cold weather.

Also, some people don’t realise that you can turn off a radiator even if it doesn’t have a thermostatic valve on it, by twisting the valve shut (usually easily done by hand) so even if you don’t have formally zoned heating controls you can still shut off some areas.

Image source, Getty Images

More than 1,000 households in the UK will have their homes heated for free this winter as part of a health trial, which is expected to lighten the burden on the NHS.

Initially, the Warm Home Prescription pilot paid to heat the homes of 28 low-income patients with conditions that get worse in the cold, to avoid the cost of hospital care if they became more ill.

Academics estimate that cold homes cost NHS England £860m a year and that 10,000 people die every year due a cold home. But that research, external was completed before the current cost-of-living crisis took hold.

This first trial achieved such good results, that it's being expanded to 150 households in NHS Gloucestershire's area, plus about 1,000 in Aberdeen and Teesside.

Dr Matt Lipson helped design the pilot programme and feels like this preventative step is a no-brainer for the health service.

"If we buy the energy people need but can't afford, they can keep warm at home and stay out of hospital," he said. "That would target support to where it's needed, save money overall and take pressure off the health service."

Read the full story here.

Simon Read
Personal Finance Reporter

Amanda from Leeds wants to know more about cold weather payments - the £25 handed out to benefit claimants in England and Wales when there is an extended period of freezing weather.

She says: “I’m registered disabled. Who can I contact for help receiving my cold weather payment?”

Well, if you’re claiming benefits then the £25 cold weather payment should be automatically sent to your bank account with two weeks of your area experiencing an extended freezing period.

Type your postcode here, external to find out if your area is eligible. Around 300 postcodes were included over the last week.

You may also be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount which is paid out to people receiving means-tested benefits.

Look out for a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions which will tell you what you need to do to claim.

If you are successful you will be handed £150 worth of energy vouchers by March 2023.

We've been working our way through your questions these past few hours - thank you for getting in touch!

A reminder though, it is not too late to get in touch and here's how you can contact us.

Firstly, by using the Get Involved button at the top of this page.

Alternatively you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external

You can also send us messages via Whatsapp on +44 7756 165803.

Image source, PA Media

We're hearing more on the impact of this cold snap, with vehicle breakdowns across the UK increasing by around a quarter yesterday due to freezing temperatures, according to the RAC.

The number of stranded vehicles is expected to be higher than normal today, it said, as "many people, including students, use their cars to get away for the weekend or take a day off to do their Christmas shopping".

“Flat batteries and problems with tyres, especially punctures, were the top reasons for drivers breaking down," Rod Dennis from the breakdown rescue company said.

An AA spokesman said the motoring group saw "one of our busiest workload days for many years" yesterday.

“Breakdowns peaked at 1,200 jobs per hour. The days ahead will be very challenging but not as busy overall."

Drivers have been advised to check their cars before starting journeys and pack extra clothes, food and a warm drink in a flask.

Prof David Glew
Energy efficiency expert

We're now joined by Prof David Glew, an energy efficiency and policy expert at Leeds Beckett University, who will be answering questions about heating your home during the cold snap.

Alex asks: We have had a text from UK Power Networks advising of a planned power cut on 15 December. Our community has no gas so relies on electricity for cooking and oil-fired boilers. With no power, we will have no heating, hot water or cooking facilities. Are they allowed to do this in such cold conditions?

Prof Glew says: I’m afraid I am not aware of special laws surrounding continuity of power placed on the network operators at times of extreme cold, you will need to contact citizens advice for more information about this.

However there are restrictions on maintaining power to consumers around general maintenance or at times of power cuts.

When they are in breach of these they will be required to compensate customers.

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Image source, PA Media

Flu and certain other diseases that cause colds and sore throats are more common at this time of year.

Partly, it’s down to our behaviour. When it's cold outside we tend to spend more time indoors where it can be easier to catch an infection.

For example, coughs and sneezes in an enclosed space with little or no ventilation (windows closed, doors shut) can spread illnesses from person to person.

This year, with Covid restrictions lifted, many viruses and bacterial infections are circulating at higher rates again. Cases of scarlet fever, caused by a bacterium called strep A, are up around the UK - and slightly earlier than is usual.

Practising good hygiene - using and then binning a tissue for coughs and sneezes and washing your hands - can help prevent the spread.

The cold snap across the UK shows no sign of abating soon, with the Met Office expecting at least seven days of arctic weather.

Temperatures could plummet to as low as -10C in some areas, while wintry downpours and "freezing fog" are also forecast.

Its latest alert is a snow and ice warning for London and south-east England on Sunday and Monday during which almost four inches of snow could fall.

It follows several similar warnings issued in recent days:

• A level three cold weather alert for England issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is in place until 9am on 12 December.
• A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in effect until 12pm on Sunday for most parts of Scotland
• The same alert is in place for most of Northern Ireland until 12pm on Sunday
• And a weather warning for ice has also been extended for parts of Wales until midday on Sunday

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Image source, Getty Images

Wearing lots of layers, rather than one thick piece of clothing, can help you stay warm by trapping body heat.

Eating healthy foods and having warm drinks and meals can help too. Keep as active as possible to boost your circulation.

The British Heart Association advises moving around "at least once an hour and avoid sitting still for long periods. Even light exercise will help keep you warm". Heat the room you are in and keep draughts out.

Dr Raquel Nunes
Assistant professor, University of Warwick

We've been joined by Dr Raquel Nunes, assistant professor in environmental change and public health at Warwick Medical School, to look at what impact cold weather can have on people's health.

Andy Couldwell asks: How harmful, if at all, is 10 degrees if your body, limbs and brain are warm?

Exposure to cold weather and low indoor temperatures affects health and wellbeing.

Independently of the temperature outdoors or indoors, the human body responds to different conditions to keep our internal temperature constant at around 37.5C (99.5F) so it functions properly.

It is when we start feeling cold that changes start to occur inside our bodies - one of them being thickening blood and ability to fight infections.

Thicker blood can cause clotting which can then cause heart attacks and strokes a few days after the cold weather.

Lower ability to fight infections can cause more illnesses and deaths from respiratory infections such as pneumonia.

The level of impact will depend on the severity and duration of the cold, bodily responses and individual characteristics such as age and gender.

Image source, Getty Images

You've been sending in your comments on the cold snap and how to stay warm.

Pauline says: "If anyone is finding the cold weather difficult to deal with, try investing in the new blanket hoodies!

"I have bought two, they are not terribly expensive, but they are very warm, I now wear one all day when I am at home and it makes a huge difference to my comfort, I am now never cold at home, even though I keep my central heating down to just a few hours a day. Well worth considering."

While Carol from the West Midlands says: "I am 74 years old, born and bred in the late 40s on a farm in the wilds of Lincolnshire and we had no central heating.

"We lived in freezing conditions with only a coal fire in the main room. I am used to it, we just accepted it and wrapped up well in plenty of clothes, even in the house. I am doing the same now and just get on with it. You have to learn to adapt to conditions life throws at you."