The UK is facing bitterly cold weather with temperatures predicted to drop to as low as -10C in northern Scotland
The Met Office has issued a yellow snow and ice warning for much of Scotland, western England and Wales, London and south-east England over the weekend
It says two to five centimetres of snow could fall quite widely and up to 10cm in places
Meanwhile, a level three cold weather alert for England has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency
The alert is triggered when severe cold weather is likely to affect people's health significantly - particularly those with underlying conditions
The rising cost of energy has prompted concerns that some people are resisting using their heating
We've assembled a team of experts to answer your questions on how best to stay warm
Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online
Image source, Getty ImagesIn rooms you mostly use, such as the living room or bedroom, try to heat to at least 18C (64F) if you can, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition as it can help prevent some serious health problems.
Babies do not need hot rooms at night - a room temperature of between 16-20C (61-68F) is ideal.
Beth Timmins
BBC News
Why is it dangerous to follow the TikTok trend for building homemade heaters from tealights and plant pots?
TikTok has been full of tips for building cheap makeshift heaters from tealights and terracotta pots.
However, firefighters say they are dangerous and strongly warn people against the “money-saving hack”.
In one case, a fire broke out in a flat in Derby when one of the devices failed. It led to about 50 people being evacuated from their homes.
The local fire service said heat released from the base of the tea lights had weakened the terracotta plates they were on.
This caused the homemade heater to collapse and melted wax to ignite.
"Although these hacks may look like a good way to save money on heating bills, they are very dangerous and we would urge people not to follow the videos posted online”, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue said.
Image source, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service
Simon Read
Personal Finance Reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesThe cold weather payment is paid for a seven-day period and each payment is worth £25.
It's paid over the period between 1 November and 31 March each year, so eligible people could be in line for several payments if the weather remains freezing for week after week.
Cold weather payments should be automatically put into your account within two weeks of extended freezing weather being recorded.
It'll be delivered into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments go.
Each period of very cold weather in your area should trigger a payment.
Simon Read
Personal Finance Reporter
Image source, paCold weather payments are handed out to benefit claimants in England and Wales when there is an extended period of freezing weather.
If you’re claiming Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Job Seekers' Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest, you should be eligible.
The payment is triggered when the temperature reaches zero or less in your area for a week.
The Department for Work and Pensions has an online postcode checker, external where you can find out if your area is eligible.
Image source, Getty ImagesMore than 3,200 heated public spaces - known as warm banks - are currently open across the UK to provide heating to those who cannot afford it in their own homes, according to the Warm Welcome Campaign.
The campaign said that many of the warm hubs, run by local authorities and charities, are a third or half-full and offer various services, from hot tea to a place to work.
Charity Save the Children said 194 of 355 councils in England and Wales are directly involved in or supporting local groups to open warm spaces this winter.
While these measures are among the many actions councils are taking to support people most in need this winter, they are not a long-term solution, according to the vice chairman of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board.
"Emergency schemes should not become the norm and are not a sustainable solution to bridge the gap between income and the current cost of living," Councillor Richard Wenham said.
Simon Read
Personal Finance Reporter
According to the Energy Saving Trust, it’s not cheaper to leave your heating on low all day.
It points out that if you keep the heating on all day you'll be losing energy all day, so it's better to heat your home only when you need it.
Doing so will save energy, and therefore save money.
You can use a timer to turn your heating on and off according to when you’ll know you need it.
Bear in mind that it can take a little while to heat up a home, so it may be worth setting the timer to turn the heating on a little before you’ll actually need it.
Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
Image source, PA MediaJeremy from Bath asks: "Why are the current temperature and weather conditions making headlines? This is not unusual, it is now December."
It is right that cold spells in December and winter are completely normal.
We’ve had it much colder in fact, with the lowest recorded December temperature getting down to -27.2C in 1995.
What is making this cold spell more noteworthy perhaps is that we have just come out of the third-warmest autumn on record where frosts were almost non-existent. With this now being the first cold snap, it may have come as a bit of a shock.
We are also more conscious of our energy bills in this cost of living crisis. With many struggling to heat their homes, any cold weather like this is going to make the situation worse and hit the headlines.
Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
Image source, PA MediaAfter the mild November where we had predominantly south westerly winds bringing in mild conditions from the Atlantic, the weather pattern has completely changed into December.
We now have a predominantly northerly wind. This, of course, means that Arctic air is now blowing right across the UK, resulting in temperatures around five to nine degrees below the average by day.
With clear skies overnight, any heat stored in the ground is allowed to escape into space so our minimum temperatures are dropping to between -6C and -10C.
Over the next few nights there will be a bit more cloud which will act like a blanket for the UK and does not allow as much heat to escape so temperatures will not go quite as low.
Find out how long the cold snap will last here.
Image source, .Thanks very much for getting in touch - we're now going to start answering your questions about the cold snap, how long it'll last and how to stay warm.
A reminder it's not too late to get in touch - you can contact us 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 MediaHeat living rooms during the day and bedrooms before going to sleep - this is the latest advice from health officials for anyone struggling to heat every room because of the high energy costs.
A level three cold weather alert for England issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) began at 6pm yesterday and will run until 9am on 12 December.
The alert is triggered when severe cold weather is likely to affect people's health significantly - particularly those with underlying health conditions.
The UKHSA said that, as well as heating rooms that are used the most to at least 18C, "several layers of thinner clothing will keep you warmer than one thicker layer".
"Having plenty of hot food and drinks is also effective for keeping warm," the agency added.
Temperatures have fallen to between -6C to -10C in some areas and forecaster Simon King predicts it could be colder than that over the coming nights in parts of north-west England and across Scotland.
He thinks we could see some snow in the coming days and says the colder weather is expected to continue well into next week.
Image source, PA MediaThe plummeting temperatures means that the government has triggered Cold Weather Payments for eligible people across large parts of England and Wales.
Thousands, on the lowest incomes in over 300 postcode districts, will receive a £25 payment as temperatures plunge below zero.
It's issued by the UK Health Security Agency when the weather is cold enough to affect people’s health.
The payments will be made in parts of Cumbria, North East and North West England, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Staffordshire and Brecon.
It differs for those living in Scotland - those on low incomes and benefits may receive a one-off Winter Heating Payment but this is not tied to temperatures.
In London, an emergency protocol has been activated to provide extra accommodation for rough sleepers.
You can read more about the cold weather payment triggers here.
Good morning and thanks for joining us as we bring you live coverage of the cold snap hitting the UK and offer you advice about ways to cope with the freezing temperatures.
Weather forecasters are predicting unusually cold temperatures in many areas - well below average for the time of year. The Met Office has issued several weather warnings for snow and ice across the UK over the coming days.
As we all grapple with the cost of living crisis, the freezing conditions will place a further strain on households struggling to heat their homes this winter.
Yesterday it was announced that people on the lowest incomes in hundreds of places in England and Wales are set to receive a £25 cold weather payment.
We’ve assembled a team of experts who will be able to offer you help and advice about the cold weather, including what you can do to try and stay warm and reduce your energy costs.
Please send us your questions too by using the Get Involved button at the top of this page. Alternatively you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external or Whatsapp +44 7756 165803.