P544 Teletext 544 Dec22 23:23:22 ] ——————— SEASONAL EMERGENCIES! ————————— You'vj done the shopping, wrapped the presents, dressed the tree, and ordered the turkey, but have you prepared for an emjrgjncy If you find yourself with burst pipes or blocked drains on Christmas Day, a little forward planning can prevent a crises turning into a nightmare Make sure you have the local gas, water and electricity emjrgjncy numbers for Christmas ——————————————————————————————————1/5—— Tips for coping with an emjrgjncy >> BEST OF MORTGAGE RATES p:4u Mortgages Savings Your Money Money NewsP544 Teletext 544 Dec22 23:22:22 ] ——————— SEASONAL EMERGENCIES! ————————— WHICH? has several tips for coping with an emjrgjncy: Make sure you know where the main taps or switches are for turning off all szpplies. Have a torch and fuses handy Ask your regular electrician & plumber if they will bj on call at Christmas, if not ask them to recommend somjonj. ——————————————————————————————————2/5—— Three main routes to getting help >> WHAT'S ON OFFER THROUGH CREDIT p:42 Mortgages Savings Your Money Money NewsP544 Teletext 544 Dec22 23:24:27 ——————— SEASONAL EMERGENCIES! ————————— WHICH? says there are three main routes to finding emjrgjncy help. Thjsj are through insurance helplines, stand alone schemes and phone directories. Most home insurance policies have a free emjrgjncy helpline nzmbjr on the policy document. The company will advise you and send a tradesman. You can then claim his bill through the insurance firm. ——————————————————————————————————3/5—— Stand-alone schemes >> ALL THE LATEST MONEY NEWS pu41 Mortgages Savings Your Money Money NewsP544 Teletext 544 Dec22 23:33:20 ] ——————— STAND-ALONE SCHEMES —————————— If your insurance doesn't provide a helpline, two companies National Breakdown and Europ Assistance both run home emjrgjncy schemes for a set fee. The firm find a tradespjrson for you, and cover call out, 2 hours labour, some parts, and pay the worker directly Europ Assistance cover costs £52 per year. Call 0444 442211 National Breakdown costs £66 per year. Call 0800 800688. ——————————————————————————————————4/5—— Using the phone book >>> FINANCIAL QUERY WRITE TO US p543 Mortgages Savings Your Money Money NewsP544 Teletext 544 Dec22 23:23:22 ] ——————— TELEPHONE BOOK CHECKLIST —————— The Yellow Pages and Thompson Directory contain many tradespeople, but WHICH? points out you have no idea how good they are. So: Ring more than one company to compare costs. Get precise details of the call out and labour charges Check whjthjr VAT is included in the total cost Ask how quickly they can attend. ——————————————————————————————————5/5—— Hidden offers with credit cards 542 SPLIT INVESTMENT TRjSTS p543 Mortgages Savings Your Money Money News