We are going abroad for the next 6 months and want to leave the house as prepared as possible for the winter months. I am thinking of turning off the water at the stopcock ( located under the stairs in our case ) in order to minimise damage if there was a burst pipe. The pipes and water tank in the attic are all well lagged so hopefully there won't be any problems but with the harsh winters we had in 2009 and 2010 I can't take any chances. What I want to know is would the heating system be affected by turning off the main water supply coming into the house. We have a sealed system heated by gas boiler. I am thinking of asking my next door neighbour to put on the heating on the timer to come on for a short period each evening if the weather gets very cold. Does the heating work independently from the cold water supply and would it be safe to turn off the water? I appreciate any advice offered.