Most of Harlow Council’s services will shut down between Christmas and new year, which saves money on energy and building costs.
Christmas opening times
The contact centre will be open until 12pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025. It will reopen at 9am on Monday 5 January 2026.
The contact centre is usually very busy before Christmas and during the few days after the new year, so you might have to wait longer than usual if you call us.
While we are closed, you can still access many services online, like booking a bulky waste collection, reporting noise or litter.
Whilst we are closed, you can also still make payments online.
You can also pay using the 24 hour, automated telephone payments line 01279 446600.
In an emergency, when the contact centre is closed, you can contact us by calling 01279 446666.
Bins and recycling
You can check your bin dates for the Christmas period online.
Extra waste
Harlow Council will collect one extra bag of non-recycling on your first non-recycling collection after Christmas.
Extra recycling should be put out as normal.
Extra food waste can be placed in compostable liners on top of your caddy or in a cardboard box.
Missed or disrupted bin collections
If your bin collections get missed you can report it to us online.
If bin collections are disrupted due to adverse weather conditions, please check the website for the latest collection information. You can put the bins out for collection as normal and leave them until collected or told otherwise.
There are no green waste subscription collections between 22 December 2025 and 5 January 2026.
The Harlow Recycling Centre (the dump) is run by Essex County Council.
Christmas trees
If you are signed up to the green waste subscription service just put your real tree out on your January collection day.
If you have an artificial Christmas tree, you can use our bulky collection service.
Benefits
Payments will be made to claimants on 19 December 2025, 29 December 2025 and 19 January 2026.
Payments will be made to landlords on 12 December 2025.
Housing
Council housing
The bidding cycle over Christmas and the New Year on Harlow Homefinder website:
- opens on Friday 26 December 2025 at 9.30am
- closes on Tuesday 6 January 2026 at 1am
The next bidding cycle will start on Friday 9 January 2026 at 9.30am.
Homelessness
You can look at the help available for rough sleepers and our warm spaces.
You can also check what to do if you think you might become homeless.