If you’re planning to go on holiday, it’s wise to have a plan to keep your home running smoothly and safely while you’re away.

Follow our simple checklist below:

Check your heating

If your house is going to empty while you’re away, you don’t need to keep it warm. However, it’s worth setting your heating to come on for an hour or so each day, to keep your boiler working at its best. If the weather’s likely to be colder while you’re away, set it for a few hours overnight.

Check as well to make sure none of your radiators has any leaks and make sure your taps, bath, shower, and toilet are okay too. The last thing you want is to come home to a flooded house!

Prepare your appliances

Unplug any appliances you can to help reduce your energy usage while you’re away; even one television per household left on standby adds up to £432 million of electricity across the UK each year*. This also reduces the fire risk of leaving these items plugged in and unattended.

Make sure you empty the washing machine; clothes left in there for even just a few days will start to smell.

Fill and empty your dishwasher too, and wash anything you use the morning you go away. Used cups and dishes will not only start to smell but will be harder to clean if left for too long.

Secure your home

Before you go, check all your doors and windows close properly and make sure they’re securely locked when you leave. If you’re worried, leave a family member or friend a set of keys to check your property once you’ve left.

Other things you can do to protect your home are:

• Setting your lights on a timer: this is an easy way of making it look like your home is occupied.
• Lock up as well as your home, make sure any other buildings on your property, such as garages, conservatories and sheds are locked and that all garden furniture and tools are also locked away.

Before you go is a great time to get those little DIY jobs sorted – now’s the time to sort that sticking lock or window that won’t shut properly.

To find out more about our Complete Home Emergency plans, boiler and central heating insurance or other types of home care cover plans, such as plumbing and drainage insurance and home appliances cover, contact our friendly team on 0330 09 48 301. You can even request a call back to discuss your requirements or get a quote online.

*according to research by Utilita

If you’ve ever had your external locks, doors or windows fail or lost your only available key, you know how stressful it can be knowing your home is insecure. You’ll also have to spend time and money finding a locksmith to change your locks and replace your keys.

A recent survey by Moneysupermarket found that nearly 37% of UK homeowners have lost at least one set of keys within their lifetime. This can impact your home’s security and even invalidate your home insurance in some cases. Most home insurers won’t pay out unless there’s forced entry to your property.

Benefits of Home Security insurance

Making sure you have cover in place to protect you against losing your keys and securing your locks can give you the peace of mind that if the worst were to happen, you’ll be able to get back into or protect your property quickly. It also prevents expensive call-out charges, especially if you were to call for a locksmith in the middle of the night or at the weekend.

What does Home Security insurance cover you for?

When you buy Complete Home Emergency Cover with us, you’ll get the benefit of Home Security insurance. There are two parts to the cover:

• You’ll be covered in the event that you experience damage to or failure of any of your external locks, doors or windows that means your main living areas are unsafe and easily accessible to intruders
• If you lose the only available key to your home, one of our trusted, approved engineers will gain access to your property and ensure it’s left secure for you. This means you’re not left waiting for a locksmith to rescue you

Tips to keep your keys safe

On average, we spend 10 minutes a day searching for items we’ve misplaced, keys being the second most common thing we lose. We’ve put together some tips for keeping your keys safe:

• Avoid leaving spare keys in hidden places (such as under your doormat). It’s not as safe as you think
• Separate your keys out rather than having them all on one bunch
• Leave a spare with a family member or a trusted neighbour
• Keep your keys out of sight when you’re at home and don’t leave them near doors/windows

Home Emergency Assist is an appointed representative of Insure Group Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), giving you additional peace of mind.

To find out more about our Complete Home Emergency plans, boiler and central heating insurance or other types of home care cover plans, such as plumbing and drainage insurance and home appliances cover, contact our friendly team on 0330 09 48 301. You can even request a call back to discuss your requirements or get a quote online.