Whether you’re going for a weekend getaway or a much earned end of year holiday, it’s important to keep your home safe as well as secure. It’s not enough to just lock all your doors and windows, a few electrical safety precautions will ensure your house is safe until your return. These electrical safety tips will give you peace of mind while you are away from home.

Turn out the lights
Whilst in can be tempting to leave lights on to deter intruders, neither your electricity bill nor the environment will thank you for it. Plus, leaving lights on for an extended period can be a safety hazard. Consider instead investing in a motion-sensor lights, day-night switches, timers or smart bulbs.

Pull the plug
Unplugging appliances and devices that do not need to be on while you are away. This will not only protect your home from power surges and potential fire hazards, it will also lower your electricity consumption. Even though appliances are turned off, they can still consume small amounts of electricity if they are left plugged in, so the best option is to unplug them and turn off the power sockets.

Fight the surge
Make sure your home is equipped with a whole-house surge protector. Many power surges will not cause any damage, you do need to protect your home and appliances against a major power surge. A whole-house surge protector is a constant protection against power surges both when you’re home and when you’re away.

Get an Electrical Fire Safety Inspection
Electrical Fire Safety inspections should be a regular part of your home maintenance, but if you have been putting these off for a few years, definitely have one carried out before going on an extended holiday. These inspections uncover any electrical wiring, hazardous appliances, lighting, or meter box issues. Any concerns during the inspection will be properly fixed on the same day, giving you complete peace of mind before you start your holiday.

Turn off your garage door
Really? We hear you asking, the garage door? Yes. Automated Garage doors can sometimes be triggered to open during a power outage. And with the additional burdens air conditioners can place on the power grid in the heat of summer, power outages, however brief, are a possibility. The last thing you want is your garage to be wide open for anyone to wander in.