Hit movie Home Alone made waves about hapless holidaymakers leaving their children behind. But in the real world, what gadgets are most likely to have been left on in the home when people head abroad?
The holiday car rental experts at StressFreeCarRental.com have researched the most likely items in the home to be left on and come up with a checklist of things that need to be turned off before leaving the house.
As well as saving vital energy and reducing the risk of accidents in your absence, these top tips will also help people save money during the current cost of living crisis.
A spokesperson for StressFreeCarRental.com said: “There is so much to think about when preparing for a holiday, in terms of packing the right things and remembering your passport.
“It is also worthwhile to have a routine to check around the house before you leave to ensure everything that needs to be switched or turned off is done.
“No one wants to return to an easily preventable flood or higher energy bill than necessary when you have not been in the home for two weeks. Our checklist should help guide holidaymakers on what to do.”
The experts at StressFreeCarRental.com say the following steps can identify fire risks, other potential hazards and energy draining sources. But they point out not everything can be turned off, citing burglar and intruder alarms which must be checked to see if they are in good working order.
Here is StressFreeCarRental.com’s guide to what to switch off at home before you head off on your travels:
Chargers
Unplugging chargers is a good tactic as they constantly draw power into their power supplies, so you can save energy and cost.
Lights
You need to consider turning lights off, although weighing up if you will have a timer switch to factor in. Sometimes there are lights in the attic, garage or basement which are forgotten about and need to be turned off.
Modems and Routers
Turning these off can also prevent hackers from getting into your wifi and saving on power.
Heating
It’s a waste of money and energy to heat the house when you are away in the summer. Consider keeping the heating on very low if on holiday in the winter.
Kitchen Appliances
Some of these are worth unplugging to save electricity and reduce the fire risk to your home. But not all - it would be unwise to turn off the fridge and freezer, leaving you in a real mess on your return. Weigh up which appliances can safely be turned off.
Water
Locate the stopcock and turn off the water before leaving home on your holidays. It’s important as it will help prevent water leaks that can result in expensive floods and damage.
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