Keeping your home safe & secure

Here are some tips to help keep your home safe and secure.

• Find out where your gas and electricity meters are located and how to turn off the power or gas supply in an emergency
• Find your fuse box and how to change the fuse or re-set the switches if you need to
• Look for the water stop cock, so you know how to turn off the water supply
• Keep a torch near your electricity meter, in case of power cuts

There are many ways to increase the security in your home at little or no extra cost:

• Fit window locks to all your windows but especially those on the ground floor
• Join or help set up a neighbourhood watch scheme in your area. For more information log onto www.neighbourhoodwatch.net or phone 0116 2710052
• Report suspicious activity to the police
• Don’t leave valuables in public view near windows or doors
• Don’t let anyone into your home without checking for identification - use a door chain

Gas checks

Every year we need to check the safety of all the gas appliances that we have provided in your home. This service is for your safety and to ensure that everything is working safely and efficiently. You are obligated by law to allow access to our gas engineers to undertake
your gas safety check.

We will write to you with an appointment for this service. If a gas engineer calls at your property and has been unable to gain access, a card will be posted through your door to tell you that someone has called to do your inspection. The card will have our phone number on it. It is important for your own safety that you contact us to rearrange an appointment.

Help prevent pipes from freezing

• Make sure that the pipes in your home most likely to freeze are well-lagged
• Leave your heating on low in the winter even when you are not at home. A constant low heat is better and more efficient than a burst of high heat once or twice a day
• If you are going away and your home will be empty for a period of time, turn the water off at the stopcock

If your pipes do freeze

• Report it to us immediately
• Make sure your water supply is turned off at the stop-cock
• Turn down your heating to low so that your pipes defrost slowly