Summer travel? Keep your home and car safe: Top police tips
Avoid a bill shocker on your return, follow these steps before you travel
Dubai: Planning a long, fun summer vacation? Before you leave, make sure that you secure your home and car, to avoid any mishaps while you are away.
Abu Dhabi police recently issued an advisory to help residents secure their home and vehicle before they travel for the summer break. Sharjah Police, too, has issued guidelines that people should follow during the summer, including tips before travelling.
Here are all the steps you should take, before you travel, to enjoy a stress-free break.
How to secure your home and belongings
• Lock doors, windows, entrances and exits of the house. Make sure wardrobes and safes are not left unlocked.
• Install surveillance cameras to monitor any suspicious movement whether at home or its surroundings.
• Keep valuable money and belongings in safe places such as banks or well-secured safes.
• Use smart technologies and systems connected to alarms.
• Don’t leave car keys or other keys out in the open, or at an easily accessible place, to avoid theft.
• Arrange for regular maintenance of your home to ensure the electricity and gas systems are working efficiently, to prevent fire hazards and electrical short circuits.
• Inform your neighbours that you are travelling.
• Make sure your car is parked in a designated place and completely locked.
Avoid a bill shocker when you return
Another aspect to keep in mind is the electricity and water bill, which can get quite high if you do not take the necessary precautions. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) provides some simple steps that you can take to keep this in check:
- Away mode – this feature enables you to monitor your electricity and water usage while travelling and receive daily or weekly data by email. To know more, click here.
- Switch off and unplug electrical appliances before leaving your homes to make sure they do not drain energy in standby mode.
- Update the settings on your lighting control systems to reduce electricity consumption by automatically switching external lights on and off as needed.
- Shut off your home’s water supply before travelling, inspect internal connections, and fix any leaks in the water connections with the help of a specialised technician. Perform the necessary maintenance, which can significantly reduce water waste.
Home security
In Dubai, you can request for the ‘home security’ by Dubai Police, which is available to residents of villas outside gated communities. The ‘home security’ service allows residents to sign up and have patrol cars keep an eye on their home, while they are away. You can apply for the service through the website, the app or a smart police station. For more details, click here.