Christmas can be hectic even at the best of times - especially if you're on those long, cold night shifts! Which means it's even more important that when you are home with your family, you can relax and enjoy yourself. With this in mind, we've put together a few handy hints and tips to help you and your family through the festive period.

Around the home

Boiler and radiators
No one wants a cold home to come back to. Bleeding radiators is one of the easiest ways to improve the efficiency of your heating. It’s also a good idea to have your boiler serviced by a registered engineer to ensure it’s ready for the coldest months, when it will be working hardest.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
You should regularly check that your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning correctly and not low on battery power. It’s a quick job that will give you lasting peace of mind. Many fires start in the kitchen so never leave any cooking unattended.

With temperatures dropping during December, it’s a good idea to check the loft to see whether you need additional insulation. Lagging pipes and water tanks will prevent heat escaping while also reducing the risk of ice forming and the plumbing problems it can cause. It’s also a good idea to leave your heating on at a low temperature even when you’re not there, to help prevent things like frozen or burst pipes.

Windows and doors
Faulty seals or gaps around windows and doors allow warm air to escape and cold air to get in. Blocking these draughts can make a big difference to the warmth of your home and help cut your energy bills. Using draught excluders at the bottom of doors can also be an effective measure.

Christmas lights
Christmas normally means fairy lights and lots of them. So make sure that you switch them off and unplug them before you go to bed, or when you leave the house. Check your Christmas tree lights conform to the British Standard. Worst case scenario are fires causes by faulty lights left on unattended.

Christmas gifts and presents
With Christmas gifts galore, your home will probably contain more items such as jewellery, watches, cash, laptops and other technology, just to mention a few. Although many insurers will increase your contents cover value during a religious festival, it is worth checking with them to see if you are covered.

If you are with Police Mutual for home insurance, it is worth noting that you are covered with an additional £5,000 of contents cover at no extra cost during any month in which you celebrate a religious festival, to cover gifts and food bought for the occasion. Terms & conditions apply.

Out and about

The festive period creates a higher risk of burglaries and with many families away from the home, consider the following:

Leave lights on
Keep valuables out of sight and connect lights to timers so that they come on at different times of the day. It’s even a good idea to connect the timer to the radio, so it appears that you are home. It’s also a good idea to have external areas well-lit as well.

Secure your property
It’s stating the obvious, but be sure to lock every door and window when you’re out of the house. If possible ask a friend or neighbour to check on your property regularly if you’re going away for a while.

After Christmas

Reassess contents cover
When normality returns, you will probably find that you may have some new jewellery, new phone or even a new TV. So now is a good time to check with your insurer that you have sufficient contents cover.

Great protection, no hidden costs, easy to switch
With no admin fees* and interest-free monthly payment option, Police Mutual’s Home Insurance could help alleviate the financial strain we can all feel at this time of year. We also make it easier to switch straightaway by paying any cancellation fees you might be charged by your current provider, up to the value of £125.

For more information on our Home Insurance click here or call our dedicated team on 0151 242 7460.

Police Mutual Home Insurance is provided by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd. Home Emergency Cover is provided by ARAG plc.

PMGI Limited, trading as Police Mutual is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register No. 114942. Registered in England & Wales No.1073408. Registered office: Brookfield Court, Selby Road, Leeds, LS25 1NB. For your security, all telephone calls are recorded and may be monitored.

*PMGI Limited may make a charge for policy cancellation.