When you move house, it’s great fun to walk around your new neighborhood and familiarize yourself with some of the local services such as cafes and interesting stores.  Closer to home, there’s one important service you should also get familiar with: your home’s electrical box.

Take a little time to get to know your way around your electrical service box, and make sure that you can access it easily if there is a power outage.

•    Find its location. If your house is relatively new the box is probably attached to an external wall.
•    Keep the area around the box free of obstructions that could block access in an emergency.
•    Clearly label each circuit breaker, switch or fuse, and familiarize yourself with their on/off positions.
If you notice that your electrical installation looks old-fashioned, corroded or damaged, it’s important to have it assessed by a licensed electrical contractor.  Proper maintenance of your electrical installations will help to ensure that you and your family are less at risk of electrical hazards and fires. Remember, too, that while a homeowners policy can protect you from the cost of electrical disasters and accidents you may not be covered for the cost of damage caused by inadequate maintenance. Also, if you reside in an area that is prone to hurricanes, it is always a good idea to supplement your homeowners policy with wind storm insurance.

Power outages and other emergencies can’t be avoided, but these crises are more manageable if you’re prepared for them.  Keep a list of contact numbers somewhere handy so that you can call for help quickly if there’s an emergency. Contact details of your electricity supplier and home electrical contractor should be at the top of your emergency list, and it’s a good idea to include the number of your home insurance agent or insurer.

Having flood insurance in NJ is a great way to protect your home in the event of a flood, but your insurance policy doesn’t usually extend as far as your car. So what should you do if your car is affected by your flood?

First, check to see the extent of the damage. It may just be that your carpets may be damaged, or there may be more serious damage such as to your dashboard or your engine. If you think that there may be water in your engine, don’t start your car, as this can make the problem worse.

Instead, arrange to have a mechanic look at your car to see whether it can be salvaged. If the flooding is fresh water rather than salt water, while you can’t claim on your flood insurance you may be able to make a damage claim on your car insurance policy if you have that level of cover.

If you do need to buy a new car after a flood, be careful when doing so, as stories of unscrupulous agents attempting to sell flood-damaged cars abound. Only ever buy from reputable dealers, and be wary of any car prices that seem too good to be true.

Of course, prevention is better than cure, so if you suspect that a flood is coming, take your car to high ground if there is time for you to do so safely.