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Are Your Smoke Alarms Working Properly?

Are Your Smoke Alarms Working Properly?

Having a smoke alarm in your home is more important than you think. House fires kill on average 4,380 individuals every year. Ensuring that your detectors are working properly are vital when it comes to saving you and your family’s lives in the event of a disaster.
The answer to these three questions could save your life:
  1. Do you have a working smoke alarm with functioning batteries in your home?
    If you answered yes, that’s a great start. If you answered no, head to your local home improvement store and pick one up immediately. Sooner is better than never.
  2. Are they in the right room?
    Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be placed in hallways, kitchens and living rooms.
  3. How old are they?
    You should change your alarms out every 10 years. If your current alarms are older than 10 years, its time!
If you want to avoid forgetting to change the batteries, you can purchase lithium batteries for $5-$10 dollars and they work for 10 years.
What will be your first step towards a safer home?
Simple Winter Hacks To Help You Save

Simple Winter Hacks To Help You Save

Colder days are ahead of us, and that means a higher utility bill, due to hot water and heat. Experts say that this winter season could significantly increase your bill compared to other years due to the rising fuel costs.

If you want to save some of your pennies this year, follow some of these simple hacks you can do around the house that will help you save big.

  • Put weather stripping around windows and doors to stop air leaks. Air strips are only a few dollars and they take seconds to install.
  • Turn your thermostat down when you’re not home. If your entire family is away from your home during the daytime, there is no reason to have the heat up. Instead, open your drapes and let the natural light and warmth in from the sun.
  • Set your ceiling fan to turn clockwise. This will allow the hot air that has risen to be pushed back down to warm you.
  • Check the setting on your hot water heater. Lowering your temperature 20 degrees can help you save up to 11 percent on your utility bill.
  • Take shorter showers. Although the hot water feels good, money in your pocket will feel even better. On average, an entire family can use up to 150 gallons of hot water in the morning while showering.
  • Perform an energy audit to see exactly how much energy you’re wasting and where the biggest problems are. You can either hire an expert to do this or you can do it for free by clicking here and seeing how, https://energy.gov/energysaver/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits.

How much energy and money do you plan to save this winter season?

 

Is your Heart Healthy?

Is your Heart Healthy?

February is Heart Health Month. There are many contributing factors that cause heart disease and heart attacks. Do you know if you are at risk?
If you answer yes to 3 or more of these questions, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately.
  1. Do you smoke?
  2. Do you have high blood pressure?
  3. Do you have high cholesterol?
  4. Do you have diabetes?
  5. Are you overweight?

These are all possible risk factors of heart disease and heart attack. If you answered no to these questions, then you are off to a good start. However maintaining a healthy heart is important.

Here are some tips to follow when ensuring a healthy heart.

  • Avoid smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco.
  • High blood pressure is one of the largest risk factors. Limit your salt intake and be sure to exercise regularly.
  • Keep your cholesterol low. To lower your cholesterol, reduce the saturated and transfats in your diet.
  • Control your blood sugar with dieting and exercise.
  • Exercise on a regular basis. Start out slowly. Even just 10 minutes a day of exercise is helpful.
  • Control your stress with meditation, or exercise. Stress is another leading factor in heart disease.

How do you plan to take care of your heart? For more information on heart health and heart health awareness visit http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

 

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas – Without Breaking The Bank!

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas – Without Breaking The Bank!

It’s important to make your significant other feel special on Valentine’s Day. In fact, it’s even better when you don’t have to break the bank for it.
Here are some inexpensive yet thoughtful date ideas to try this Valentine’s Day:
  • Dine in before going out. Heading out to a restaurant on Valentine ’s Day is a recipe for fighting off crowds. You can easily avoid this by ordering in your favorite food or even cooking dinner for that special someone. Not only will you feel relaxed and comfortable in your own home but you will be saving money too.
  • Consider using coupons. Using restaurant coupons on a first date is a bit awkward. However, for long term couples who are comfortable with each other, this could work to save the both of you a little bit of money.
  • Splurge on cocktails and dessert. Instead of spending on a huge meal, eat and spend light on your main course. Then, head out or even stay in, and enjoy more of your favorite mixed drink and sweet treat!
  • If concert and theater tickets are out of your range of spending, try going to an art gallery, wine tasting or even the movie theater. In most places these centers are open late.
  • If you are looking to have a unique and reasonably priced Valentine’s Day, try some of these money saving options.
Happy Valentine’s Day from C.H. Edwards, Inc.!
Shopping Safely Online this Valentine’s Day

Shopping Safely Online this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and that means shopping for s special gift for that special someone.  Although you may be heading to your local florist or candy shop to pick up a gift, others do their shopping online.

Let’s face it, shopping on line is fast, easy and your items ship right to your front door. However, we can’t forget about the lurking thieves who aim to steal your credit card, bank and other personal information.

Follow these basic guidelines and you can shop online with confidence this Valentine’s Day:

  • Use familiar websites. If you know the site, chances are you won’t be ripped off. Websites such as Edible Arrangements and 1-800 Flowers are well known sites and chances are you will be making a purchase on a secure site.
  • Never buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn’t have SSL (secure sockets layer) you can see if the site has SSL if the site starts with https:// instead of just http://.
  • Never give more information than needed. No online store needs to know your social security number or your birthday to do business. If thieves get this information along with your credit card information, it can do a lot of damage.
  • Check your credit card and debit card statements regularly. Make sure you don’t see any fraudulent charges. If you do, contact your bank immediately.
  • Install an anti-virus program onto your PC and be sure to do regular updates.

Shop safely this Valentine’s day and every other day of the year. You never know who could be lurking in the shadows!

 

Safety Tips for Winter Walking

Safety Tips for Winter Walking

Winter walking means icy sidewalks, snowy paths, bulky clothes, bulky shoes, and more. There are several steps that you can take to enjoy a safe winter season.

  • Avoid distractions from your phone and other hand held devices. Be sure that you aware of your surroundings.
  • Avoid shortcuts and snow covered paths. Always aim for cleared sidewalks and walkways.
  • Use caution when stepping from one level to another. Especially on stairs!
  • Wear non-slip boots or footwear.
  • Take small steps and take your time. Rushing will only put you in danger for a possible accident.
  • Use handrails and guiderails when available.
  • Maintain three points of contact whenever possible.
  • Distribute weight of bags evenly for balance and keep hands out of pockets in case you need to catch yourself.

The winter season on Long Island can bring many different types of weather. Make sure you know how to stay safe when commuting in them. Taking these small steps now could save you a trip to the doctor in the future.

How do you plan to stay safe this winter season?

 

Keeping Our Water Ways Clean

Keeping Our Water Ways Clean

72% of the Earth is made up of water. This is one of the many reasons as to why it is so important to keep our water ways clean and safe!

Everyday activities such as driving and landscaping can affect our water quality significantly.

Here are some tips to follow when keeping our water ways clean:

  • Never drain your pool into a storm water system, roadway or body of water. Water should be dechlorinated and discharged to a grassy area.
  • Clean up after your pets at home and in your community. Pet waste can spread disease and pollute our waterways.
  • Always check your vehicles for leaks and make necessary repairs.
  • Used oils, antifreeze, fluids and batteries should be recycled at collection centers or participating auto part stores.
  • Do not dump fats, oils, and grease down your drain. When poured down the drain, these substances known as FOG will harden and over time will create clogs.
  • Make sure to have your septic systems pumped every 3-5 years.

What steps will you take to keeping our water ways clean?

 

Credit Score and your Insurance

Credit Score and your Insurance

Does your credit score affect your insurance rates? As a matter of fact, it does!

Your credit score plays a big role in the price of your insurance. Of course, the higher your score the cheaper your insurance, and the lower your score, the more expensive your insurance will be.

Insurance companies and agencies have many tools available to assist them in the underwriting process. Credit score and history provides a consistent tool to evaluate risk that does not discriminate against any specific group of customers. It helps the customer pay his or her fair share for insurance.

Most companies that use credit information treat it as just one of several factors in the underwriting decision. Generally, your credit rating alone is not likely to keep you from obtaining insurance or paying more, it can help you get insurance.

An NAII survey found that credit histories helped insurers write more policies. Companies said that they are able to accept some customers because the credit report offsets other information. One NAII member found that using credit histories enables it to charge seven percent of its customer’s lower premiums than otherwise would be the case.

So what’s credit got to do with it? A lot! If you have a low credit score, make improving your credit score a goal for the new year.

 

Cut Your Energy Costs

Cut Your Energy Costs

It’s a New Year, and now is the perfect time to cut back on your energy costs. Taking the steps to cut your energy costs will not only save you money, but it will save our resources and the planet.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Make sure your home is sealed during the winter to avoid wasting heat. Close all fireplace dampers, windows, and make sure any cracks are sealed.
  • Cool your home naturally in the summer by opening windows on cool nights.
  • On nice days, hang your laundry out to dry instead of using the dryer.
  • Replace regular incandescent light bulbs and fixtures with Energy Star qualified fluorescent lights.
  • Unplug any appliances or devices that you are not using. Although they are not on, they are still drawing energy.
  • Replace your old refrigerator. Refrigerators made before 1993 could be costing $140 a year in electricity. Even refrigerators built between 1993 and 2001 cost about $60 a year to run. By comparison, a new Energy Star rated refrigerator runs on about $20 a year.
  • Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full to avoid running it multiple times in a day.

Everybody wants a little more money in their pockets. Attempting to save on energy will help you! You could save over $900 a year just by doing the basics. Imagine how much more you could save by finding more ways to save on your energy.

 

Candle Safety

Candle Safety

Calling all candle lovers! The holidays have passed and most likely you’ve received an abundance of your favorite candles. Before lighting a candle, be sure to follow these 4 important safety tips:

Don’t touch your candle while hot! Never touch or move while lit; wait until the wax has hardened.

Keep an eye on your candles. Always burn candles where you can see them (no longer than 3-4 hours at a time) and never near anything that can catch fire. Candles will burn slower and more evenly when kept in draft-free areas. Extinguish the flames before you leave a room. Never extinguish the flame with water.

Keep your candles clean. Trim wicks to ¼ inch before you light them (every time).

Keep candles out of reach. If you have pets, or young children, be sure to keep your candles in an area where they cannot reach them.

Enjoy your candles safely!