Your home: shut-offs, tools, fire
Five minutes of looking now saves a flooded kitchen later.
Find and label
- The main water valve.
- The gas shut-off, if you have gas.
- The fuse box and the main switch.
- Show everyone in the house, not just yourself.
Fire
- Smoke alarms on every floor, tested monthly.
- An extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen. Read the label before the fire.
- Two ways out of every bedroom, agreed in advance.
Tools worth having
- Adjustable spanner, screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, saw.
- Duct tape, cable ties, rope, a tarp, work gloves.
- A wrecking bar if you live with storms or quakes.
More from official sources
Updated 9 October 2026.