5. Use your garage.

If you have a garage, park your car inside and keep the garage locked. This makes it much harder for a thief to get access to your vehicle.

12 Tips to Prevent Vehicle Theft

4. Make sure that you lock your car and roll up the windows.

About 50% of all stolen vehicles were left unlocked. If your car is unlocked, or the windows are not rolled up all the way, a resourceful thief can get inside and steal your car. At the very least, they can get in and have access to any of your belongings that are inside the car. Don’t make it easy for them, keep your car locked and roll up the windows.

12 Tips to Prevent Vehicle Theft

3. Don’t leave valuables inside your car.

A car which has valuables within plain view is always a target for car thieves. Don’t leave any personal documents, credit cards or cash inside your vehicle. If you have to store valuable items in your car, make sure that you put them in the trunk, or at the very least, hide them from plain sight. Keep in mind that stowing your valuables at your destination and then leaving your car in the parking lot can also be tempting for thieves who may be watching from the other side of the lot – so whenever possible, store your valuables before arriving at your destination.

12 Tips to Prevent Vehicle Theft

2. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition, in key boxes or inside your garage.

Approximately 20% of stolen vehicles are those in which the keys have been left in the ignition. If a thief can get to your keys, they can get your car, even if the car is parked in your garage or driveway.

Never hide a spare key inside your car. If you have extra sets of keys, make sure you keep them in a secure location inside your home and never leave your keys in the ignition.

12 Tips to Prevent Vehicle Theft

1. Never leave your car running if it’s unattended.

It’s often tempting, especially during the cold, Canadian winters to leave the car running while you dash into a store or to start the car and leave it running to warm up while you’re still inside your house getting ready to leave. Unfortunately, this can be an open invitation to auto thieves who only need a few seconds to get into your car and drive away with it. Once a thief is inside your car, there is often very little you can do to stop him from getting away.

12 Tips to Prevent Vehicle Theft

12. Select Energy Efficient Appliances and Electronics

• For energy efficient appliances view Energy Star rated appliances on the Energy Star Products Page. For more simplicity, visit Top Ten USA for the 10 most energy efficient appliances in each category. View the Energy Efficient Appliances and Lighting video.
• Consider installing manual on off switches or use power strips for all appliances and electronics (except the fridge) in order to reduce phantom loads, which even Energy Star appliances and energy efficient electronics have.

Twelve Steps to Affordable Zero Energy Home Construction

11. Install Energy Efficient Lighting

• For lighting, use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Use LEDs in light fixtures that get the most use, as they will last much longer than CFLs and are more energy efficient.
• During the design phase, design window placement for optimal natural lighting and use smaller task lighting where possible

Twelve Steps to Affordable Zero Energy Home Construction

10. Use an Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling System

• Consider an Air Source Ductless Heat Pump with Minisplits sized for the specific heating needs of the house and climate. Ductless Air Source Heat Pumps are one of the most efficient methods for home heating and cooling and are easy to install.
• Highly energy efficient Air Source Ductless Heat Pumps include the Mitsubishi “Mr. Slim” Ductless Heat Pump. In cold climates, consider the “Hyper Heat” model that heats down to temperatures of -18 °F. View the Ductless Heat Pump video.

Twelve Steps to Affordable Zero Energy Home Construction