Read It and Leave: Prepping Your Home for Vacation

The cheapest way to protect laptops and TVs is to unplug them. Otherwise, in a storm surge, "the extra voltage can decrease the life of whatever's plugged into the wall," even if the surge doesn't fry it, says Le-Ha Anderson, a Dominion Virginia Power spokeswoman.

· Leave lights on. For less than $20, you can buy timers that turn on a light at different times from one day to another. Outside lighting is just as important, says Officer Julia Gilroy of the Montgomery County Police Department. "Lighting's a very good deterrent at night." Motion-detector lights are also inexpensive and easily mounted.

· Leave the gas and water on. Not only is it unnecessary to turn off the pilot light to your gas appliances, it's inadvisable. You should, however, make sure the area around any gas appliances is clear of flammable objects, including rags that could create vapors a pilot light could ignite. As for the water, shutting it off entirely can cause unforeseen complications for the hot water heater, says Jeanne Bailey of Fairfax Water.

It is a good idea, though, to turn off the valves to your toilets. "Toilet leaks often go undetected," Bailey says. Also, turn the icemaker in the fridge to the "off" setting to prevent leaks or an overflow of ice.

· Turn up the thermostat. Not so high that the compressor goes silent -- a tipoff no one's home -- but enough to save a bit of money. For every degree you raise the thermostat, you save an estimated 3 to 5 percent of your energy consumption, according to Pepco spokesman Robert Dobkin.