September has a habit of arriving with a new timetable, a colder house and the sudden realisation that nobody has checked the smoke alarm since spring.

You don't need to spend a fortune before the evenings close in.

 Start with the jobs that protect people first, then deal with comfort and security.

First, test every smoke alarm. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service advises monthly testing, regular cleaning and home fire-safety checks for eligible residents.

 If an alarm is missing, faulty or difficult to hear, don't leave it on the autumn to-do list.

The service also offers free visits and alarm fitting for eligible households, including residents with hearing loss.

Next, check the boiler and any gas appliances.

Peterborough City Council says gas appliances should have a safety check every 12 months.

If yours is overdue, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer, a person on the official register for gas work, rather than treating a strange noise or weak heating as something to work around.

For households worried about draughts, lighting, heating controls or insulation, the council's Local Energy Advice Partnership offers a free home energy audit, a visit to identify where the home could use less energy.

Then look for damp patches, mould, damaged sockets, loose wires and blocked escape routes.

Renters shouldn't automatically reach for their own wallet. Peterborough council inspections of private rented homes have found damp and mould, electrical faults and fire-safety failings among the hazards recorded.

Report repairs to the landlord or agent and keep a written record.

The outside of the house deserves five minutes too.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary advises checking locked windows and doors, side gates, sheds and garages.

Put away ladders and garden tools, trim tall hedges and check that sensor lights work.

Timed interior lights can also make an empty home look lived in.

The best order is simple: alarms, gas, escape routes, then damp and security.

Not every draught needs an expensive upgrade, and an inspection may be needed to establish what is wrong.

Fix the genuine risk first, use your landlord or warranty route where it applies, and get help before a small fault becomes a winter emergency.

Which Peterborough home-safety job gets overlooked most often on your street?

Tell us the specific problem or repair issue you'd like us to follow up.