The vipHome Podcast

Wildfires are common in many parts of the United States with more than half of all U.S. properties at risk for wildfire damage. Michele Steinberg, Wildfire Division Director, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), recently shared with us how wildfires ignite and spread, so you can protect your home and family!

Almost three in four homeowners with smart home tech devices worry that someone can gain access to their device without their permission, but is the threat real? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Eugenia Blackstone, Chief Marketing Officer for Iris Powered by Generali, recently shared with us simple ways to help protect your smart home from hackers and other digital threats.

The annual Consumer Confidence Report is a report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is required to be sent to consumers each year by their community and public water systems. Bryanna Poczatek, Technical Affairs Manager for the Water Quality Association (WQA), walked us through what the CCR says and how it can help you make decisions about your drinking water!

With more than 10.7 million residential pools in the U.S., many homeowners safely enjoy a dip in a residential pool each year. Unfortunately, there have been times where pools and electricity have mixed in dangerous ways.

“We tend to see tragedies occur when there is some piece of the safety system that was compromised,” says Jeff Sargent, principal electrical specialist with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

How can you make sure your home pool or hot tub is safe to enjoy this (and every) summer? Jeff shared with us important tips to help you identify potential electrical safety issues with your pool and tips for ensuring that it’s safe to use.

Last year was a record-breaking year for recalls. More than 1 billion units of food, drugs, medical devices, automobile, and consumer products were recalled in the United States, and unfortunately, some of these products may still be in your home. That’s why we reached out to Patty Davis of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Patty shared with us important tips to help you handle recall products, so they don’t harm you or your family. Listen now!

Almost half of all American adults (47%) have had their personal information exposed by cyber criminals, and 600,000 Facebook accounts are hacked daily. How can you keep your family and information safe when surfing the internet at home? We recently welcomed Lisa Plaggemier, executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), to find out the important home internet safety tips every homeowner needs to know (including you)!

Lithium-ion batteries have been known to cause destructive fires. Though the chances of a lithium-ion battery failing and catching fire is one in 10 million batteries, they caused 200 fires and six deaths in New York City last year alone. Brian O’Connor of the NFPA recently stopped by the vipHome Podcast to share important safety tips to help you and your family safely use devices powered with lithium-ion batteries.

Electric vehicles (EV) are quickly becoming mainstream. More than 3.4 million EVs are on American roads today, and they are expected to make up more than 50% of new vehicle sales by 2030. What does this mean for the safety of your home (and your bank account)? Sarah Ollila, program manager for the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) of the Department of Energy, recently stopped by the vipHome Podcast to answer your top questions about EV chargers at home.

Hurricane season will be here before you know! That's why Aaron Levy of FEMA recently stopped by the vipHome Podcast and shared with us how you can prepare your home for the 2023 hurricane season.

We recently welcomed Matan Slagter, CEO of Armadillo, a new tech-based home warranty company, to the vipHome Podcast to learn more about home warranties and how they can prevent home fires, floods, and spoiled Greek yogurt from happening to you!