Conserve Energy & Save Money at Home While on Vacation
There are a few times a year when you can easily increase electrical conservation in your home. Leaving home and going on vacation is one of those times. If you are planning a summer vacation, don’t be misled into thinking that you’ll save money on your utility bills when you’re away. It takes more than locking the door and leaving to save power while you’re gone. If you’ll be going on vacation this summer, you’ll want to read the following tips to prevent coming home to high utility bills. Whether you’ll just be gone a few days or for a few weeks, the following tips will help ensure that you aren’t paying for unnecessary electricity while you are out.
The A/C
It’s not always enough to turn down your a/c. Instead, shut it off completely. If you have a programmable thermostat with advanced settings you may be able to program it so that it cools your house before you come back. A timer may be necessary to have the a/c power go on.
Water Heater
Water heaters are notorious for wasting energy, as they constantly heat the water in your home. Turn off the water heater at the circuit breaker or fuse box. This could save you $15-$20 a month. If you are going to be on vacation for more than 2 weeks, this step is really worth your while.
Refrigerator and Freezer
Slightly raise the temperature on your fridge and freezer if you’ll be gone for just a few days. If you’re going on a longer vacation, empty all contents and shut it down. Prop open the door to prevent mildew. Clearing
out and shutting down your fridge and freezer can prevent you from a substantial loss. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. During the Northeast Blackout of 2003, we went on a month long vacation out of the country, leaving behind a freezer full of food. I had even prepared a few frozen meals so that we could eat well on our hectic week back from vacation and had stocked up on frozen goods to avoid a shopping trip. Our loss definitely amounted to a few hundred dollars.
Lights
Make sure that all lights are turned off. Depending on how important home security is in your area, consider leaving a few lights on timers to create an occupied look for your home.
Close Your Blinds
Make sure the blinds or drapes are closed. If your a/c is on, closed shades will help keep the house even cooler for your return by keeping the sun out.
Pull the Plug
Unplug all appliances and anything electrical before you leave. Electrical items that are plugged in while not in use utilize what is referred to as a standby power. Standby power can contribute to as much as 10 percent of your electricity bill. Go through each room in your home and make a checklist of each electrical item. Here are a few that you shouldn’t overlook:
. TV
. Digital TV recorder
. Cell phone and battery chargers
. Computers
. Printers, scanners, fax machine
. Microwave
. Digital clocks
. Lamps
Written by Marcy Tate
Marcy is a blogger at Networx. She also writes for Electricians Networks.
Comments
I’d be careful about completely turning off the AC or heater when you leave. In the summer, particularly in humid regions like the southeast US, air conditioning removes moisture and protects the house from mold and other problems. I’d say it’s appropriate to boost the temperature into the 80s, but don’t turn it off completely, especially if you’ll be gone a long time.
Thank you for your input Daniel. I think it’s a very good point. I do think though that for a short vacation, such as a week, it would still be okay to close the air without worrying about mold.
We mustn’t forget to leave our houses with safe conditions. In this case we can do it to save the energy as well.
@Daniel, I think your suggestion holds merit for the summer time, I am not sure however if it would hold merit for the winter time, I personally can’t see anything that would go wrong with a house if the heater is not on while you are away. The only issue I could see is perhaps with the water pipes that may get frozen, that’s the only major thing I would worry about.
Till then,
Jean
Another way to conserve energy is to replace your standard thermostat with a programmable one. Many come with a number of programmable settings. Instead of heating/cooling the house at one temperature all day, you can set different temperatures to suit your lifestyle. Close off vents to unused rooms. Also, take advantage of a free unlimited source of energy, the sun. The winter months can be less budget taxing by opening up the shades to let the sun in to heat your rooms. Close your blinds during the summer months to minimize the load on the air conditioner. Consider turning down the heat on the water heater a few degrees to save on power. Look for those spots where cold air leaks through and seal them up.
I like the tip about the water heater. Since it is often hidden away in the basement or in some closet, it is easy to forget about. As for the tip about the fridge and freezer, I don’t think it is very practical to clear out the fridge and freezer unless it is a particularly long vacation.