4 Ways to Save Energy During Your Summer Vacation
If you’re in the midst of writing your pre-summer vacation checklist, take a moment and add in these six simple tasks that can help you save money on your energy bills while you’re away. With the money you save, you won’t feel guilty about buying those postcards, souvenirs or ice cream sundaes for the kids!
Turn Up the Air Conditioning (Temperature, That Is!)
No need for a high-efficiency central air unit to be set to 68 when no one’s home! Set your A/C thermostat to 85 degrees (unless you are leaving pets, or plants, at home!) before you head out for vacation. Do you have a programmable thermostat that can be adjusted by date? Set your air conditioner to 85 degrees while you’re away, and then set it back to your regular setting a few hours ahead of when you’re scheduled to arrive back home and you’ll return to a cooled house. Just don’t turn it off altogether – you may end up with a mold problem from the condensation that could form on windows and other surfaces!
Unplug the Energy Vampires
Many of the electrical and electronic items in your home suck up energy while you’re away, usually even in an idle or standby mode! Unplug the washer and dryer (especially if they’re newer models with digital features), televisions, gaming systems, desktop PCs, modems and routers, chargers, digital alarm clocks, laptops, printers and scanners. If you’re not recording your favorite shows while you are away, unplug your DVR and cable box, too.
Your kitchen and bathrooms are two other sources of energy-suckers. Unplug the small appliances like toasters, coffee makers, multi-cookers (like an Instant Pot) and slow cookers, food processors, blenders, electric toothbrushes and hair styling tools.
Quick tip: If you’re one of those people who worry that you left the stove or iron on after you’ve left for vacation, take a few minutes right before you leave and snap photos of your appliances – that way you know everything is off or unplugged.
Close Curtains and Lower Blinds
Doing this not only prevents direct sunlight from heating up your house, it also keeps anyone from seeing inside.
Set Up Lights on a Timer
Leave some lights on while you’re away so that you’re not sending an engraved invitation to burglars – a few lamps around the house set on timers can make your home look lived-in while you’re far away. Replace incandescent bulbs with LED or halogen incandescent to further reduce energy usage. A motion-activated sensor on outdoor lighting will provide security without having to leave them on all the time.
Are you going to be away from home for a month or longer? Contact the Frank Lamparelli professionals to let us know if any adjustments to your budget plan should be taken into account for the next renewal cycle!
Frank Lamparelli has the fuel and equipment to help your home become more energy-efficient. If your equipment tries to take a summer vacation too this year, make sure to contact us to request service!