Tips to Save Money on Energy Bills While You’re on Vacation

Print Friendly

With so many taking advantage of the summer season to go on vacation, consider these tips before you head out of town and in turn, save money and conserve energy at home.

Turn off the Taps

Make sure your taps are turned off all the way! Double-check for dripping faucets.

Unplug what you can

Many appliances are still using electricity when turned off. This is referred to as “phantom power”. Before you leave for vacation, take a walk around your home and unplug every unnecessary appliance and electronic device.

In the kitchen

• • Coffee pot
  • Kettle
  •  Toaster
  • Microwave

In the bathroom

• • Hair appliances
  • Electric toothbrush
  • Electric razor

In bedrooms and shared areas

• • Computers and laptop chargers
  • Cell phone chargers
  • Alexa or Google Home
  • Lamps
  • Televisions
  • Sound systems
  • Video game consoles like Xbox, PS4 and Wii.

Unplugging also eliminates a possible fire hazard if there is a power surge while no one is home.

Tidy up

Unloading the fridge and freezer is a great energy efficiency tip and pre-vacation task. Not only will you come home to a clean, fresh-smelling kitchen but decluttering a fridge helps with air circulation. This means a more efficient fridge – which means less energy consumption!

You don’t want to come home to rotting clothes in the dryer. Wet clothing produces mildew and molds quickly. The clothes will require another washing and thorough drying cycle to get clean again, using an excess of energy.

Air Conditioning

If you’ll be away for a week or longer, you can choose to leave the A/C on and adjust the temperature setting to about 85F (28C) or, turn it off altogether. Each temperature degree adjustment can curb the air conditioner’s energy consumption by up to 3% and in turn, help save you money.

The simplest solution is to have a programmable thermostat installed so you can put your thermostat in vacation mode to maintain a consistent temperature while you’re away. You can set the temperature back to normal for the day you return to the house so it is comfortable and cool when you arrive home.

Windows

Leave all windows closed to keep out the summer heat. Cover your windows – keeping your blinds closed will help keep your space cooler.

Turn out the lights

Leaving lights on not only costs you money and wastes energy, but it also creates carbon dioxide emissions which over time are incredibly harmful to the environment.

Making these little changes can go a long way when it comes to ensuring your home is optimized for saving money on energy bills while you’re on vacation. Depending on the season, there are even more pre-vacation energy conservation tips you may want to consider.

Smart Saver Tip

Discontinue the use of disposable sponges, mops, and dusters. Not only do the repeated purchases of disposable items add up over time, but they can also spread germs and dirt around more easily than rags or microfiber mops and dusters, which can be washed and reused.

Are you a property owner looking for a way to mitigate the rise in utility costs year-round? Livable can help! Book a call and let’s talk about how Livable can help save you more money and increase your profits. We offset the rising costs of utilities through an easy-to-manage RUBS program – every little bit helps and this might be a step in the right direction to aid you in recouping some of your costs. Book a call to see if Livable is your next cost-saving alternative.