Preparing your home before vacation

Ready for a vacation?

Your home should be too! Careful planning can not only help protect your home and your belongings while you travel, but also provide your family with some energy savings to spend on souvenirs! Follow these five simple tips to prepare your home for your absence.

Whether it’s a weekend road-trip or stay at the lake house, remember to follow some of these energy-saving tips to avoid unnecessary expenses while you’re away.

1. Turn off the lights.

If you decide to keep any of your lights on as a security measure, invest in an automatic timer. It can be programmed to turn on your lights during late evening and early morning hours while preventing wasted energy during the day.

2. Turn down your air conditioner.

While it’s important to keep the air circulating in your home while you’re gone, you can drastically cut down on energy usage by turning your thermostat up to 85 degrees. If you have a programmable thermostat, simply use the “vacation” feature to maintain safe and efficient indoor temperatures while you’re gone.

3. Unplug appliances and electronics.

Even when they’re turned off, anything that’s plugged into the wall can continue to consume energy. By unplugging your devices or using a smart power strip, you’ll avoid wasting standby power. Don’t forget to unplug your washer and dryer, too.

4. Adjust your water heater(s).

Turn your water heater down to “low” or to “vacation” mode. If your pool also uses a heater, consider purchasing a pool cover that will help minimize heat loss so that you can avoid the cost to reheat it.

5. Refrigerator:

If you’ll only be gone a few days, turn your refrigerator’s thermostat up a few degrees. If you’ll be gone more than two weeks, clean and empty the refrigerator, prop the door open, and unplug the unit. Whether it’s a weekend road-trip or stay at the lake house, remember to follow some of these energy-saving tips to avoid unnecessary expenses while you’re away.