Traveling is fun but it is sometimes difficult to leave your home for a long time. A lot of things come to their minds such as sudden flood or an accidental fire. Aside from that, many are concerned about how they can maximize energy savings when traveling. These things may interrupt your vacation mode since you can’t just take them off your mind. To help you enjoy your holidays, we can give you tips that you can follow when you plan on going to your desired place. When you know how your home consumes energy, you will have an idea on how to deal with this energy-saving matter.
Adjust Your Programmable Thermostat When Leaving The House
A programmable thermostat is a control switch that turns your HVAC system on or off to reach a desired interior temperature. It should be adjusted to a suitable thermostat setting while you are away from home, usually two to three degrees lower than your usual temperature, especially on long vacations. Once your vacation is done and you arrive home, just return your thermostat to its regular mode.
It is best not to turn off your air conditioner completely when you leave. It may result in an extremely high temperature in your home that might put your pets and appliances in danger. Besides, having a warm to hot temperature will require a large amount of energy to bring the coolness back in your home.
Turn Off Your Water Heater
If you will be away for long in the summertime, you can save energy if you turn off the circuit breaker of your water heater. Once you are back, make sure that the water tank has stored water. An empty tank can cause damage (might be a broken resistor) to your unit. On the other hand, it is better to just set the water heater on vacation mode to prevent the lines and tanks from freezing.
Unplug All Devices That Are Not In Use While You Are Away
Make sure that unnecessary devices and appliances must be unplugged such as laptops, chargers, modem, router, and small appliances with a clock. Even electronic devices with standby or sleep mode should be removed from sockets. Individually, they consume only a little energy but all of them together can sum up to a pretty quite high consumption when plugged in for a long time even when they are not in use.
Switch Off Your Refrigerator
Make sure to turn your fridge off during your long vacation. Clean it properly and do not leave any food inside. Allow your fridge to breath by leaving its door open. To prevent mold growth and development, put a box of baking soda inside the fridge, including the freezer. Since this appliance eats a lot of energy, you will surely save lots of money from your electric bill.
Use Programmable Lighting
Most people leave their lights on to protect their house from thieves. The problem is that the lights are on from the time you go until the time you will come back. Good thing programmable lighting is now available in the market. These modern lights have timers and can be controlled through your mobile phone. Now, you can turn your lights on and off, even if you are far away. Surely, burglars will skip your house because they think you and your family are still there.
We hope that these tips can help you save energy while you are enjoying your vacation. Saving energy will not just help you save bucks but it can also save our planet because by consuming less power, you also reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants. By helping our environment, we can continue to savor the beauty of nature when we travel. And when it comes to packing, look for the best carry-on luggage at the best price!
