Planning that end of summer getaway? Even when you’re on vacation, your home still uses electricity. And whether you’re relaxing on the beach, road tripping across the country or hiking in the mountains, stressing about energy costs should be the last thing on your mind.
Follow these simple tips to help save money while you’re away and put some dollars back in your pocket for your upcoming trip:
- Turn the AC down, or off. Before you hit the road, consider adjusting your AC to around 84 degrees or turning it off completely.
- Adjust the temperature on your water heater. If you have a natural gas water heater, you can set it to “low” or “vacation” mode. If you have an electric water heater, set the temperature as low as possible.
- Don’t empty the refrigerator. Did you know a full fridge is more efficient than a half-empty one? You’ll save energy by getting rid of any perishables, and stacking the shelves with water bottles while you’re away. To conserve even more, adjust the thermostats to higher settings: 38 degrees for the refrigerator and 5 degrees for the freezer.
- Unplug appliances and power strips. Whenever an appliance is plugged in, it’s using energy. Find anything that has a display screen or light like a TV, cable box, coffee maker or toaster oven and switch it off. Plugging these into a smart strip makes this step even easier.
- Close blinds and pull curtains down. This will prevent the sun from warming up your home and lower the amount of heat that’s coming in.
- Switch off fans and lights. You can also use an automatic timer for security reasons. Save even more money by switching to LED or CFL bulbs.
As a final tip, snap a photo of your stove dial in the ‘off’ position before leaving the house. This will give you peace of mind and allow you to relax worry-free.
Frank Vetri – Renewable & Energy Solutions Specialist, PSEG
[…] 6 Easy Ways to Save While on Vacation […]
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Can you provide some explanation for the refrigerator being more efficient when full than empty? Is it because the refrigeration cycles are longer, but less frequent and that the refrigerator is more efficient when running constantly? Assuming that the temperature range (when the cooling cycle is triggered to when it stops) is small compared to the outside temperature, the amount of heat absorbed from the outside is the same for both a full and empty refrigerator.
When I went away for a long time I emptied my refrigerator and unplugged from the outlet. I also unplugged any electrical appliance. When I got back my bill for the month was zero.
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