Smart Holidays: Relax and Save Energy at the Same Time

One of the best ways to unwind and rejuvenate is to take a vacation. Why not use less electricity at home for a few days while you’re away on vacation? Whether you’re spending a weekend with family or a week at the beach, there are easy things you can do to cut down on the energy in your empty house before you go. It will improve your home’s energy efficiency and help you to earn at least 6 star energy rating Victoria wide. Here are some practical ways to boost energy efficiency while on vacation.

1. Adjust Your Thermostat on Vacation Mode

A thermostat adjustment is one of the easiest methods to save money. Set it to as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to maintain a safe temperature in your house without using energy for unneeded heating. Don’t go much lower than this to avoid frozen pipes and other damage to your property.

To save energy and prevent excessive heat and humidity accumulation, set the thermostat to around 85 degrees Fahrenheit when on summer vacation. To avoid your usual schedule taking effect, make sure you utilise the vacation/permanent hold option on your programmable thermostat. You may even set a pleasant temperature using a smart thermostat to return to it when you get home.

2. Avoid Vampire Power

Spend some time going around your house before leaving to ensure all the appliances and devices that aren’t in use are unplugged. Vampire power will increase your electric costs even if you won’t be utilising them while on vacation.

While your home is empty, you should disconnect any unnecessary electrical equipment, such as floor fans, lights, TVs, gaming consoles, and laptops. Another option is to plug these gadgets into a power strip that is turned off after use. No matter the approach you select, vampire power is not a risk.

3. Shut the Blinds & Curtains

Closing all of the blinds and drapes in your house is another easy (and cost-free) method to lower your heating and cooling expenses. Rooms with sunlit windows can get heated quite rapidly, requiring your HVAC system to adjust to the change in temperature.

An easy technique to reduce temperature spikes that cause the air conditioner to kick in is to close the blinds and pull the curtains unless you have plants that require light. If you follow the first advice and set your temperature, shutting the blinds will go well with your energy-saving

4. Smart Home Automation

Use your smart home system to remotely monitor and manage your house’s energy use. For peace of mind, you can monitor emergency alerts while you’re away, change the temperature in your home, and programme your lights to turn on and off on their own.

Additionally, you can keep an eye on parcels sitting on your front porch. You may choose to have a neighbour come by and get freshly delivered mail, or you can remotely open the door for delivery personnel.

5. Adjust Your Fridge and Freezer Settings

Set the freezer and refrigerator thermostats to a higher temperature within the safe food storage range if you will be gone for a little amount of time. That is, for the refrigerator, 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and for the freezer, 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fill the fridge and freezer with food that won’t spoil while away. Full refrigerators and freezers operate more effectively than primarily empty ones. Think about emptying and disconnecting these appliances before a long absence.

6. Inspect for Air Leaks

Look for inefficient drafts in your house before leaving. These may waste a lot of electricity, particularly in the cold. Check for holes in the frames of windows, doors, and even light fixtures. Inadequate insulation and tiny gaps allow hot air to escape.

Seal leaks in varied locations and sizes with caulk, spray foam, draft stoppers, and weather stripping. This easy step increases the year-round energy efficiency of your house and saves electricity when you’re gone.

7. Turn off the lights

Before you leave the house, remember to turn off the lights. If you decide to leave some lights on for security, use an automated timer to save money. Even better, by purchasing smart lighting, you’ll have remote control access to your lights through a phone app.

If you plan to leave your lights on automation system while you’re gone, you might want to upgrade to LED lighting, which uses less energy and might end up saving you money over time. For both interior and outdoor illumination, you may convert to LED.

8. Turn off Ceiling Fans

While you are home, ceiling fans are an excellent way to keep the air flowing and your house comfortable, but while you are gone, they are unnecessary. Fans provide a wind chill effect, which lowers the temperature in a space without changing the temperature as air conditioners do. Therefore, these fans do nothing but increase your power cost while the house is unoccupied. Before you move on, turn off all of the fans to help save electricity.

9. Schedule HVAC Maintenance

When you maintain your HVAC system, it operates more effectively while you’re away and provides you with one less thing to worry about when you get back. Inspect the outside unit for blockages or debris that might impair its operation, and replace the air filter. A well-maintained HVAC system saves energy and guards against unplanned malfunctions while you’re away.

10. Change Your Spa Settings

Before you go on vacation, make sure the settings are correct if you have a pool or hot tub. Reduce the run time of the pool pump first. Then, because you won’t be using your pool or hot tub anyhow, turn down the temperature. To further conserve energy and water, put a pool cover if you will be away for an extended period of time. This will preserve the water’s temperature and minimise evaporation.

Last words

Before you leave, there are a few easy things you can do to help preserve the environment and your power costs. Keep these suggestions in mind while you’re organising your next trip to save energy. Using this energy-saving checklist when you can ensure that your house is safe, secure, and ready to achieve a good home energy rating when you are away. Enjoy your next vacation with peace of mind.