Preparing Your Home Before 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.
Preparing your home before going on vacation can help ensure that your property and belongings remain safe and secure while you’re away. Here are some tips to help you prepare your home before vacation.
Secure all doors and windows: Make sure all doors and windows are locked securely. Consider installing deadbolts on exterior doors for added security.
Turn off the main water supply: Turn off the main water supply to prevent any potential leaks or flooding 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 the 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.
