Q: We are planning on a lot of travel over the holidays. How can I reduce energy use while we’re away?
A: Terrific question! Here are a few ideas to help you safely reduce energy use while you’re off enjoying the holidays. Happy travels!
Lower your thermostat
It’s never a good idea to turn your heat off entirely, but if you’re going to be away for extended periods of time, you can safely adjust your thermostat down to 55-60 degrees. It’s low enough to reduce energy consumption but high enough to protect your pipes from freezing.
If you have a programmable or smart thermostat, you can schedule changes before you leave or adjust them remotely. You can even program your homecoming time so that your home is nicely warmed up and ready for your return.
If you don’t have a smart thermostat yet and you’re thinking about purchasing one, check to see if your local power company is participating in a smart thermostat rewards program.
Protect your pipes
You might want to consider opening bathroom and kitchen cabinets that contain plumbing — especially if they’re located on an exterior wall. This will help prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
If you’re going to be away for a month or more, consider entirely shutting off the water supply to your home. Once you’ve turned off the supply valve, turn on a faucet inside your home to relieve pressure in the lines — this also prevents residual water from freezing. This option also eliminates the possibility of damage caused by hidden or unexpected leaks! When you return, turn the supply valve back on and allow water to flow through your taps to flush the pipes.
Adjust your water heater settings
Speaking of water, you can also save energy by adjusting your water heater settings. Unless your home has an on-demand system, your water heater operates around the clock — even when no one’s around to use the hot water it produces. Before you leave, switch your unit to “vacation” or “away” mode (if your system has that setting) or lower the thermostat to 50 degrees.
When you return, temporarily set your system to 140 degrees for a couple of hours and then run the hot and cold taps in your home to flush out stagnant water. This is an effective way to wash away any bacterial buildup or sediment that might have accumulated.
Time your lights
If you like to leave a few lights on for that lived-in feel, you can purchase a programmable timer with a “random” mode to convincingly vary programmed lights. While you’re at it, make sure your bulbs are energy-efficient LEDs.
Unplug unused electronics
Most microwaves, coffee makers, TVs, printers, chargers and gaming systems draw electricity even when you’re not using them — this is known as ”vampire” or “phantom” energy use. If you’re going out of town for more than a week, unplug energy-sucking appliances and gadgets.
See to your fridge and freezer
If you’re only going to be away for a week or two, share refrigerated perishables with friends and neighbors, but leave your refrigerator running. If you’re leaving for a month or more, consider cleaning out your fridge and setting it to a warmer temperature setting or unplugging it.
Whether you’re heading out for a long weekend or for weeks at a time, turn your ice maker off and shut off the water supply to your refrigerator — this can help prevent costly ice machine repairs and/or leaky messes.
Finally, if your fridge or freezer is less than half full when you’re ready to hit the road, stock them with a few gallon jugs of cold water to help maintain proper temperature. Cold, nonperishable items — such as water jugs or bags of ice — can help maintain consistent internal temperatures when the compressor isn’t running, therefore reducing the amount of time the compressor has to operate in your absence.
Happy holidays to you and yours! Enjoy your trips, and travel safely.
Brad Wagner is a programs operations manager at TVA EnergyRight, and he’s committed to helping people make informed decisions and lower their energy costs.
