We’re now into the thick of summer, and for many Northern New Jersey families, that means a vacation is in the cards.
Whether you’re headed to the beach, on an exotic overseas adventure, or at a cherished family reunion, you should take a few steps to reduce your home’s energy usage while you’re away. At Dixon Energy, we have experience helping families make their homes more energy-efficient. Here are five easy tips to lower your energy bills while on vacation.
You don’t want to waste air conditioning on an empty house, so set your thermostat to 85 degrees before hitting the road. Even better, with one of the smart thermostats we install, you can pre-program your home temperature and reset it to a more comfortable level before you pull back into the driveway. If you forget to raise your thermostat before leaving, no worries — our smart thermostats can be controlled via a smartphone app!
Believe it or not, hot water heating accounts for around one-fifth of a home’s energy costs. But you won’t be needing hot water while you’re away, so reset your water heater to vacation mode (or somewhere between 50 and 70 degrees). The money you save could buy you a souvenir beach towel!
You can also adjust the internal temperature of your refrigerator while you’re gone. Of course, you don’t want to turn it off all the way, but your food will still be safe to eat if you set your fridge to 42 degrees and your freezer to 5 degrees.
Vampires belong in October — not the summer. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, everyday household appliances that suck up electricity just by being plugged in can add 10 percent to your monthly electric bill.
Before leaving home, unplug your television, game system, internet equipment, washer and dryer. And don’t forget the kitchen. Coffee makers, toasters and slow cookers drain energy too!
Many homeowners leave lamps on while they’re on vacation, so their house is less appealing to criminals. This is a good idea, and you can do it more frugally by putting those lamps on a timer. While you’re at it, you can replace any older lightbulbs with more energy-efficient LEDs or halogen incandescent ones.
Dixon Energy can help you make your home comfort equipment even more efficient with expert maintenance. Contact us to set up service today!