How To Save Energy on Your Vacation
5 Money-Saving Tips
Summer vacations have gotten more expensive. This year you’re going to pay more to put gas in your tank and for just about every other part of your trip—from airfare to car rentals to food and more. At Black Bear, your comfort is our priority. But we don’t just want you to be comfortable in your Sullivan County home, we also want you to be comfortable with the amount on your energy bills. Even though it seems like everything everywhere is getting more expensive, there are some simple and cost-effective steps you can take to make your home more energy-efficient and save money while you’re on vacation.
Below are five money-saving tips to help you save energy while you’re away on vacation this summer.
Save Money While Traveling
Passports? Check! Sunscreen and bug spray? Check! Bathing suits? Check! Whether you’re traveling internationally or locally, you probably have a checklist of things to do and pack before you hit the road.
There are also a few things you should add to your pre-vacation checklist to prepare your home for the time you’ll be away. Following these five tips will help you save money on energy costs while you’re away. That’s money you can put to enjoying your trip even more or add the piggy bank for your next vacation.
- Increase the temperature on your AC. If your Sullivan County home will be empty while you’re away, there’s no need for your AC to work as hard to keep it cool. Set the temperature on your AC to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for the time you’re away. If you have a programmable thermostat with a calendar feature, you can change the settings for the dates you’ll be away and set your regular settings to resume a few hours before your return, so you’ll come back to a cool home. And if your AC or thermostat isn’t operating properly, Black Bear can address and resolve any issues. We’re HVAC experts.
- Decrease the temperature on your water heater. Just as you don’t need to keep your home as cool when you’re gone, you also don’t need to keep your water as hot. Did you know that heating water accounts for approximately 20% of your home’s energy costs? Check to see if your water heater has a vacation setting. If it doesn’t, set the temperature to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for while you’re away. Black Bear also installs and repairs water heaters.
- Unplug energy vampires. We call certain appliances “energy vampires,” because they suck up energy even when they’re not in use. To save energy, don’t just turn your electronics and appliances off, unplug them. Aside from your refrigerator, you can unplug just about everything. For example, unplug your coffee maker, toaster, electronic chargers, TVs, washer & dryer, computers, printers, and gaming consoles. If you’re not planning to record shows on your DVR, you can unplug your modems, routers, and cable boxes too.
- Activate timers and motion sensors. Even though you’ll save money by unplugging most of your appliances and electronic devices, there are some things you should leave on—just not all the time. A completely dark house can be an invitation to burglars. But a home with the lights on all the time is wasting energy and money. You can add motion sensors to your outdoor lighting and put a few indoor lights on timers to help protect your home from break-ins without breaking the bank.
- Close your blinds and/or curtains. Close your home’s blinds and curtains to the sun to help it stay cooler. This is a good habit to have even when you’re not away on vacation because it will put less demand on your AC system.
Call the Bear, we’ll be there!
Black Bear Fuel Oil, Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning lives up to our name. We can take care of all your home comfort needs in northern Orange County, Sullivan County, and eastern Ulster County. To see if your New York neighborhood is in our service area, enter your ZIP Code here.
Contact us today to learn more about what the Bear can do for you!