Going on Vacation? Here's How You Can Conserve Energy at Home While You're Away

August 6, 2015

Summer gives you the perfect opportunity to take a vacation. With your mind focused on the fun that lies ahead, it's easy to forget about preparing your home for your absence. Without adequate preparation, your energy costs will be the same as the previous months or even higher. Below are five tips to help you conserve energy at home while you're on your summer getaway.

Turn Up the Air Conditioner Many people think that turning the air conditioner off before leaving for a vacation helps save money. What they don't know is that this simple action does more bad than good. Turning your A/C completely off can cause damage to temperature-sensitive furniture and walls. It also makes your house stuffy. When you return, your A/C will have to work harder to remove the extra humidity. Turn up your air conditioner by four degrees. For instance, if you normally leave it at 73, turn it up to 77. This will save energy, while also allowing the A/C to turn on occasionally to dehumidify the air.

Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat Upgrading to a programmable thermostat helps you save money. It has different day and time selections to choose from. Some thermostats allow you to adjust settings remotely using your smartphone.

Change Your Air Filter Change your air filter to boost your HVAC system's efficiency. A dirty filter causes the system to run inefficiently, costing you more money

Close Your Blinds Windows allow for solar heat gain. The resulting fluctuations in temperature can strain your air conditioning unit. Keep drapes and blinds closed during sunny parts of the day to maintain your home's temperature.

Lower the Water Heater Setting You can lower your water heater's energy consumption significantly by adjusting it to the "vacation" setting. If it lacks this setting, adjust it to the lowest setting. By taking the above steps to conserve energy, you'll enjoy your vacation more knowing your bills are well taken care of. For more energy-saving tips, contact us at Lozier Heating & Cooling. We've served the greater Des Moines area for more than 100 years. Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: "docstockmedia/Shutterstock"