Vacation Energy Saving Tips

Managing Your Energy Costs While You’re Away

Often, while you’re away, your home is using more energy than it needs. This can increase your energy bill and cost you money. Here are some tips for managing your energy costs while you’re away on vacation.

These big users of electricity can have a significant impact on the energy your home uses while you’re away.

Heat pump or air conditioner – If you prefer to leave your heat pump or air conditioner on while you’re gone, set it between 85 to 90 degrees. For each degree you raise the temperature, you’ll save 2 to 3 percent on the cooling portion of your electric bill. Remember though, turning your thermostat to a very high setting may affect how hard your refrigerator and freezer have to work to stay cool.

Swimming pool pump – If your pool pump is not operated with a timer, it will run 24-hours a day while you’re gone. If you normally turn the pump off for a period of time each day, the 24-hour operation can result in a large increase in your usage.

Water heater – If you don’t attend to your water heater before you leave, it will continue to work to maintain water temperature. Turn it off at the circuit breaker. (Before you turn the breaker back on, run water from the hot water faucet to be certain the water heater still has water in it.)

Refrigerator and freezer – If you’ll be gone for a few days, turn your refrigerator’s thermostat to a warmer setting — 42 degrees for your refrigerator, 5 degrees for your freezer. If you’ll be away for as long as four weeks or more, you may want to clean it out and turn it off.

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Questions/Answers:

Q: We are away from our house four months during the summer. I've always left the thermostat set at about 85 degrees. Would it be better to shut it completely off?

A: If your house is well-insulated and tightly sealed, turning your air conditioner off completely is probably the best approach. In a newer, well-insulated home the interior temperature typically doesn't rise higher than the mid to upper 80s when the unit is turned off.

By turning your thermostat up and not turning it off completely, you will protect any fine wood furniture or other items that can be damaged by the heat and dryness. I also recommend placing several buckets of water in your bathtub. The water will slowly evaporate and add moisture to the air.

If you have an older, less insulated home, you should continue to turn your air conditioner up to a high setting as you have in the past, as the temperature in older homes can rise into the 90s.

You should also turn off the power to your refrigerator, prop open the door, and turn your electric water heater off. If you don't, the higher temperatures can cause your refrigerator to run twice as long and the water heater will continue to cycle on and off all summer.

Q: I have a 14- by 70-foot mobile home. I've heard that leaving the air conditioner on when we are gone will keep it from drying out. I had set my thermostat at 90 degrees and left buckets of water in the bathtub and kitchen sink. I had a two-inch insulating foam layer sprayed on the roof to further cut down on heat gain and have shaded the home's sides with awnings.

Despite my efforts, my bills are still high, even when we are away for a month at a time. How can I reduce our electric bill when we are gone?

A: The insulation you added to the roof of your home should reduce the heat gain and lower your air conditioning costs. However, since only about eight to 10% of the heat that enters your home actually
comes in through the roof, the actual effect of the insulation will be limited.

About 40-50% of the heat comes in through the windows. While your awnings help divert sunlight, you might want to consider adding shading screens to the outside if any of your windows receive direct or reflected sunlight.

If you're going to be gone for the summer, in addition to setting your thermostat to its highest setting or turning it completely off, you should consider emptying out your refrigerator, propping the door open and unplugging it. If you leave it operating, it will run almost 24 hours a day because of the hotter temperature inside your home. This can add a significant amount to your monthly bill.

source: SRP and APS