School is over for the summer and for many families, this means it is vacation time. If you have been planning and saving for a summer vacation, make sure you include preparing your home for your absence in the planning. Forgetting this step in your vacation plans could cost you lots of money that should instead be spent on your trip. 1st AC and Heating would like to help you get your home ready so that you can keep those hard earned dollars in your pocket this summer season! Here are 4 suggestions we have for saving money while you are away from your home on vacation.
1. Unplug appliances inside and outside of your home.
If something is plugged in to an outlet it is using energy. Even if the appliance is turned off it can still be costing you money when not in use. Make sure to unplug all electronics, lamps and lights, and even large appliances to help reduce your energy bill. If you plan to be gone for an extended amount of time, consider emptying the refrigerator and unplugging it. With the recent storms in the Central Texas area, it is a good idea to unplug electronics and appliances to avoid unwanted power surges during storms while you are away.
2. Turn off Lights
It is always a good idea to turn out lights when leaving the house, especially when you will be gone for a long time. If you are worried about the house looking vacant and attracting intruders, invest in an automatic timer to turn on selected lights during specific times. This will help make it look like your family is still home.
3. Adjust you thermostat
In Central Texas the temperatures can soar during the summer. When you leave for vacation, you don’t want to leave the AC running all the time. It is important to set he thermostat so that the AC only runs when the temperatures get really hot. One option is to set the thermostat to 85 degrees. This will ensure that your home never gets too hot, but helps to reduce energy costs by setting the temperature higher than you normally do. Another option is to in vest in a programmable thermostat with a “vacation” or “away” mode. Taking this option a step further by installing a WIFI thermostat that can be adjusted on your smartphone, makes it easy to turn the AC on when you are on the way home so that you come home to a cool house.
4. Adjust you water heater
Most water heaters also have a feature that will allow you to set it to a “vacation” or “away” mode. If yours does not have this feature, just switch the water heater to low before leaving the house to help reduce energy costs.
Would you like to learn more about saving money while you are on vacation through home preparation? Give 1st AC and Heating a call and we will be happy to help you find ways to cut your bills this summer season.