Save Energy While on Vacation

Tips for Lowering Your Energy Costs

If you’re planning a trip this summer, almost every part of it is going to cost you more. Everything from gas to airline tickets to car rentals has gotten more expensive. At Jennings Oil & Propane, your comfort matters to us. But we don’t just want you to be comfortable in your Connecticut home, we want you to be comfortable with your energy bills as well.

Here are five tips for saving energy (and money on your energy bills) while you’re away on vacation this summer.

5 Money-Saving Tips

Before you take off on your next trip, add the following five items to your pre-vacation checklist and you could save a significant amount of money on energy costs while you’re away. That’s money you can put to enjoying your trip even more or save for your next getaway.

1. Raise the temp on your AC. If your Connecticut home will be empty while you’re away, then you don’t need to spend money keeping it as cool as you would when you’re there. You can set the temperature on your AC as high at 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 everything is just right temperature-wise when you get home. Don’t have a thermostat or want to upgrade to a programmable model? Jennings Oil & Propane sells and installs high-quality thermostats.
2. Lower the temp on your water heater. You don’t need to keep your home cool while you’re away, and you don’t need to keep your water as hot either. Consider this: heating water accounts for approximately 20% of your home’s energy costs. A lot of water heaters have a vacation setting. If yours doesn’t, you can set the temperature to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Unplug appliances. We call certain appliances “energy vampires,” because even when they’re not in use, they suck up energy. Unplug anything with a display or indicator light or that is usually on standby mode. Unplug your coffee maker, toaster, and other kitchen appliances. Unplug your electronic chargers. Unplug your TV, washer & dryer, computers, printers, and gaming consoles. Unless you’re planning to record shows on your DVR, you can unplug your modems, routers, and cable boxes too.
4. Install timers and motion sensors. Although you want to unplug as many appliances as possible to save on your energy bill, it’s best to utilize some of the lights in and around your house so that it isn’t completely dark every night you’re away. A home that stays dark day and night can attract burglars. Adding motion sensors to you outdoor lighting and putting a few indoor lights on timers are two cost-effective security measures you can take.
5. Close your blinds and/or curtains. This habit will save you money when you’re home and when you’re away. Close your home’s blinds and curtains to the sun to help it stay cooler without demanding as much of your AC system. It’s also a safety measure while you’re away because outsiders won’t be able to see into your home.

As a heating oil customer, you can also save money all year long by signing up for price protection.

Get Comfortable with Jennings Oil & Propane

Jennings Oil & Propane has more than 40 years of experience providing excellent service to our customers in parts of Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties in Connecticut. We also care about helping our customers save money and budget their energy costs.

Contact us today to learn more.