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Give your hardworking, energy-sucking devices a vacation by turning them off or down while you’re out of town. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the lower energy bill you receive when you get home.

How to save energy at home while you travel

Go through this checklist of energy-users to discover home power-saving ideas for when you’re on traveling for pleasure, away on business, or just gone for the weekend.

1. Water heater: Unless you have a tankless water heater, this unit will keep humming the entire time you’re gone to keep the water warm until you get back, costing between $4 and $10 per month. You can either turn the temperature down, or shut it off altogether if there’s no risk of temperatures cold enough to freeze your pipes. You may want to record what temp you normally have it at so that you can quickly reset it once you return home (120°F being the ideal, of course).
2. Furnace: Consider lowering the temperature on this baby to save yourself 10 to 30 percent on your heating bill. The lowest you’ll want to go is 50°F to 55°F to avoid freezing your pipes. If you’ve got a programmable thermostat, you’ll need to adjust the programs accordingly.
3. Refrigerator: Emptying and defrosting your fridge and freezer so that you can unplug them while you're away saves the most energy since the fridge is one of the biggest energy hogs in the home. But it’s not very practical. Instead, give all perishable foodstuffs to your neighbor and then turn the temperature down to the lowest setting—you can go as high as 38°F in your fridge without spoilage; -5°F in your freezer will keep veggies and fish frozen. Installing water-filled jugs in the fridge will prevent fluxes in temp, which will also save you energy.
4. Lights: Turn off all lights in your home while you’re away. For security, you may wish to install timers or motion-sensors on one or two outdoor and/or indoor lights so that they illuminate for a few hours every day, mimicking your presence.
5. Electronics: Unless you’ve got your PVR set to record something while you’re away, unplug all of your electronic devices, including your computer, TV and cable boxes, DVD players, PVRs, computers, monitors, printers, scanners, digital clocks, and what have you. Remember, any electronics with digital displays, instant-on features, or remote controls consume energy even while not in use.
6. Air conditioner: No need to keep your place chilled while away. Though shutting off your A/C may make your fridge work a little harder and may increase your home’s internal humidity, it’ll help you save up to $15 for every two weeks you’re gone.
7. Gas stove and fireplace: Pilot lights typically cost $1 to $2 monthly to keep aflame. Shutting them off will save energy and money, but be sure you know how to reignite them!
8. Other small appliances: Though they use only a little energy each, the total energy consumed by unused appliances can add up. So pull the plug on things like microwaves, cordless phones, battery chargers, baby monitors, coffeemakers, slow cookers, blenders, and any other appliance with a clock or instant-on functionality.

Saving energy at home while you travel helps you go green because…

• Appliances, electronics, and other power-using devices consume energy even while you’re away from home. Turning them off cuts energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Americans make up 5 percent of the world's population and use 26 percent of the total energy consumed on the planet. Energy production and consumption increase CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change. Appliances and electronics go on drawing energy whether occupants are present or not, causing significant cumulative power waste. A look at the various drains on US energy supplies provides a snapshot of where home energy is wasted when vacationers and business travelers are away.

Ninety percent of residential energy consumed in America is due to household appliances, such as heating and cooling systems like air conditioners, which can make up as much as half of a household energy bill.[1][2] The average American homeowner pays $1,900 a year in energy bills, half of which goes to heating and cooling.[3] Those who live in colder parts of the US spend about two-thirds of their energy dollars on home heating.[4]

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), lighting accounts for about 22 percent of the electricity used in the United States.[5] This adds up to about $55 billion worth of electricity, roughly equivalent to the output of 100 large power plants emitting 450 million tons of carbon dioxide and 3 million tons of smog-generating nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.[6]

Refrigerators are responsible for 8 percent of a home's energy use, more than any other kitchen or cleaning appliance.[7][8] The average refrigerator in 2002 consumed 1,281 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year in electricity, which cost $102.[9] Models older than 1993 may cost even more in electricity because the first federal efficiency standards weren’t introduced until 1993.

Water heating accounts for roughly 15-25 percent of energy used in American homes, making it the third largest source of residential energy consumption after HVAC and kitchen appliances.[10][11] Much of the energy expended on water heating in the home is used simply to maintain the heat level of water in conventional heaters while they are on “standby.”

Home office equipment and electronics account for about 20 percent of all electricity use in US households.[12] Most computers are left on for 24 hours per day.[13] To power a conventional computer all day costs between $115 and $160 in electricity per year, releasing 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.[14] Given that a tree absorbs between 3 to 15 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, it would take between 100 and 500 trees to offset these emissions for just a year. Popular consumer electronics account for close to 15 percent of all household electricity use, especially those that draw power even when switched off.[15]

External links

• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
• ENERGYguide.com
• US Department of Energy - Your Home