Yes, you probably already have a lengthy checklist of things to take care of before going on vacation, but one more item that you should be sure to include is to adjust your thermostat.
If you have a programmable thermostat in your home, this will be an easy task to take care of. Instead of turning off your A/C when going on vacation, simply turn up the temperature. A programmable thermostat will allow you to turn the temperature up (let’s say to 85 degrees) and maintain that temperature for as long as you program it to do so. You can also program your thermostat to begin cooling your house (say 72 degrees) the morning you expect to return from vacation so you can arrive home to a comfortable temperature.
Some higher-end programmable thermostats will allow you to remotely adjust the temperature of your home, which is perfect if you happen to arrive home sooner than originally planned from vacation.
Even if you have a manual thermostat, it’s still worth turning up the temperature in your home when going on vacation during the summer. This is better than turning off the A/C entirely during hot weather. This could allow too much humidity inside your home, and damage belongings, food items and fixtures. Plus your A/C will struggle to regain a comfortable temperature if your home is excessively hot when you return. Turning up the A/C eight to 10 degrees is the perfect compromise to lower your utility bill.
To give you a better idea of the savings that can come from adjusting your thermostat, you can save as much as 3 percent on your cooling bill just by turning the temperature in your home one degree higher than you’re typically comfortable with.
There are some other great ways that you can conserve energy around your home when you’re out of town, such as unplugging electronics and lighting rooms with timers. Not only will these tips help save energy; they can offer savings on your utility bill when you’re out of town as well.
For more ways to reduce energy in your home while you’re on vacation (and when you’re home), please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide exceptional HVAC services to the Twin Cities Metro Area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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