Lower Your Electric Bill As Part Of Summer Vacation Plans

(HIT) - Going on vacation this summer? Make sure your home’s energy use takes a vacation as well, advises Edison Electric Institute. Listed below are some simple tips to help lower your electric bill while you are away. If you have a vacation home, be sure to follow these steps when you leave it to return back home.

Air Conditioning

Set the thermostat to 85 degrees—use the "hold" or the "vacation" setting if you have a programmable thermostat to keep it at that temperature. You'll lower your electric bill and you'll never have to feel the heat!

Electronics

Computers, CD/DVD players, TVs, and VCRs—these and other electronic appliances use electricity—even when they are not turned on. Unplug them before you leave to further lower your electric bill.

Lighting

You can lower your electric bill--and increase your security--by using timers to turn lights on-and-off each night. If you use compact fluorescent bulbs in those lamps, you'll lower your electric bill even further—up to 66 percent less in each lamp—and the bulb will last up to 10 times longer than a regular incandescent bulb.

Water Heating

Turning the water heater’s temperature down to the lowest setting can also lower your electric bill if your water heater is an electric model. Many water heaters have a "vacation" setting to guide you. Leave a reminder to turn it back up upon returning home.

• Waterbed owners should unplug the heater, or at least lower the temperature 10 degrees.
• Pool owners should shorten the operating time for the pool filter and automatic cleaning sweep (if applicable). A pool cover can save energy—up to 70 percent of pool heat loss is by evaporation according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Refrigerator

You can also lower your electric bill by adjusting the refrigerator control to a warmer setting. If going on an extended trip, consider emptying the fridge and turning it off (remember to leave the door open to prevent mildew).

For more information on how to lower your electric bill this summer and all year round, please contact your electric utility, or visit www.eei.org/wiseuse.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

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