Staying green while away

Staying green while away

A great deal of energy can be saved while you're on holiday by cutting down your consumption at home.

Even while you're away, your house can still be using a surprisingly high amount of energy. Think about all the electrical appliances that won't be used but are still plugged in, and the water and heating systems that aren't needed. By performing a few basic checks and unplugging a few things, you can really cut down on the energy your home is using while you're not there.

"By performing a few basic checks and unplugging a few things, you can really cut down on the energy your home is using while you're not there."

Saving energy by turning appliances off while you're away on holiday has two main benefits. It saves you money and it saves wasting energy on heating and lighting a house where nobody is living.

Refrigerators are one of the main culprits for superfluous energy consumption. It may be impractical to switch yours off entirely, especially if there's still food inside. A fridge can be turned up a few degrees to save energy though. Just bear in mind that, if you're holidaying for a significant amount of time, it may be best to empty the fridge and turn it off. Make sure you prop the doors open to prevent the growth of mould.

Staying green while away

Your house doesn't need to be heated if you're not living in it. Turn the thermostat right down and, if possible, turn the heating off entirely. However, if you're away during the winter holiday, keeping some heat in the house may prove a wise idea to help prevent pipes from freezing. But on the whole, taking the time to cut back on heating can save a lot of energy.

"Unplugging all your electrical appliances is an easy way for you to save energy."

Unplugging all your electrical appliances is an easy way for you to save energy. Televisions, satellite boxes, computers, games consoles, microwaves and anything similar will use up energy if plugged in, even while turned off. Doing a sweep of your home for anything that's plugged into the mains and disconnecting is a good idea. You won't gain anything by having these devices on standby while you're away, so why not unplug them and save a little energy and money?

Remember also to turn off all the lights. There's no reason to keep your house fully illuminated while you're not there. There is a case to put lights on a timer switch if your house is in a busy area. Lights being permanently off may be a sign that there's no-one in and encourage burglary. However, if you're in a quiet area then this will likely prove unnecessary.

Saving energy while you're on holiday is a fairly simple process and can actually be done fairly quickly.

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