Get away from high utility bills by adding home energy savings to your summer vacation checklist. In just a few minutes, you can reduce the energy your home will use while you’re on vacation.
Try these five tips from ComEd for cutting power bills:
1. Check the refrigerator and set the temperature to 38 degrees. If you’re going on a longer vacation, unplug the refrigerator, remove all contents, clean the inside, and prop open the freezer and refrigerator doors.
2. Turn the lights off while you’re away. If home security is a concern, set a few lights on a timer or have a trusted friend periodically check your home. For longer-term savings, replace traditional incandescent bulbs with energy-saving CFLs to save more than $40 in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime.
3. Unplug equipment that doesn’t need to stay on, including computers, TVs, and cable boxes. Electronic equipment and cords plugged into active outlets consume electricity even when not in use. Approximately 40% of electricity used to power consumer electronics is used when they are turned off.
4. Set your home thermostat at a higher temperature. Switching your home thermostat to 80 degrees instead of turning it off completely keeps home humidity levels stay lower and prevents mold and mildew.
5. Close your shades and curtains. Doing this helps to prevent adding heat to your home, stabilizes your home temperature, and reduces electricity usage for home cooling.
Source: ComEd
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/news/articles/add-energy-savings-your-summer-vacation-checklist/#ixzz1TPL4ZGOO
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