Give Your Home a Few Days Off

Summer in on its way and many of us are looking forward to a hard-earned break. Before you jet off though, take a few moments to make sure that your home won’t be costing you money while you’re away. Holidays can be an expensive business but, by giving your home some well-deserved days off, you can help take a few living costs off the bill.

When not occupied, homes can still use a great deal of energy which you will not benefit from. There are a few steps you can take to make sure your home is adequately prepared.

Set the Thermostat

The easiest way to save money while you are away is to turn down the heating. During the summer months it is possible to switch the thermostat off completely. Avoid the temptation, however, to do this if going away in winter. Water sat still in your system is liable to freeze, splitting the pipes, so keep your heating on the lowest setting possible to keep a constant flow of warm water through it.

While We’re on Pipes..

Switching off your water at the mains will prevent your house from flooding in the event of any damage to the plumbing.

Unplug Everything

And we mean everything! Fridges, freezers and similar appliances are the obvious exemption, but make sure every other electronic device is unplugged. All these gadgets continue to use energy when plugged in, even if switched off, even a phone charger with nothing on the end uses energy. Just doing this can save you £10 per week.

One you have finished this, make sure air conditioners, water boilers and extractors are all switched off properly. These could all decide to switch themselves on while you’re away.

Fill the Freezer

Check around your cupboards for any food that will spoil while you’re gone. You don’t want any nasty surprises when you return do you? Instead of throwing it all away, freeze what you can. This will not only help reduce the ridiculous amount of food we throw away, it will make the freezer more efficient. Empty space costs more to keep cool, so by filling the freezer you are reducing its workload.

Stay Safe

Many people like to leave the TV and a light on before they leave. This is an effective way to deter burglars but is rather inefficient.  A light left on around the clock is expensive, and most burglars will interpret it as a sign the house is empty.

Use a timer to make sure the light only turns on in the evening. This will look more convincing to intruders and cost a fraction of the price, especially if it has low energy bulb. Instead of the TV, consider the radio, this has the same effect but a TV can cost about fifty times as much.

Author Bio: 

Joe is a blogger for Force8 doors and windows who writes about property, home improvement, interior design and green living.