The energy bill, for most of us, is the last thing we want to think about on vacation. But if you are not at home yourself, your energy consumption will continue as usual. So it can’t hurt to look around your house just before departure to see how you can save money. And which devices you should continue to use anyway.
What devices can you turn off during the holidays?
Are you familiar with the term standby consumption, which we will discuss in more detail in this article and article? Some electrical appliances still consume power when plugged in, even when you’re not using them. If you are away from home for more than a week and your PC or TV installation is still on standby, this can lead to unnecessary additional costs. You can also turn off and unplug your coffee maker, clock radio, and boiling water faucet if you’re not home for a long time.
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Do you have perishable food in the refrigerator? Then you can empty it, clean it and also turn it off to save energy. If there is a freezer compartment in the refrigerator, you can defrost it immediately. With leftover food and drink, you may be able to make the neighbors happy. Or maybe your fridge has a vacation mode, which turns off the fridge itself, but keeps the freezer running. You can also turn off the water heater, put it on standby or equip it with a timer. Be careful, legionella can develop as soon as the temperature drops below 60 degrees. So be sure to heat the boiler well after you get home and open all the taps for one minute.
You can also remove the plug from the dryer. Remove the plugs from the socket, it not only prevents standby consumption, but it is also flame retardant. In this MAX Meldpunt article, you will find 9 more practical tips to leave your home clean and safe and go on vacation with peace of mind. For example, it may be a good idea to turn off the water supply to your washing machine. Even if your washing machine has a water seal, it can’t hurt to get it just to be on the safe side. In the unlikely event that something goes wrong with the water supply while you’re away, you can be sure no water damage will occur.
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What devices should you leave on?
If you are temporarily away from home, especially during the summer holidays, the heating does not need to be turned on. But turning off the boiler is not a good idea. You then run the risk of mold and damp problems in the house, but also of frozen pipes and dirt in the boiler. If you have a heat pump at home (with which you can heat and cool the house), it is also best to leave it on. Otherwise, the system will have to return to full temperature after returning home, which costs additional energy.
Your internet router is always on and is also consuming electricity. But switching off during the holidays isn’t always a good idea, especially if you have multiple smart devices at home. For example, a light that you can control remotely to ward off burglars works over the WiFi connection, as do smart thermostats. And the inverter of your solar panels? You can just leave it enabled, especially while the net metering system is still in effect. Even when you are not at home, your solar panels produce electricity, which you can feed back into the electricity grid. This way you can save money yourself, but also help neighbors who don’t have solar panels themselves.
Read also: What is a solar water heater and is it better than solar panels?
(Source: Archive, MAX Meldpunt, Independer, Powerpeers, Lastminutevakantie.com, Sustainaway, Omlaagdiemeter.nu, Cooblue, Zonnepanelen-info.nl, Radar, Milieu Centraal, Pricewise, Dunea. Photo: Shutterstock)