Every time you go away, you can increase your energy efficiency at home, which is good for the environment and your holiday spending money.
Make the most of every opportunity to save energy with these quick and easy tips.
Increase your energy efficiency while you relax on holiday
Before you unplug yourself from the daily grind, remember these simple energy saving tips.
Make a holiday checklist and unplug all unused devices
Most electrical appliances use standby power, which is super convenient when we’re at home, but not so important if we’re away.
Unplugging all unused devices is a great way to conserve energy, and with the extra dollars you save, you could enjoy additional holiday treats.
Things like the toaster or juicer are easy to forget, so before you head to the airport, make a holiday checklist. Then go through each room in the house and while you unplug all unnecessary appliances, check that the windows and doors are locked to improve your home security. It’s best to leave the fridge running, as well as your modem – you’ll need that for the next energy-saving tip.
You can use AGL Energy Insights to test your energy efficiency or to spot any energy vampires in your home when you’re not there. Just before you head out the door, sign up for a mid-bill AGL Energy Insights Report through My Account. When you get back, you can run another report and compare the difference.
Plug-in some energy-efficient security
The best way to stop worrying about whether you locked the back door or not is to get a timer for lights when on holiday. Put a light switch timer on each lamp in your house and set them to turn on and off at different times – from the outside, it will look like someone is home while you’re relaxing on the beach or trekking up a mountain.
Smart light bulbs take this old trick to the next level. They look like ordinary energy-efficient light bulbs, but they connect to your wi-fi.
Using an app on your phone, you can set the lights to switch on and off automatically.
You can even adjust the brightness and colour if you want to get fancy.
There’s also the option of a light bulb with a built-in security camera, so you can check if you really did leave the toiletries bag on the bed when you left the house.
Think about your gas pilot lights
A lot of gas appliances have pilot lights, which is the gas equivalent of standby mode on electrical devices. It’s a good idea to add them to your holiday checklist for energy efficiency and general safety.
Check your oven, heaters and hot water system for pilot lights and switch them off before you leave.
Put a reminder in your phone to re-ignite the pilot light on your hot water system as soon as you return home. Nobody likes a cold shower!
Buddy up with your neighbour
While you’re away, ask a neighbour to check on your mail or deliveries. To thank them, you could share your tips on how to be more energy efficient at home. Or you could just offer to bring back a souvenir keyring for them.
Here are more ways to get a clearer picture of your energy usage and how to lower it.
Find our where your energy is going
With Energy Insights, you can see what is using up the most electricity in your home.
