How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient Before Leaving On Vacation
There’s nothing like the feeling of getting ready for a vacation. Whether you’re headed somewhere tropical, planning a road trip, or just looking forward to a few days off, the excitement starts to build the moment the suitcases come out. But in the middle of all that anticipation, there’s often that nagging little worry about what you’re leaving behind. Did you unplug everything? Will the house stay comfortable? Is something going to run the entire time and waste energy? One of the best ways to ease those concerns is to make your home energy efficient when traveling, so you can relax knowing everything at home is running smoothly while you’re away.
These are real questions, and the good news is they’re easy to address. Taking a little time to make your home energy efficient before traveling to Sandals Resorts can save you money, prevent waste, and help you feel more at ease while you’re away. And once everything’s checked off your list, you can truly relax and enjoy your time off without wondering what’s happening back home.
Shoreline Journeys participates in affiliate marketing programs. I may receive a small commission from any purchases you make through links on this blog. Please see my full disclosure policy for more information.
Let’s walk through how to make your home more energy efficient before vacation. These energy-saving tips are especially helpful if you’re going to be gone for more than a couple of days, but even short trips can benefit from a few of these small changes. You can enjoy your vacation knowing everything at home is taken care of.
What Travelers Need To Know About Prepping Their Home
Making your home energy efficient when traveling doesn’t have to be complicated, but it’s one of those things that’s easy to forget in the middle of packing and prepping. These common questions come up all the time, so let’s walk through the answers together and help you feel more prepared.
If you’re using a smart thermostat and timers for lights, yes. These devices can maintain a consistent schedule even if you’re gone longer than expected. If you’re relying on manual settings, you might want to ask a trusted neighbor or friend to check in just in case your plans change.
Absolutely. While it’s not something you need to do every time you travel, planning a trip is a great reminder to walk through your home and look for things like drafty windows, outdated light bulbs, or old power strips. These little fixes can help you save year-round, not just while you’re away.
deally, start checking off your energy-related tasks 3 to 5 days before your trip. That gives you time to replace filters, unplug electronics, clean out the fridge, and make sure timers and thermostats are working the way you want them to. Leaving it all for the last minute can lead to skipped steps.
In most cases, it’s better to leave your HVAC running at a higher or lower setting rather than turning it off entirely. This helps prevent moisture buildup in summer or frozen pipes in winter. Keeping your system on but dialed back is usually the safest and most energy-efficient option.
Many people forget to check appliance clocks, ovens, and even cable boxes. These stay on and draw power even when they’re not in use. Doing one last check to unplug these lesser-used devices can give you an extra layer of savings and peace of mind.
These simple answers can go a long way in helping you feel more prepared before your next getaway. Whether you’re traveling for a long weekend or a two-week adventure, having the right strategies in place means your home will run smoothly and efficiently while you’re away.
Top Tools For Energy-Efficiency When Traveling
- Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat
- Smart Power Strips with Surge Protection
- LED Smart Light Bulbs
- Door Draft Stoppers or Weather Stripping Kits
- Smart Plugs with Energy Monitoring
Adjust Your Thermostat Before You Travel
Getting your thermostat right is one of the simplest ways to cut energy costs while you’re away, and it helps you avoid coming home to a house that’s too hot or too cold. Here are some easy ways to make smart adjustments before your trip:
- Summer setting: Set your thermostat to the low to mid 80s. This keeps the house from getting stuffy but gives your air conditioner a break.
- Winter setting: Keep it around the mid to high 60s. It’s warm enough to prevent frozen pipes but cool enough to avoid unnecessary heating.
- Use a smart thermostat: If you can control your thermostat with an app, it’s even better. You can check the weather back home and make adjustments anytime.
- Pre-set schedules: For thermostats with scheduling features, set them to maintain consistent energy-saving temps while you’re gone.
- Peace of mind: Knowing you’ve adjusted things properly means you’re less likely to worry about it during your vacation.
A word of caution: check your local weather report for the time you will be gone. If you are about to have a major heatwave or cold front, you may not want to adjust your temperature. Frozen pipes that burst will cost you way more than the energy bill while you are gone.
Use Natural Light To Your Advantage
Sunlight can help you manage your home’s temperature without touching the thermostat. If you’re traveling in the warmer months, close your curtains and blinds before you leave. This keeps the sun from heating up the inside of your house and making your cooling system work harder.
In the winter, you can do the opposite. Open the curtains during the day so the sunlight helps warm your space naturally. Then close them again at night to trap in the heat. It’s a small step, but it helps your house stay more comfortable without using extra energy.
At night, the strategy reverses. In colder months, draw the curtains to hold onto any heat the sun provided during the day. In warmer months, you can leave them closed to maintain a cooler interior overnight. These small decisions help create a more energy-conscious environment without having to adjust your HVAC system as often.
Clean And Check Your HVAC System
It’s easy to forget about your heating and cooling system until something goes wrong. But giving it a little attention before you leave can make it run better and save you money. Start by checking your air filter. If it looks dirty or dusty, replace it. A clean filter helps your system breathe easier and use less energy.
Take a walk around your home and check that vents aren’t covered by rugs, furniture, or curtains. Good airflow matters. If your ducts haven’t been cleaned in a long time and you’ll be gone for a while, this might be a good time to call in a professional. Clean vents help air move more freely, which makes everything run more efficiently.
You should also take a look at your vents and registers. Make sure they are free of dust, debris, and obstructions like rugs or furniture. This ensures proper airflow throughout the house. If your home hasn’t had a duct cleaning in a while, you might consider scheduling one, especially if you’ll be gone for an extended period. Cleaner ducts mean your system can push air more easily, which leads to better performance and reduced strain.
Use Smart Power Strips For Hard-To-Reach Devices
If you’ve ever tried to unplug a TV or a row of chargers behind a heavy entertainment center, you know how frustrating it can be. That’s where smart power strips come in handy. They let you turn off several devices at once with a simple switch, and many even have timers or sensors that shut things off automatically.
These are especially helpful for the spots in your home where everything stays plugged in, like your office or family room. Smart strips stop devices from drawing power when they’re not in use and can protect your electronics from power surges, which is a nice bonus while you’re out of town.
Turn Off Ceiling Fans And Extra Lights
Ceiling fans are great when you’re home, but they don’t do much good when the house is empty. They’re designed to cool people, not spaces, so letting them run while you’re away just wastes electricity. Before you leave, walk through your home and turn them all off.
Do a sweep through your home before leaving and turn off every ceiling fan, including those in bedrooms and bathrooms. Then check each room for overhead and accent lighting. Unless you’ve purposefully set a lamp on a timer for security, switch off any lights that don’t need to stay on. This small step can help reduce unnecessary power use and keep your energy bill lower.
Use Timers For Security Lighting
It’s perfectly reasonable to want your home to look occupied while you’re away, especially if you’ll be gone for several days. Rather than leaving lights on 24/7, which wastes energy and raises eyebrows, use plug-in timers to control your lighting schedule. Set them to turn lamps on at dusk and off before bedtime to mimic your usual patterns.
We actually have a whole house system that my husband helped design for the company he works for. I can control everything from my phone, and set up schedules for the lights while we are on vacation. Just a fun note: if you do this, make sure that your neighbor is aware so that when the lights do turn on and off, she doesn’t think your house is haunted.
When setting up these lights, focus on high-traffic areas like living rooms or hallways that are visible from windows. Choose LED bulbs for these setups, as they’re more energy-efficient and last much longer than incandescent bulbs. This combination gives you peace of mind without running up your utility bill. I highly recommend sunlight LEDs for a natural look and feel.
Prepare Your Refrigerator The Right Way
The refrigerator is one of the few appliances that runs nonstop, whether you’re home or not. While it’s not always practical to empty and unplug your fridge for a short trip, there are still ways to make it more efficient before you go. If you’ll be away for more than a week and can clear it out entirely, unplug it and leave the doors open to avoid mold and musty smells.
For shorter trips, take time to discard any perishable items that may spoil in your absence. Lower the temperature slightly if your fridge allows, and place an open box of baking soda inside to help with odor control. For an extra precaution, freeze a small cup of water and place a coin on top. If you return to find the coin at the bottom of the cup, it’s a sign the freezer thawed at some point and your frozen food may no longer be safe to eat.
Set Your Water Heater To Vacation Mode
Water heaters are one of the more surprising sources of energy usage in a home. Even if no one is there to use hot water, a traditional water heater will continue heating the tank to maintain the set temperature. Before you leave, look for a vacation or pilot mode setting on your unit. This reduces the temperature to a safe level without turning the appliance off entirely.
If your model doesn’t have a specific setting for travel, you can manually lower the thermostat to its lowest option. This prevents the heater from running constantly while you’re gone and cuts back on your home’s overall energy consumption. When you return, just remember to adjust it back to your regular setting before your next shower.
Maintain Your Outdoor Areas Wisely
It’s easy to forget how much energy can be lost or wasted outside your home, especially when you’re focused on getting packed and out the door. But spending a few minutes checking your outdoor setup can save you from surprises later.
- Pool pumps: If you have a pool, make sure the filter and pump are on a timer. They don’t need to run all day, and a timer keeps things on schedule without wasting electricity.
- Motion lights: Replace any always-on lights with motion-activated ones. They only turn on when needed and make your home look more lived-in at night.
- Check outlets and faucets: Outdoor electrical outlets and water spigots can let in outside air. Cover them if possible to help your HVAC system inside run more efficiently.
- Sprinkler systems: If you use automatic sprinklers, double-check the schedule. You don’t want them running more often than necessary while no one’s home.
Taking care of the outside of your home helps everything inside work better, and it’s one more way to keep your energy use under control while you’re away.
Secure Windows And Doors Thoroughly
Even small drafts can make a big difference in your home’s energy use. Before you leave, take the time to check every window and door for a tight seal. Make sure windows are closed and locked, and that doors latch securely. If you notice any gaps, weather stripping or a simple door sweep can often fix the problem.
Sliding doors and storm doors should also be double-checked. They’re sometimes overlooked but can be weak points in maintaining your home’s internal climate. A little attention to these areas can help your HVAC system run more efficiently while you’re away and reduce your risk of an unexpected utility spike.
Plan Ahead For Your Pets
Leaving your pets at home while you travel can be one of the hardest parts of planning a trip. You want them to be safe, comfortable, and cared for, even if you’re not there to watch over them. Whether a sitter is stopping by or they’re staying on their own for stretches of time, thinking ahead about their environment is just as important as packing their food or leaving instructions.
- Safe indoor temperature: Set the thermostat to a range that’s comfortable for pets. In the summer, the low 80s works well. In the winter, aim for the mid 60s. These temperatures help your pets stay safe without overworking your heating or cooling system.
- Reliable access to water: A water fountain keeps water circulating and can stay cleaner longer than a regular bowl. This is especially helpful if someone won’t be stopping in every day.
- Shaded rest areas: Make sure pets have a cozy spot out of direct sunlight and away from any drafts. It gives them a sense of security and helps regulate their body temperature.
- Feeders and routines: Automatic feeders and plug-in light timers can help maintain a routine. Pets thrive on consistency, and keeping the lights on in the evening can make the home feel more normal.
- Leave the emergency number for the vet: I generally let our vet know when we are out of town and have a note in their file that our neighbor has permission to request treatment if necessary, and we will settle the bill when we return.
- Clear notes for sitters: Leave detailed instructions for your pet sitter, including how to open or close blinds, what temperature settings to keep, and any quirks about your pet’s behavior or space.
- Skip the fan: It might seem like a good idea, but fans don’t cool pets the same way they cool people. A steady, safe indoor temperature is a better choice.
We are so lucky to have a neighbor that will watch our cats while we are away. She is always stopping in to check on them, and it makes us feel better when we aren’t home knowing she is on the job. If you don’t have that kind of support, then look into a highly-rated boarding facility. Our vet has that for our cats, and while we haven’t used them, I have no hesitation if it comes to needing them to go there. Since they have our cat’s medical records, everything is right there.
Consider A Whole-Home Energy Monitor
If you like the idea of keeping tabs on your home while you’re away, a whole-home energy monitor might be the right fit. These devices attach to your electrical panel and track your energy use in real time, often sending updates straight to your phone or email. They can notify you of unusual activity, such as a spike in electricity that might signal an appliance left running or a system failure.
While not a necessity for everyone, energy monitors offer extra peace of mind, especially for frequent travelers or anyone leaving home for an extended period. You’ll have a clearer picture of how your house is operating and can take action from afar if something doesn’t look right.
Top Items That Can Help You Prep Smarter
As you go through your checklist, there are a few small purchases that can make your life a lot easier. These aren’t expensive gadgets or complicated tools, just simple items that help solve the most common problems travelers face when trying to keep their home energy efficient.
- Smart thermostat: A smart thermostat gives you full control of your home’s temperature from anywhere. If the weather changes while you’re away, you can make quick adjustments right from your phone.
- Smart power strips: These make it easy to shut off multiple electronics at once and stop phantom energy use, especially behind entertainment centers or desks.
- Plug-in light timers: Perfect for making your home look lived-in without leaving lights on all day. Set them to turn on in the evening and off before bed.
- Foam outlet and faucet covers: These help seal up drafts from exterior plugs and spigots, which keeps your HVAC system from working harder than it needs to.
- Automatic pet feeders and water fountains: If you’re leaving pets at home, these can keep things on schedule and make sure your animals are comfortable until you return.
- Surge protectors: These are a smart way to protect electronics from unexpected storms or outages while you’re away.
- Baking soda for the fridge: It’s an old trick, but it works. Keeps your refrigerator smelling fresh, especially if you’re away for more than a few days.
- Coin and frozen water cup: Not a product to buy, but a useful trick. Place a coin on a frozen cup of water in the freezer to check if there were any power outages while you were gone.
These small items don’t cost much, but they can solve real problems and help you avoid bigger issues later. When everything’s working together, your home will be running smoothly even while you’re away.
Final Walkthrough Before You Leave
The day before your trip is the perfect time for a quick but thorough walkthrough of your entire home. Room by room, confirm that all the steps you’ve planned are complete. Adjust the thermostat to the correct setting. Unplug unnecessary appliances and double-check that timers are functioning correctly. Confirm that windows and doors are shut, locked, and sealed tightly.
Head outside and inspect your lighting, faucets, and any automated systems like sprinkler timers or pool filters. Taking this last look ensures everything is in place and functioning the way it should. With just a few minutes of preparation, you can head out the door with total peace of mind.
Enjoy Your Vacation Without Worrying About What’s Happening At Home
Vacations are meant to be fun and relaxing. You’ve put time into planning the perfect getaway, and with a little extra effort before you leave, you can avoid coming home to high energy bills or unexpected problems. These tips aren’t difficult to implement, but they can make a big difference in the way your home runs while you’re away.
Whether you’re spending the week at a Sandals Resort or taking a road trip with the family, preparing your home for your absence means one less thing to think about. And when you return to a comfortable, well-managed house, you’ll be glad you took the time to get everything in order before you left.
Ready To Book Your Vacation? Let Me Take On The Planning
Are you convinced? Ready to experience a travel adventure for yourself? As a travel agent, I would love to help you plan your next vacation. Simply fill out this contact form or send me an email and I will be in touch with you shortly!
And I understand that you may not be ready to use a travel agent, and that’s okay. You can still book your vacation on your own through this link. Sandals Resorts will know that you found out about the resort through my website, but you will have full control of your booking. Just know that I can’t help if anything comes up, so booking with me is the absolute best way to go!
More Helpful Vacation Posts To Read
- Easy Packing Tips For Travel For A Stress-Free Vacation
- Flying With Pets: Tips To Make It An Enjoyable Experience
- The Savvy Traveler’s Guide to Holiday Flying: Tips & Tricks For An Enjoyable Experience
- Why Working With A Travel Advisor Makes The Most Sense
Vacation Essentials You Can’t Travel Without
- Luggage Packing Cubes Set of 5
- K.Y.S.S. Locking Bag or Backpack
- Duncan & Stone Travel Journal
- Sun Bum Original SPF 70
