What you should do with your AC while on winter vacation

Do you turn your AC unit off or keep it on while you’re on vacation? Most people may say that they turn it off to save energy. Common sense, right? Well, not exactly.

Winter vacation. I can picture it now. The family all huddled together near the fireplace drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows after a long day of sightseeing, skiing and tubing. Just thinking about that makes you all warm inside, doesn’t’ it? The actual vacation part, anyway. The prepping before going on a long vacation? Not so much. You always manage to forget something even as minor as your toothbrush, which – let’s face it – should be the first thing you pack (underwear comes a close second).

But there’s something many of us tend to forget when it comes to preparing for a vacation – preparing your home to make sure electricity usage goes down while away.

You shouldn’t turn off the air conditioner or furnace during your vacation. If anything, you should turn down the thermostat while you’re at your family’s house or a cabin for the holidays.

Just set your thermostat at around 50 degrees in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer  keeps electronics and other temperature sensitive things from potential damage. The worst way to end a vacation is to come home to a flooded basement or frozen dishwasher. Not all of us in Georgia have a basement but we’re sure most of us own a dishwasher and this appliance is priceless.

You should also leave the water heater on at the lowest possible (or “vacation” setting) to keep the water from freezing in the lines and tank.

By putting these simple tips to use, you can save money on your electric bill and avoid possible repairs while you’re out of the house. When recovering from the cost of a vacation, every little bit helps.

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