Turn off the heating, disconnect your electric appliances, empty your fridge and turn it off… find out our 5 tips for saving energy while you’re away!

Are you going on holiday soon? Don’t waste energy while you’re away! Whether you’re going for just a few days or for several weeks, make sure your home is not consuming any energy during this time. How should you adjust your appliances before you go? What simple actions can help you avoid an unnecessarily high electricity bill during your absence? Follow the guide to save energy.

1. Turn off your heating appliances

Boiler and heating

In summer, turn off your heating completely or set it to “summer mode”. Oil and gas boilers are usually fitted with this function. This means your heating will not start up if the temperature drops unexpectedly.

Also open your radiator valves to their maximum so that next time you use them they are not blocked due to calcification of the check-valve.

In contrast, during the winter, you should set your appliances to “frost protection” mode. This means that, on your thermostatic valve, the pointer on the handle must be turned to the “snowflake” symbol.

Before leaving, open the thermostatic valves on your heating appliances to their maximum - Energyprice

Water heater

If you have an electric water heater, check whether it has ACI anti-corrosion protection. If so, it must remain turned on. If you have a smart water heater, select the “absence” mode and enter your return date. Your boiler will restart by itself on the day before the day indicated to ensure that you have a sufficient quantity of hot water.

Exception: air-conditioner

Note: if you have an air-conditioner, you are advised not to disconnect it. That may seem rather counter-intuitive, but there is a good reason. If you do not keep the external unit under pressure, you risk damaging it.

2. Empty your fridge and freezer

A well-stocked fridge consumes more energy than an empty one. To save energy and to prevent the appearance of mould, start removing as many perishable food items as possible from your fridge at least a week before you leave.

If you’re able to empty it completely, disconnect it and leave the door open. Don’t forget that your fridge is one of the most energy-intensive appliances in your home as it operates continuously throughout the year. So consider maintaining it regularly, not just before you go away!

If you can, do the same with your freezer. This will also help you make noticeable energy savings. However, a freezer is harder to empty than a fridge. Even so, to reduce your electricity consumption, consider defrosting it before you leave.

3. Disconnect your electrical appliances

Your television, computer, coffee machine and other appliances should all be disconnected before you go away to eliminate standby consumption. Even though this consumption is low and its impact on your bill is limited, it is still a needless waste of energy. Let’s save energy for the benefit of our planet, and make sure we don’t use more than necessary.

In addition, if there is a storm or a power cut, you will avoid any possible impact to your household appliances. If your appliances are plugged into a multi-socket extension fitted with a surge protector, you can simply switch off the power.

The day before you go on holiday, disconnect your electrical appliances - Energyprice

Did you know? You don’t need to turn off the electricity at the main switch. Some appliances (alarms, aquarium, etc.) must be able to function continuously in your absence.

4. Turn off the gas and water supply

Before you go on holiday, remember (as a precaution) to turn off the gas at the meter, and turn off the tap on your propane bottles and the supply valves for your gas (and oil) appliances.

Turn off the water supply as well. If there is a water leak while you’re away, your return from holiday may be even less pleasant than planned!

5. Close your shutters and/or curtains

To prevent the inside of your home from overheating, consider closing your curtains and shutters.

Note: so as not to attract the attention of burglars, ask someone to call in regularly. A house that is completely closed up may indicate to ill-intentioned individuals that the owners are away for a long time. You can also programme automatic timers to turn your lights on and off at specific times. This will give the impression that the house is occupied.

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It’s super easy to save energy while you enjoy being away!

Although holidays are supposed to be relaxing, being a long way from home can turn into a source of stress. But don’t worry: all it takes is a few simple, effective actions to give you peace of mind. The points we have listed in this article will free you of any unnecessary energy expenditure (one less hassle already!). So keep this list to hand before you set off so that you can save energy while you’re away!

As for the rest, you can simply ask a trusted person to come to your house now and then to make sure that all is well. Then all you have to do is make the most of your well-deserved relaxation in the sun (or elsewhere!).