Vacation Conservation Tips

Family laughing and hanging out in their living room

Monitor your home energy use

To check on your home from afar, sign up for myAccount — your one-stop shop for all things Hydro One. To monitor your electricity use, log in to myAccount and find My Energy Usage. You can also sign up for outage alerts, so you'll know if there's a power outage while you're away.

Reduce phantom power

Anything plugged in to an electrical outlet draws phantom power — even on standby mode. Unplug small appliances and electronics like coffee makers, microwaves, digital clocks, battery chargers, computers, TVs and game consoles.

Change the temperature

Consider changing the temperature if no one will be home; warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. Setting the temperature to 25⁰C during summer months, and 16-18⁰C in winter months. It's important to ensure your system stays on, keeping the mechanicals running to prevent pipes from freezing, or to prevent your from becoming too humid.

Smart thermostats put you in control

Investing in a smart thermostat pays for itself over time, while it learns your habits and adjusts itself for more energy savings.Set it to “away” or “eco” mode when you leave and turn it up before you come home from your smartphone.

Set a lighting timer

Try using a programmed timer to turn your lights on in the evenings — and make sure they're LEDs. Look into smart bulbs or smart switches, which you can control remotely through a smartphone app. You'll be able to dim

Give the water heater a vacation

Many newer models of hot water tanks now have a vacation mode setting — look for “vacation” or “vac” on the temperature gauge. These enable you to reduce your energy use while keeping the water warm enough to prevent pipes from bursting in winter.

Save energy at home while relaxing on vacation

Monitor your home energy use

Reduce phantom power

Change the temperature

Smart thermostats put you in control

Set a lighting timer

Give the water heater a vacation

Outage information at your fingertips

Be prepared before, during and after a storm to keep you and your family safe

Where to save next?

Appliances

Home Heating

Home Cooling

Phantom Power

Home Lighting

Hot Water Heating

Poolside Savings

Landscaping

Window Savings

Insulation

Visit myEnergy Rewards for additional information on what to look for in energy-efficient products, as well as cost-saving rebates.