Help the climate: switch off when you go on holiday

Standby power and fridges in particular make a difference
Most notably, switching off the standby power for your TV equipment, video, DVD, radio, PlayStation, computer, ADSL router and other IT equipment will make the really big savings. You should however be aware that when you come home you will need to reset the time on any electrical appliances that have their own clocks.

Switch off at the plug
It’s important that you switch off the power at the plug. This also includes electrical equipment plugged into AutoPowerOff (Elspareskinne) plug banks. This way you can be sure that you are not using any power at all, because equipment connected to an AutoPowerOff plug bank actually consumes a tiny amount of electricity.

You should also switch off equipment such as electrically adjustable beds and taps that supply boiling water, because they also consume standby power.
If all Danish households remembered to unplug their appliances before leaving, the standby power savings alone would equate to nearly EUR 7 million, equivalent to 26,000 tons of CO2.

It’s also worth considering whether you can empty the fridge so you can switch it off while you’re away. This would reduce electricity consumption by 21,000 tons of CO2 over 3 weeks.

Turn off the circulator pump for 3 months
There’s no reason to have the central heating circulator pump running during the summer period from June to September. The pump is one of the most power hungry devices in a home. By just switching off these circulator pumps, Danish families will save around 25 million kWh. This is equivalent to 12,500 tons of CO2.

Some products can be switched off at the pump itself, but in most cases they are shut down by switching off the central heating boiler.

The boiler and electric water heater should also be switched off
An oil or gas-fired boiler produces a total saving on the climate balance sheet of 2 tons of CO2.

The same applies to water heaters. Around 400,000 all-year-occupancy homes heat water in this way. Allowing the heaters to take their own summer holiday results in 8 tons less CO2. When returning home, you should heat the water to 55° C to ensure the elimination of any possible bacteria.

Turn everything off except the burglar alarm and the aquarium
You should only leave a very few appliances switched on while you’re on holiday. If you have a burglar alarm and use lights and radios on time clocks to deter intruders, you should obviously not try to make savings in this area. The same applies if you have fish in an aquarium. Also, you should definitely not switch off the freezer unless you have emptied out all the food.

If you are not bothered about receiving any messages on your telephone during the holidays, then it can be an advantage to switch off the fixed line cordless phone. This saving is not included in the calculation because most people will prefer to receive messages, even when they are not at home. There are plenty of opportunities here for the most enthusiastic power savers.

Check the electricity meter
Check your electricity meter just before you leave if you have any doubts as to whether you have switched off all the worst offenders. If the meter is spinning rapidly it indicates that you have forgotten something.

By reading the meter before the holidays and again when you return, you can find out how much power you have used and unmask a possible power guzzler. If your power consumption is more than 1 kWh per day then it would be a good idea to check which of your appliances is responsible for the consumption.