5 holiday energy-saving tips

Posted 28 November, 2025 Andrew Rasch

You’re packed and ready to leave for a well-deserved summer holiday, but have you thought about how you can reduce your power bill while you’re away?

Just because your house is empty while you’re on holiday, doesn’t mean it stops using power. Certain appliances like fridges, freezers and hot water systems will typically continue to use power and you still have to pay a daily supply charge.

Try some of these energy-saving tricks before setting off and your next electricity bill might be kinder to your wallet.

1. Keep the vampires at bay (no garlic required)

Most appliances don’t fully power down when they’re switched off but instead enter standby mode. They’re often called vampire appliances because they’re secretly using power while you’re going about your business.

You won’t need most household appliances on while you’re away, so walk through your house and turn off and unplug appliances like microwaves, kettles, gaming consoles and TVs. Consider whether you need your modem or other appliances, which are permanently on, running while you’re not home.

If you have a pool filter, you may be able to set a timer to run the pump for the minimum time per day. You’ll save even more if it runs between 10am and 4pm, when electricity is usually cheapest. 

2. Play it cool

Fridges and freezers are big energy guzzlers, but there are a few ways to improve their energy efficiency.

Fridges rely on items inside keeping each other cold and are most energy-efficient when they’re about 80 per cent full. Chances are you’ve finished your milk and leftovers before you go but consider putting some water bottles in the fridge instead. They’ll help retain the colder air and reduce your fridge’s energy use.

If you’re going away for an extended period, think about emptying your fridge and turning it off at the power point. If you do, keep the door slightly open to prevent mould.

3. Give your hot water system a holiday too

One of the best holiday energy-saving tips is to turn off your electric storage hot water system or switch it to ‘holiday’ or ‘vacation’ mode if it has that option. This means the system won’t keep heating your water to a high temperature while you’re not using it, which equals big energy savings.

Remember to switch it back on when you get home – unless you like cold showers – and be careful about the temperature setting, particularly if you own an older model. A temperature between 20˚C and 45˚C encourages legionella and other nasty bacteria. As with fridges, if you’re away for a long time it might be best to turn it off.

4. Shut ’em up

Open curtains and blinds are a sure-fire way to let unwelcome heat (and cold in winter) into your house. Before you go away, close your curtains, blinds, windows and any internal doors that don’t need to stay open (remember to keep any pets’ needs in mind). You can also put down some door snakes or rolled up towels to keep out draughts. That way, you may not need to cool down the house as much when you’re back from your summer break.

5. Get smart

Smart technology has transformed our lives and made its way into many households. We have smart plugs, smart lighting systems and even smart vacuums – holidays are an ideal time to put this tech to use.

Smart plugs are relatively cheap, and work by connecting to your home Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control the plug via a smartphone app. You could save energy by connecting a couple of lamps to smart plugs and setting them to operate at regular times, instead of leaving them on all day and night. You can even operate the smart plug remotely from your phone while you’re away. Remember, you’ll need to keep your modem switched on if you use this option, or your Wi-Fi will shut down.

Consider installing (or switching on) sensor lighting – great for added security – and turn off any lighting you won’t need, such as garage or shed lights. To make sure sensor lights aren’t coming on unnecessarily, adjust the settings to make them less sensitive to movement.