Cooling is one of the biggest drivers of energy use during the summer. When no one is home, you don’t need to keep your house as cool as usual.

• Set your thermostat 5 to 10 degrees higher than what you set it to when you’re at home (as long as you aren’t leaving pets behind). That means if you usually keep the AC set at 75°F, set it to 80-85 while you’re away.
  
  
• If you have a smart thermostat, enable “away mode” to automatically adjust the temperature.
  
  
• Avoid turning your system off completely as extreme heat and humidity can affect indoor air quality, wood floors and furniture, and other home materials. Also, if the thermostat is set too high and you live in a humid or hot area, mold or mildew could develop if the air conditioner does not run.

Solar benefit: With less cooling demand, more of the energy your system produces can help offset other usage, be exported to the grid or stored for later use if you have a battery, reducing your electric bills even further.

Many devices use power even when they’re turned off or remain in standby mode, contributing to what’s called phantom load or vampire energy. The energy that’s drained can quickly and quietly add up over time.

Before leaving town, power down or unplug:

• TVs and entertainment systems
• Small kitchen appliances
• Chargers and electronics
• Computers and printers

Solar benefit: Lowering your baseline usage means a greater share of your solar production isn’t being consumed unnecessarily. This could increase the amount of solar energy you send back to the grid for bill credits.

Hot water isn’t needed while you’re away, yet your system may continue heating it.

• Set your water heater to “vacation mode” or a lower temperature.
• For longer trips, consider turning off electric water heaters entirely (if manufacturer guidance allows).

Solar benefit: Reducing this energy load helps your solar production go even further during the day.

Even when you’re not home, your solar system keeps producing energy during sunny summer days.

• With reduced home usage, more of your solar production may be exported back to the grid or stored for later use if you have a battery.
• This can help offset energy use later like when you return home and turn cooling back up.

Solar benefit: You can check your system’s performance anytime in your MyEverBright¹ dashboard to see how your home is using or exporting energy while you’re away.

Outdoor systems often run on timers and can use significant energy.

• Turn off pool heaters
• Pause water features like fountains or waterfalls
• Turn off or reduce the time decorative lighting is on

Solar benefit: Avoiding this type of unnecessary high energy use while you’re away can help to maximize how much of your solar production delivers value.

If you’re leaving for an extended trip, take a moment to prepare your kitchen. While refrigerators must keep running, small adjustments can improve efficiency.

• Toss perishables to avoid wasting energy keeping items cold that may spoil while you’re away
• According to ENERGY STAR and USDA recommendations, you should keep your fridge and freezer at recommended temperatures: ~37-40°F for your refrigerator and 0°F for your freezer

Solar benefit: Daytime solar production helps offset the energy your refrigerator uses while you’re gone.

Traveling is a great time to reduce your home’s energy use and maximize your solar system’s ability to increase the amount of energy sent back to the grid. By lowering unnecessary consumption and optimizing system settings, you can reduce unnecessary energy use and return home to a lower electric utility bill.

Have a question? Send your name, email address, and question to solarexpert@goeverbright.com for consideration in an upcoming post. Please do not submit specific account inquiries. For account-specific questions, visit myeverbright.com or call (877) 425-5201.