On the Road
When you go on vacation, take your energy conservation tips with you.
- Turn off the lights, radios and TVs when you leave your hotel room.
- If your room has a coffeemaker with a timer or clock, unplug it after use. “Phantom power” or “standby power” is still there even when electronic devised are turned off.
- Conserve the use of towels. Do you really need fresh towels every day? Instead leave the towels to be washed in the bath tub and hang the towels you wish to reuse on the rack and leave a note for housekeeping.
- To conserve water and electricity, let your hotel know they don’t need to change your bed linen every day. Instead have housekeeping change bed linen every two days during your stay.
- If you have control of the heat, turn it down when you leave the room. Why heat an empty room?
- Just like home, raise the thermostat setting on the room air conditioner a few degrees.
- In the summer, keep curtains closed during the day to keep the heat out. In the winter, keep the blinds and curtains open and let the sun heat and light your room naturally.
- Take a quick shower instead of a bath. Did you know a typical occupied hotel room soaks up 218 gallons (825 liters) of water a day?
- Report leaky faucets and taps to the front desk. One constant drip can waste up to 182 litres of water a week. If it’s hot water that’s leaking, you’re literally sending energy dollars down the drain.
- If you’re booking a meeting or convention, ask the hotel if it has environmental policy. And don’t forget to ask to see it. You might even be able to ask hotel management if there is one further energy conservation measure they could offer to secure your business. For instance, suggest that bed sheets can be changed every two days for your delegates.
- Many hotels are committed to environmental measures that include energy conservation. Look for these “green” properties in your vacation choices.
- Remember, everybody is a partner in energy conservation. Don’t forget your energy conservation manners when you’re on vacation.
While You’re Away
When you go on vacation, take your energy conservation tips with you.
For increased security, use timers on light fixtures inside and outside your home. Using timers is much less costly in the long run than leaving your lights on all day. Fluorescent lighting requires special dimmers or timers, so make sure you use the correct ones for your fluorescent fixtures.
- Your refrigerator is an electricity hog. If you’re going to be away for a long period of time, consider emptying and unplugging your refrigerator. Or better yet, have your old, inefficient refrigerator picked-up by your Municipality or non-profit recycling organizations.
- If you spend a long time away from home during the coldest months of the year, set your thermostat down. In the winter set it at 18°C and if you’re away in the summer set it at 28°C. A programmable thermostat is a great way to change settings automatically. There are programmable thermostats for central heating and baseboard heating.
- If you have a pool, make sure it’s covered and that the timer on the pool pump is set.
- Ghost bust those phantom loads. Sometimes referred to as “standby power,” phantom power is electricity consumed by electronic devices even when turned off (DVD players, TVs, phone chargers, coffeemakers with clocks/timers, etc).
- Use a power bar with an integrated timer to shut off all your devices at the end of the day. Unplug your electronics when you’re away from home for an extended period of time.
For more information:
Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) Green Key Eco-Rating Program
Healthy Stay’s Environmentally Friendly Hotel