These days everyone says they want to travel green, but what about your house and apartment when you are gone?

The first no-brainer when you leave home is to turn off the lights.

If you are worried about security just set a timed light, which will turn on the lights automatically at night.

Now, if you are planning to empty your fridge while you are gone, it’s not a good idea to unplug it, unless you want to come home to find a garden of mildew and mold.

Instead, set it to the lowest possible setting and it will use 40 percent less electricity.

And while you may be tempted to turn off your thermostat to save energy, don’t do it if you think your thermometer will drop below 40 degrees.

Otherwise, you’re in danger of freezing you pipes and doing long-term damage to your system.

And don’t forget water heaters use a significant amount of energy just keeping your water warm, so check to see if your water heater comes with a vacation setting or set it at the lowest temperature.

Get more green travel tips in our Responsible Travel section.

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