10 Tips for Energy-Efficient Travel
Photo by Roxanne Desgagnés
You probably like to save as much energy as possible when you’re home, but what about when you travel? While conserving electricity may seem challenging while you’re on vacation, there are plenty of easy ways to make your trip less impactful on the planet. Use these tips to find energy-efficient accommodations so you can keep the Earth healthy and preserve your favorite vacation spot.
How Does Tourism and Travel Impact the Climate?
The high energy cost of the tourism industry is a leading cause of environmental degredation — all that travel and lodging has a large carbon footprint. You’ll affect the local ecosystem and the climate wherever you go, so it’s important to conserve power during your trip.
Why Choose Energy-Efficient Accommodations?
You should conserve energy because you consume significant amounts when traveling to or staying at your destination, which has adverse effects. For example, extreme weather brought on by climate change may ruin up to 83% of the tourism infrastructure in the Bahamas. Finding ways to make your stay energy-efficient positively impacts the Earth, protects the local ecosystem and ensures you can vacation there in the future.
1. Turn Lights Off
You’ll use lights whether you find a hotel or stay in a camper. The best way to save energy is to turn everything off. Instead of turning on the lights, open your curtains to bring daylight into your space.
2. Pack a Tent
Packing a tent is far more energy-efficient than most accommodations. You won’t use any power and spending the night in nature may be exciting. Also, it’ll come in handy in case of a flat tire or after a long night of driving. You may be able to find state parks open to camping. They also typically have complimentary showers and bathrooms, which is a plus.
3. Unplug Everything
Electronic devices and appliances draw power even when they’re not in use. While not all places are energy-efficient, you can make them so by unplugging any coffee pots, televisions or lamps as soon as you get to your room. Simply plug things back in when you want to use them.
4. Don’t Touch the Thermostat
Although it’s tempting, don’t adjust the thermostat. Leave it off until it’s above 74° Fahrenheit — or else it uses lots of unnecessary power. Wrap yourself up in a blanket if you’re cold or take some layers off if you’re warm. If you’re set on changing the temperature, try turning it off when you leave.
5. Close Your Curtains
Shut your curtains to cool your space without messing with the thermostat. You can use this trick wherever you travel to conserve some power. Windows can warm a room with sunlight or cool it if it’s drafty and cold outside. You can make it energy-efficient if you simply pull the shades closed.
6. Plan Ahead
Being proactive is essential when looking for energy-efficient accommodations. Places that use renewable energy, have good insulation or are run locally will save more power. Look at where you’ll be traveling and find possible spots there and along the route. You never know if your car will break down or your plane will be delayed, so it’s better to have multiple places in mind.
7. Reuse Linens
If you’ve stayed at a hotel before, you know their linens are a luxury — you get to use them while someone else does the laundry. Many places you’ll visit will offer fresh towels and sheets. It’s nice to wrap yourself in a clean towel after every shower or return to a room with new sheets, but it’s unnecessary. You’ll save energy by reusing them instead of having them laundered.
8. Stay Nearby
It’s a good idea to stay close to wherever you’re traveling to. Look for accommodations nearby wherever you’ll be visiting. You’ll be much more energy-efficient when you spend less time traveling once you’re already at your destination.
9. Use Off-Peak Energy
There are ways to be energy-efficient while still using electricity. Off-peak hours are periods where energy usage is low or reduced, typically because people are at work or asleep. If binging some hotel television is too tempting, simply use electricity during those hours.
10. Take Cool Showers
You might not think of water when you think of energy, but showers use a lot of it. Most people love to step into water so hot their skin turns pink, but heating it uses electricity. Rinse off with cool or lukewarm water to make your place energy-efficient.
Stay Energy-Efficient
You probably can’t find somewhere with solar panels everywhere you go, so it’s nice to have a few ways to conserve electricity while traveling. Make any accommodation energy-efficient by taking small steps to limit how much power they use. Lukewarm showers and reused towels aren’t all that luxurious, but you’ll feel better having a positive impact on the environment.
Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy whose mission is to alleviate the negative impacts that tourism is having on the marine environment. Energy and water efficiency are just a few of the many benefits that a sustainability strategy could bring to your tourism business.