Other winter loads include engine heaters for cars, portable space heaters in the garage or basement, heat tape to keep pipes from freezing, roof eaves, de-icer cables, furnace fan motors and humidifiers. All these winter-related items can cause your bill to rise. Summer appliances that have an impact on your electric bill are sump pumps, air conditioners and dehumidifiers. If you have an electric hot water heater it will use less electricity than if you were home using hot water. If an electric water heater is left energized during your vacation it will continue to maintain the tank temperature, even if you're not using hot water.
Heat is lost through the insulation and copper pipes that come out the top.
A natural convection of heated water flows up the pipes, cools and returns to the water heater to be re-heated. If refrigerators and freezers were not emptied and turned off while you were gone they will continue to operate to maintain preset temperatures. See our energy use guide for typical usages of electrical appliances. If you are determined to use no electricity during your vacation, turn off the circuit breaker. But remember, when you do this the automatic appliances and lighting will stop.