A: Lots of people do what you have been doing, and it usually works for them ... for a while. Sooner or later, something is going to break. While it does make sense to turn off an appliance that will be using electricity while you don't need it, circuit breakers and other controls like them just aren't made to be frequently turned on and off. It's one thing to unplug your coffee maker or set your thermostat higher in summer or turn off lights when the house is empty, but flipping the breakers on and off will only work for so long. In addition, I've had electricians tell me that this might not be the safest thing in the world to keep doing anyway.

Many people have a simple timer or an on-off switch put on their water heaters to do just what you want yours to do. If you're away for a few days or longer, just flip the switch and the water heater won't cycle on. When I talk with people about doing this, I usually compare the idea to turning off your car's engine when you're idling in a line at the bank drive-through or when you're waiting for a long train to pass. Some experts have told me, though, that while this will stop putting some pollutants in the air while you're sitting there, you might actually use more gasoline to start the engine when you're ready than you'll have saved by turning it off.

If you're only going to be away for a few days, my recommendation is actually to do nothing at all. If your water tank is fairly new, it's probably very well-insulated so you won't be wasting much energy from heat losses. You'll probably actually save more money if you buy some water heater wraps and pipe insulation and just cover the unit and the pipes in and out of it to keep the water hot longer.

If you'll be gone for an extended vacation, that can make a difference if you turn off the unit, but I don't think you should keep fiddling around with the circuit breaker. Get an electrician to put a timer or switch on the tank and use that instead.

You might think about other appliances and products you've got plugged in as well. How about electric clocks, your cable TV box, computer monitor, and other equipment that use energy whether they're turned on or not. I think it's worth the few minutes resetting their clocks when you return to save the money on the electricity they would have been using while the house was empty. The "instant-on" feature on many popular home products like electronics makes them very convenient when you use them, but they're constantly drawing electricity to keep them in this ready mode. I suggest you take a walk around your home before leaving for an extended stay — and maybe even for just a long weekend — and unplug any products that don't need to be used when no one is home. It all adds up.

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