It is springtime in Florida, which means the flowers will be in bloom and the snowbirds are preparing for their return back north.

But before you join that seasonal migration of locals, or maybe you're just going away for a long vacation, what can you do to make sure your home is ready for your departure?

And if you're sticking around, how can you save money during the warmer months?

To help us get a handle on our energy output is Francine Freitas from Florida power and Light.

Francine, thank you for joining us.

Thank you so much for having me.

So we know about a million seasonal residents, leave Florida to go back home.

What are the key things they need to remember before they lock everything up?

That's right.

So if you're going to be gone for an extended period of time, we're talking a month or two months even longer.

The number one thing we recommend for customers is to go ahead and turn that thermostat up 80, 82 degrees.

But the key is to also set your humidity below 60%.

The vast majority of thermostats now have that option.

And that's going to prevent mold.

And that's going to be extremely important.

If by chance you have a thermostat that doesn't have that setting, there's two other recommendations that we can offer you.

Okay.

One is you're going to want to have the still turn it up to 80 to 82 degrees, but program it to your AC to turn on, to cycle on, to bring, cool air within your home, setting it to about 7876 for two, three, maybe four hours at night.

That is when it's coolest.

It's going to use the least energy.

An additional.

Additionally, take a look at using the, dehumidifiers.

One dehumidifier per about thousand square feet and setting them up near, like the the kitchen sink, bathroom areas like that, setting that percentage again below 60%.

Your thoughts on unplugging appliances?

Oh my goodness I can't stress that enough.

If you're not going to be home, unplug appliances.

A lot of people don't realize that appliances with, for example, a coffee machine that has the time on it.

It's pulling energy.

That light is pulling energy and it adds up over time.

So if you're not going to be home for an extended period of time, unplug it.

Coffee machines, toaster ovens, air fryers, any electronics, game consoles, all of those.

Draw what's called phantom power.

And it's absolutely so important that you unplug them when they're not in use.

Any advice you have about the hurricane shutters?

Obviously, for safety, you'd want to put them up.

I'm wondering if they also have an impact on on power.

So for the for the folks that are going to be migrating up north, it's really important to to if you're going to be gone during the peak of, hurricane season, hurricane season I believe, starts June 1st.

It's really, really important to have those plans in place.

Whether that's having somebody that you know and trust that's going to install them for you if there's a need or you install them before you leave to just to make sure that your home is protected.

In in the case that there is a storm, you want to make sure that your home is protected.

And that's a big, big, big, tip that we get for our snowbirds.

And with the few seconds I have left.

Do LED lights really make a difference with the power bill?

It does.

LED lights you the new LED lights compared to the old incandescent light bulbs.

Save about 85%.

Consume 85% less energy.

So just five, LED upgrades can add up significantly.

And the LEDs last so much longer.

There's so much nicer.

There's so many different options of temperature settings.

And it's it's night and day.

Francine Freitas with APL, thank you so much.

Thank you so much for having me.