Between a much-needed vacation or a long trip for work, taking a trip means making preparations for your home comfort system. You can't use it while you’re away, so you can adjust it as needed to conserve your energy use. Simultaneously, you shouldn't just shut it down for the entire duration of your trip.

Instead, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system on and adjust the temperature depending on the time of year. That way you can lower energy costs without having to worry about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the ideal thermostat settings for different times of year.

This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat Alone

While you could be inclined to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this will sometimes end up leading to costly problems by the time you return. This is notably true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.

As an example, switching the HVAC system off in the summer could lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you come back, but it might have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And over the winter, not using the furnace can lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s exhausting to return home from a long trip only to discover substantial water damage near a broken pipe.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can adjust the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Since you’re out of the house for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. As a general rule, it’s suggested to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re gone.

But you can save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you may save around 10% on your HVAC costs by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.

Best Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you leave for a lengthier trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still protecting your home from the issues that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. Something like 5 degrees is appropriate for brief trips while closer to 10 degrees is ideal if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or longer. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer the best results.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter

To determine the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter vacation, simply lower it by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while minimizing how long your furnace runs.

Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat

A great way to regulate your home’s HVAC system while out of the house is with a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to track your usual comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system using a mobile device or tablet.

Smart thermostats are packed with features to help you save even more. To provide an example, specific models can monitor electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lower. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to refine how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the optimal tool to enhance how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can reduce your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can appreciate true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away from home.