From a tropical vacation or an extended trip for work, taking a trip means making plans for your home comfort system. You don't need it if you’re away, so you can adjust it as needed to minimize your energy use. Simultaneously, you shouldn't just shut it down for the entire time you're gone.

For the most part, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system on and just raise or lower depending on the season. That way you can lower energy costs without worrying about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the ideal thermostat settings for various times of year.

This Is Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat Alone

While you may be inclined to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up causing big problems by the time you return. This is notably true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.

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

And during the winter, leaving the furnace off will sometimes lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s exhausting to return home from a nice trip only to find substantial water damage close to a broken pipe.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can make temperature adjustments even as you come and go to work. Because you’re not home for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home heated or cooled as if you were there. As a general rule, it’s encouraged to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about increasing it to 76-77 while you’re at work.

But you could save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you could save nearly 10% on your HVAC costs by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you leave for a longer trip in the heart of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This prevents wasting energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. About 5 degrees is recommended for shorter trips while closer to 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or more. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer beneficial results.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To figure out the ideal thermostat setting for a winter getaway, simply lower it by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while restricting how long your furnace runs.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Advantages of a Smart Thermostat

A great way to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away from home is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to understand your typical comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely access your HVAC system from a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save energy and lower costs. For example, some models can monitor electricity prices to increase 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 ideal tool to streamline how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of 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 stir up any trouble while you’re away from home.