Whether it’s a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, traveling means making plans for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it if you’re away, so you can adjust it as appropriate to conserve your energy use. Just the same, you shouldn't just shut it down for the entire duration of your trip.

Instead, it’s better to leave your HVAC system running and just make adjustments depending on the season. That way you can minimize energy costs without stressing about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the most energy-efficient thermostat settings for various times of year.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat Alone

While you might be tempted to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up leading to costly problems by the time you come back. This is notably true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.

As an example, shutting the HVAC system down in the summer will sometimes lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you have returned, but it may have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And in the winter, letting your house get cold might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to return home from a vacation only to discover substantial water damage close to a broken pipe.

Best Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can make temperature adjustments even if you’re coming and going to work. Considering you’re not home for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. In general, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re out.

But you may save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you might save nearly 10% on your HVAC costs by increasing the adjustment to 7-10 degrees.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer

If you leave for a longer trip in the heart of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still protecting your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. Something like 5 degrees is appropriate for short trips while around 10 degrees is ideal if you’ll be gone for 2 weeks or longer. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer beneficial results.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter

To figure out the best thermostat setting for a winter vacation, consider lowering the temperature by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while limiting how frequently your furnace operates.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Perks of a Smart Thermostat

A great way to regulate your home’s HVAC system while away from home is by investing in a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to monitor your typical comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for better energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely adjust your heating and cooling from a smart device like a phone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save on your energy bill. For instance, specific models can observe electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They can be used with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the perfect tool to simplify how you control your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can bring down your costs, effectively getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you leave for vacation, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away.