Between a relaxing vacation or a lengthy trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your heating and cooling system. You can't use it as long as you’re away, so you can adjust the temperature as needed to minimize your energy use. Simultaneously, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire time you're out of the house.

For the most part, it’s better to leave your HVAC system going and just make adjustments depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can minimize energy costs without worrying about getting 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 summer and winter.

Here’s Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat on Hold

While you might be wanting to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up causing big problems by the time you come back. This is notably true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.

For instance, turning the HVAC system off during the summer will sometimes lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you come back, but it might have also encouraged mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And over the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s never fun to return home from a nice trip only to come across extensive water damage nearby a broken pipe.

Best Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can make temperature adjustments even if you’re coming and going to work. Since you’re not home for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home the same temperature as when you're home. In general, it’s encouraged to raise the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, think about raising it to 76-77 while you’re gone.

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

Best Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer

If you’re leaving for a longer trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. Around 5 degrees is suitable for shorter trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is ideal if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or longer. If you like keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer great results.

Recommended Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To figure out the ideal thermostat setting for a winter trip, simply lower it by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while minimizing how frequently your furnace operates.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat

One of the best ways to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to understand your typical comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system with a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are packed with features to help you save on your energy bill. For example, certain models can track electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They can be used with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the optimal tool to streamline how you control your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can lower your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can appreciate true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away.