Between a tropical vacation or a long trip for work, leaving home means making plans for your home comfort system. You don't need it if you’re away, so you can make adjustments as necessary to minimize your energy use. Just the same, you shouldn't just turn it off for the entire time you're gone.

In general, it’s better to leave your HVAC system on and adjust the temperature depending on the time of year. That way you can reduce 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 various times of year.

This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat Alone

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

For instance, switching the HVAC system off during the summer can cause 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 during the winter, not using the furnace could lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s exhausting to come home from a long trip only to come across considerable water damage close to a broken pipe.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can optimize the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Considering you’re away for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home the same temperature as when you're home. As a general rule, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. This means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re at work.

But you could save even more if you’re willing to further adjust the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you could save nearly 10% on your HVAC spending by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you’re leaving for an extended 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 problems that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. About 5 degrees is recommended for brief trips while around 10 degrees is worthwhile if you’ll be out of town for 2 weeks or more. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 should offer beneficial results.

Best Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To figure out the ideal thermostat setting for a winter getaway, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while limiting how long your furnace runs.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Perks of a Smart Thermostat

An ideal strategy to manage your home’s HVAC system while away from home is using a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to monitor your preferred comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for higher energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely control your heating and cooling using a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are packed with features to help you save even more. For instance, certain models can monitor electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They are compatible with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to refine how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the perfect tool to streamline how you use your comfort system. If you’re planning on investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can lower your costs, in essence 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 from home.