Between a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, taking a trip means making plans for your HVAC system. You won’t be using it as long as you’re not home, so you can make adjustments as necessary to limit your energy use. Just the same, you shouldn't just leave it off for the entire time you're gone.

In general, it’s better to leave your HVAC system going and just make adjustments depending on the season. That way you can reduce energy costs without worrying 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.

This Is Why You Avoid Leaving Your Thermostat Alone

While you could be wanting to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this will sometimes end up stirring up annoying problems by the time you return. This is especially true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re out of town.

For instance, turning the HVAC system down in the summer can cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you come back, but it could have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And in the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to return home from a nice trip only to find considerable water damage near a broken pipe.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can optimize the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Since you’re away for about 8 hours or longer, 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 more. That means that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re gone.

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

Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer

If you're on a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This prevents wasting energy while still safeguarding your home from the problems that come with leaving it uncooled. Something like 5 degrees is appropriate for shorter trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is worthwhile 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 can offer the best results.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter

To determine the ideal thermostat setting for a winter vacation, simply lower it by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a popular winter thermostat setting, so lowering it to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while minimizing how frequently your furnace operates.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat

A great way to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away from home is with a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat uses intelligent software to monitor your preferred comfort habits. It learns these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for better energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely access your heating and cooling from a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save energy and lower costs. To provide an example, some models can monitor electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the optimal tool to simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can bring down your costs, in essence 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.