Whether it’s a relaxing vacation or a long trip for work, traveling means making plans for your home comfort system. You can't use it as long as you’re away, so you can adjust the temperature as needed to limit your energy use. At the same time, you shouldn't just leave 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 adjust the temperature depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can reduce energy costs without worrying about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll review why you should avoid turning your HVAC system off as well as the best thermostat settings for different times of year.

This Is Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold

While you may be wanting to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this can end up leading to annoying problems by the time you return. This is particularly true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.

As an example, switching the HVAC system off during the summer could produce very high humidity. Not only will your home feel muggy and uncomfortable when you return, but it could have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And in the winter, letting your house get cold might lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s never fun to come home from a nice trip only to find substantial water damage close to a broken pipe.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can adjust the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Since you’re away for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s recommended to turn up the thermostat by 5 degrees or so. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider raising it to 76-77 while you’re gone.

But you can save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As stated by the Department of Energy, you may save around 10% on your HVAC costs by increasing the adjustment to 7-10 degrees.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer

If you leave for a longer trip in the heart of summer, you can make bigger 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 appropriate for shorter trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is ideal 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 great results.

Best Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter

To figure out the ideal thermostat setting for a winter trip, simply lower it by the same amount you would adjust it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will keep your plumbing safe while minimizing how long your furnace runs.

Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Advantages of a Smart Thermostat

An ideal strategy to regulate your home’s HVAC system while away from home is using a smart thermostat. This advanced type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to understand your usual comfort habits. It learns 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 with a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. For example, specific models can monitor electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to refine how long your HVAC system should run. It’s the perfect tool to simplify how you use your comfort system. If you’re considering investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can lower your costs, in essence getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can enjoy true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away.