From a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your HVAC system. You can't use it if you’re not home, so you can adjust it as needed to limit your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you're out of the house.

In general, it’s best to leave your HVAC system running and just make adjustments depending on the time of year. That way you can lower energy costs without worrying about getting 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 various times of year.

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

While you could be inclined to shut your HVAC system down before a trip, this could end up stirring up costly problems by the time you get 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 off during the summer could lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you have returned, but it might have also stimulated mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And over the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes freezing or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to come home from a long trip only to come across substantial water damage close to a broken pipe.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can optimize the temperature even when you're just going to work. Because you’re not home for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s encouraged 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 could save even more if you’re willing to further adjust the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you may save nearly 10% on your HVAC spending by making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on a Trip in Summer

If you're on a longer trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This prevents wasting energy while still defending your home from the problems that come with leaving it without air conditioning. Around 5 degrees is appropriate for short trips while around 10 degrees is best 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 should offer beneficial results.

Best Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To determine the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter trip, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while limiting how long your furnace runs.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Perks 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 uses intelligent software to track your preferred comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic changes to the schedule for better energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi compatibility, you can remotely control your HVAC system with a mobile device or tablet.

Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save on your energy bill. For instance, specific models can track 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 needs to run. It’s the optimal tool to enhance how you use your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are a variety of ways you can reduce your costs, essentially 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 gone.