The Best Settings for Your Thermostat When You're Away

Between a much-needed vacation or an extended trip for work, traveling means making plans for your heating and cooling system. You don't need it while you’re away, so you can adjust the temperature as necessary to conserve your energy use. Simultaneously, you don’t want to just shut it down 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 the time of year. That way you can minimize energy costs without worrying about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll explain 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 Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat on Hold

While you might be tempted to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up leading to costly problems by the time you come back. This is notably true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.

For instance, switching the HVAC system off in the summer could cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel like a swamp when you return, but it could have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And in the winter, leaving the furnace off could lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to get home from a nice trip only to find extensive water damage close to a broken pipe.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can optimize the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Considering you’re out of the house for about 8 hours or longer, 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 adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re at work.

But you can save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you might save nearly 10% on your HVAC spending by making an adjustment of 7-10 degrees.

Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you’re leaving for a longer trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make larger adjustments. This helps you avoid using too much energy while still defending your home from the problems that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. About 5 degrees is suitable 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 should offer great results.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To figure out the most energy-efficient 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 keep your plumbing safe while minimizing how frequently your furnace runs.

Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Perks of a Smart Thermostat

A great way to optimize your home’s HVAC system while away is by investing in a smart thermostat. This innovative type of programmable thermostat employs 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 integration, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system using a smartphone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save even more. For instance, certain models can observe electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are lowest. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system needs to run. It’s the perfect tool to enhance how you control your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are different ways you can bring down your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re gone.