Whether it’s a relaxing vacation or a long trip for work, traveling means making plans for your heating and cooling system. You don't need it as long as you’re not home, so you can make adjustments as appropriate to conserve your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just shut it down for the entire time you're gone.

In general, it’s ideal to leave your HVAC system going and just make adjustments depending on the time of year. That way you can lower energy costs without worrying about returning to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you should leave your HVAC system on as well as the best thermostat settings for summer and winter.

This Is Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat Alone

While you might be tempted to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up leading to annoying problems by the time you come back. This is notably true in case the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.

As an example, switching the HVAC system off during the summer can lead to very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you come back, but it might have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.

And over the winter, letting your house get cold can lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to get home from a vacation only to come across considerable water damage near a broken pipe.

Ideal Thermostat Settings While at Work

You can adjust the temperature even as you come and go to work. Because you’re out of the house for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t seem sensible to keep an empty home the same temperature as when you're home. In general, it’s suggested to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, consider increasing it to 76-77 while you’re gone.

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

Ideal Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Summer

If you're on an extended trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still safeguarding your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. Around 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 more. If you prefer keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 will offer beneficial results.

Recommended Thermostat Settings While On a Trip in Winter

To figure out the best 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 lowering it to 63-58 will prevent ice from forming on pipes while restricting how frequently your furnace runs.

A Smart Thermostat Can Help: Benefits of a Smart Thermostat

A great way to manage your home’s HVAC system while away is by investing in a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat utilizes intelligent software to monitor your preferred comfort habits. It applies these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for maximum energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi integration, you can remotely adjust your HVAC system using a smart device like a phone or tablet.

Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save on your energy bill. For example, certain models can track electricity prices to boost heating or cooling when prices are more affordable. They can be used with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to fine-tune how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the ideal 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 bring down your costs, effectively 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 stir up any trouble while you’re gone.