Whether it’s a tropical vacation or a lengthy trip for work, traveling means making preparations for your home comfort system. You won’t be using it if you’re not home, so you can adjust it as necessary to minimize your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire time you're out of the house.
In general, it’s better to leave your HVAC system on and adjust the temperature depending on the season. That way you can lower energy costs without having to worry about coming back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the most energy-efficient thermostat settings for various times of year.
Here’s Why You Don't Leave Your Thermostat Alone
While you might be tempted to turn your HVAC system off before a trip, this will sometimes end up leading to costly problems by the time you return. This is notably true when the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re away from home.
For instance, turning 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 could have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And over the winter, leaving the furnace off can lead to pipes freezing up or even bursting. It’s never fun to get home from a long trip only to come across extensive water damage near a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can make temperature adjustments even if you’re coming and going to work. Because you’re out of the house for 8 hours or more, it doesn’t help your monthly energy bill to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s recommended to adjust 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 may save even more if you try further adjustments to the temperature. According to the Department of Energy, you may save around 10% on your HVAC costs by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While on a Trip in Summer
If you leave for a longer trip in the hottest part of summer, you can make more significant adjustments. This prevents wasting energy while still protecting your home from the hassles that come with leaving it without air conditioning. About 5 degrees is appropriate for shorter trips while closer to 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 should offer the best results.
Recommended Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Winter
To figure out the most energy-efficient thermostat setting for a winter vacation, just lower the temperature by the same amount you would raise it in summer. 68 is a frequent winter thermostat setting, so turning it down to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while limiting how frequently your furnace runs.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Advantages of a Smart Thermostat
One of the best ways to regulate 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 usual comfort habits. It learns 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 with a mobile device or tablet.
Smart thermostats are stuffed with features to help you save on your energy bill. For example, specific models can observe electricity prices to bolster heating or cooling when prices are lowest. 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 streamline 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 are away from home, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t stir up any trouble while you’re away from home.