Going on Vacation? This Is the Ideal Temperature to Set Your Thermostat To

You’ve locked the doors, fed the cat and set your out-of-office reply. But before you pat yourself on the back for a vacation well prepped, there’s one more setting to check: your thermostat. Most of us assume that if no one’s home, the temperature doesn’t matter. But according to HVAC experts, it does matter—a lot. The truth is, your home still needs a little TLC while you’re gone.

It’s not as simple as turning the heat down or the AC off and walking out the door. Set it too low, and you could return to a house that feels like a walk-in freezer. Too high, and you’re basically paying to heat (or cool) empty space. Somewhere in between lies the sweet spot—a number that keeps your home comfortable and protected and saves you real money.

I talked to Cassie Pound, the co-owner of Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about the right vacation temperature settings for your thermostat. It turns out that most of us are getting it wrong, so keep reading to get it right.

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What’s the right temperature when you’re home?

Let’s start with your baseline. Most energy experts recommend keeping your home around 68 degrees when you’re at home and awake. It’s warm enough for comfort but energy-efficient enough to keep your utility bill in check. Dropping it a few degrees while you sleep or layering up with a sweater can stretch those savings further.

Winter tends to give us all an overheating impulse, and it’s tempting to start fiddling too much with your thermostat to feel a bit more cozy. But you can avoid some of the most common thermostat mistakes by following a few simple rules, especially when you’re headed out of town.

What temperature should you set your thermostat to when you’re away in the winter?

“If you’re leaving for a few days or weeks, aim to keep your home between 60 degrees and 65 degrees,” Pound says. “That’s warm enough to prevent frozen pipes, but cool enough to save energy.”

Many people make the mistake of turning their heat way down—or off entirely—assuming it’ll save money. But that can backfire fast. “If your house drops into the 40s, it can take a long time for your heating system to catch up once you’re home,” Pound explains. “And worse, you’re risking frozen pipes.”

Why is this the ideal temperature for cold weather?

It’s all about balancing efficiency with keeping your most important (and expensive) asset safe from harm. Your home’s ideal temperature may vary a little based on how well it’s insulated or where you live, but that sweet spot of around 60 degrees matters. Here’s why you should keep the temp stable:

Save energy

For every degree you lower your thermostat over an extended period, you’ll typically save about 1% on your heating bill, according to the Department of Energy. Keeping things around 60 degrees instead of your usual 68 can lead to noticeable savings without freezing your plumbing.

Prevent frozen pipes

When temperatures dip too low, the water inside your pipes can freeze and expand, leading to cracks or bursts. By keeping the temperature at a moderate level, you don’t have to worry about coming home to a major flood. For extra help in severe cold, open the cabinets (more on that below) and let faucets drip slightly while you’re gone.

Protect building materials

Uncontrolled indoor temperature swings can strain drywall, flooring and window seals. It’s not visible right away, but over time, you could start to see gaps, flaking paint, warping or other signs of deterioration. Maintaining a consistent, moderate indoor temperature protects your home against unnecessary wear and tear.

What temperature should you set the thermostat to when you’re heading out of town in the summer?

When it’s hot out, the instinct is often to shut off the AC completely, especially if you’ll be gone for a while. But that can backfire just as easily as turning the heat too low in winter. To protect your home (and your energy bill) during a summer vacation, aim to keep your home at about 78 to 80 degrees.

Why is this the ideal temperature for warm weather?

That’s warm enough to conserve energy but cool enough to prevent excessive humidity from creeping in. If you have central air, leave it running in auto mode, not off, advises Pound. This allows the system to cycle when temperatures climb too high and keeps air circulating.

“In Oklahoma, for example, you might see 80 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next,” she says. “Auto mode takes the guesswork out and keeps your house from overheating or getting muggy.”

Here are three important reasons to maintain your home’s temp when you’re away on summer vacation:

Prevent warped wood

Excessive moisture in the air causes wood floors, cabinets and baseboards to warp. Even finished wood responds to the relative humidity in your home by expanding and contracting, and over time, the changing moisture content inside the wood causes it to undergo exterior physical changes too.

Protect electronics

If you’ve ever tried to save your wet phone by putting it in a bowl of rice, you know that water and electronics don’t mix. But even changes in humidity due to an overheated home can affect your sensitive gadgets. Inside every appliance, phone and electronic device are metal connections, wires and components that can rust due to excessive humidity.

Prevent mold and mildew

Mold and mildew love warm, moist environments, and it takes only 48 hours for the spores to settle in and grow in ideal conditions—which, if you leave your home too warm in summer, definitely counts. Mold and mildew don’t just affect your bathroom grout either. Drywall, plywood, paint, appliances and nearly everything in your home can be affected by mold.

Should you ever turn off your system completely?

You should do this only if you’ve fully winterized or summerized your home—meaning no running water, no risk of frozen pipes and no pets, plants or electronics inside. Otherwise, Pound says, resist the urge. “People think they’ll save money, but shutting everything down completely can cause more damage than it’s worth.”

If you don’t have central air—say, you rely on window units or portable systems—it’s OK to turn them off, but close blinds and curtains to block direct sunlight. The key is to keep your home shaded and ventilated enough to avoid that stifling, oven-like heat buildup. A few ceiling fans on low or a smart thermostat (if your unit has one) set to “away mode” can help maintain balance while you’re gone.

What other home heating tips should you follow when leaving for vacation?

Maintaining temperature is just one of the ways to protect your home when you go on vacation. Here are other smart and expert-approved vacation tips:

• Open your cabinets: “If you have fixtures or pipes along exterior walls, keep those cabinet doors open while you’re gone,” says Pound. “It helps warmer air circulate.”
• Replace your air filter: A dirty filter makes your system work harder and less efficiently.
• Check thermostat batteries: A dead thermostat will stop your system from kicking in when temperatures rise or drop.
• Close curtains and blinds: They add a layer of insulation and help stabilize indoor temps.
• Seal drafts around windows and doors: This prevents cold air from sneaking in when you’re gone over the winter.
• Use a smart thermostat: Get one with a vacation or “away” mode; it can adjust automatically and even alert you if the temperature drops unexpectedly.
• Consider a whole-home humidifier: The humidity in your home should be kept between 40% to 55% to prevent wood warping and other issues. It’s smart to have a way to control the moisture level if you’ll be away for an extended period.

The next time you’re zipping up your suitcase, don’t forget to give your thermostat a little attention. As Pound puts it, “You can’t control the weather while you’re gone, but you can make sure your home doesn’t feel it quite so much.”

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About the expert Cassie Pound is the co-owner and vice president of Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric and Stellar Garage Doors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is also an advocate for women in the trades and co-hosts both the Power Women of the Trades and the Tulsa Talks Business podcasts.

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Sources:

• Cassie Pound, co-owner and vice president of Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric and Stellar Garage Doors; interviewed November 2025
• Energy.gov: “Programmable Thermostats”
• Energy.gov: “Turn Down the Temperature, but Don’t Let Your Pipes Freeze!”
• Energy Star: “A Guide to Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling”
• American Standard: “What’s the Best Temperature to Set Your Thermostat to in the Summer?”
• Wagner Meters: “Relative Humidity and How It Influences Moisture Content”