What Should You Set Your Thermostat To When You Leave for Vacation or When the Office Is Closed for Several Days?
When you leave town for vacation or close your office for several days, one of the most common questions is: what temperature should I set my thermostat to while I’m away? It is a smart question because the wrong setting can waste energy, strain your HVAC system, or create indoor humidity and comfort problems by the time you return.
In most cases, the best approach is simple: do not turn your HVAC system off completely. Instead, adjust the thermostat to an energy-saving setting that still protects your home or commercial space.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends adjusting your thermostat when you are away, and notes that you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7°–10°F for 8 hours a day in heating season and turning it up in cooling season.
Best Thermostat Setting for Vacation in Summer
If you are leaving your house in Arkansas during warm weather, a good starting point is to set your thermostat about 7°F higher than your normal occupied setting. The Department of Energy says to set your thermostat as high as comfortable in the summer and raise the setpoint when you are away. DOE and ENERGY STAR guidance summarized on Energy Saver suggests starting around 75–78°F when you’re home during the day and increasing it by 7°F when no one is home.
For many homeowners, that means:
If you normally keep the house at 74°F, set it around 81°F while you are away
If you normally keep it at 76°F, set it around 83°F
That range is often a good fit for people searching terms like best thermostat setting for vacation in summer, what temperature to leave AC on while away, and thermostat setting when out of town.
Why not just turn the AC off?
Because cooling is not only about comfort. It also helps manage indoor moisture. The CDC says you should keep indoor humidity no higher than 50%, and that air conditioners or dehumidifiers help keep moisture levels down. High moisture can contribute to mold problems.
So if you shut the system off completely during an Arkansas summer, the building can get hot and humid fast. That is not ideal for indoor air quality, furniture, electronics, or overall building conditions.
Best Thermostat Setting for Vacation in Winter
If you are leaving in winter, the goal changes. You still want to save energy, but you also need to protect the building from cold-related problems.
For a conventional heating system, the Department of Energy says to set the thermostat as low as is comfortable when you are away. For many homes and offices, a common away setting is around 55°F to 60°F for longer absences, depending on the building and weather conditions. DOE also notes an important exception: heat pumps are different and generally work best when you do not make large setback changes. For heat pumps, the guidance is more like set it and forget it at a reasonable temperature.
That means:
Gas furnace or conventional heating system: a lower away setting can make sense
Heat pump system: avoid major setbacks unless your installer or manufacturer guidance says otherwise
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What Should You Set the Thermostat to in an Office That Is Closed for Several Days?
For an office or commercial space that will be closed for a holiday weekend or several days, the same principle applies: maintain a safe setback, not a total shutdown.
A closed office does not need full comfort conditioning, but it still benefits from temperature and humidity control. During hot months, raising the thermostat while keeping cooling available helps reduce utility use while still controlling indoor moisture. During cold months, lowering the heat while keeping the building safely above very cold temperatures helps reduce costs without risking building damage. DOE’s thermostat guidance supports setbacks during unoccupied periods, and energy-efficiency groups focused on commercial buildings also recommend thermostat setbacks during off-hours to cut costs.
For many offices, a good rule of thumb is:
During summer office closures:
Set the thermostat higher than normal occupied hours
Keep enough cooling on to help manage humidity
During winter office closures:
Set the heat lower than normal occupied hours
Do not let the building get cold enough to risk plumbing or equipment issues
This helps target search intent around office thermostat setting when closed, commercial thermostat setting for holiday shutdown, and HVAC setting for empty office building.
Why the Right Away Thermostat Setting Matters
1. It can lower energy costs
The Department of Energy says thermostat setbacks can reduce annual heating and cooling costs by up to 10% when used correctly.
2. It helps control humidity
The CDC recommends keeping indoor humidity at 50% or lower, and notes that air conditioning or dehumidification helps with that. This is especially important in hot, humid conditions.
3. It helps reduce mold risk
The EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control, and CDC guidance warns that mold can affect respiratory health. Letting a home or office sit warm and humid for days can create the wrong conditions indoors.
4. It protects the building better than shutting the system off
Completely turning the system off may sound like a money-saving move, but it can create bigger comfort and moisture problems, especially in the Arkansas climate. A controlled setback usually makes more sense than letting the building drift unchecked.
Should You Use Vacation Mode or Hold Mode?
Yes — if your thermostat has it. ENERGY STAR notes that smart thermostats often let you control settings remotely, and many include ways to manage temperatures when the house is empty for longer periods. ENERGY STAR also specifically notes that vacation mode helps manage the temperature when you will be gone for longer stretches.
That can be especially useful if you are searching smart thermostat vacation mode, how to set thermostat when traveling, or best thermostat hold setting while away.
A Simple Rule of Thumb
If you are going away for several days:
In summer:
Raise the thermostat, but do not shut cooling off completely
In winter:
Lower the thermostat for conventional systems, but do not let the building get too cold
For heat pumps, avoid aggressive setbacks unless recommended for your system
For offices:
Use unoccupied settings that reduce energy use while still protecting the space
Thermostat Tips Before You Leave
Before leaving your home or closing your office for several days, it helps to:
replace a dirty air filter
check that your thermostat is working correctly
use vacation mode or programmable scheduling if available
keep interior doors positioned to allow airflow where appropriate
have your HVAC system inspected if it already struggles with humidity, airflow, or temperature control
Need Help Getting Your HVAC System Vacation-Ready?
At Sanders Plumbing HVAC, we help homeowners and businesses in North Little Rock, AR make smart heating and cooling decisions year-round. If you are wondering about the best thermostat setting while on vacation, the right office thermostat setting for several days closed, or whether your system is managing humidity the way it should, our team can help.
A smart thermostat setting while you are away can help reduce energy waste, protect your property, and make coming back a whole lot more comfortable.