Leaving your central HVAC systems working as normal while you are out of the house is not only environmentally irresponsible, it can greatly increase your energy bills while away and create a financial burden that can be difficult to bear. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to reduce the overall amount of energy that your central HVAC system uses while you are on vacation or otherwise out of your house.

Alter the Settings

The first and simplest thing that you can do to reduce the amount of energy that your central HVAC systems use while you are away is to alter the settings so that they don't work as hard while you are away. This means raising the temperature in the summer months and bringing the temperature down in the winter ones. However, keep in mind that this is only ideal if you are gone for a short period: if you are away for too long, a significant period of hot or cold temperature within your house can cause damage within the interior of your house.

Programmable Thermostats

In a similar vein to the above point, you may want to consider investing in a programmable thermostat if you are going to be away for an extended period of time. Like their name would suggest, these thermostats work by turning your central heating and cooling systems on and off at predetermined periods throughout the day. This can allow you to set your central HVAC system to work during the day during the summer to prevent condensation or heat damage, or during the night during the winter to prevent freezing pipes and frost damage occurring. This will save you more money than simply leaving your system on all the time, while still protecting the interior of your home from environmental damage.

Close the Drapes

Finally, you can also make sure to close the drapes while you aren't home. This will allow heat to remain trapped within your home during the winter months, but will also block out sunlight during the summer which can prevent excessive heat from building up. This is an important – and easy! – thing that you can do throughout the year to help naturally moderate the temperature inside your home and reduce the overall load that is placed on your central HVAC system.

Professional Inspections

Finally, if you are going to be gone for a while, you may want to consider having a heating and cooling company come in to take a look at your entire HVAC system to determine if there are any underlying issues that need to be addressed. This can help prevent your system from running inefficiently, and can proactively prevent mechanical issues from becoming worse while you are away.