Should I Turn Off the Central Furnace If Away for Two Months or So?

Evaluate Your Climate

• The first thing to consider when trying to decide whether to leave the heat on while you are away for a couple of months is the climate where your home is located and what time of year it is. Determine how likely it is for temperatures to drop extremely low while you are away. If you live in the Deep South and you’ll be gone through parts of September and October, then it is probably not necessary. A hard freeze during these months may not be likely. Leaving the system on during this time will only keep your house hot and waste energy and money. But if you live in an area with long, harsh winters, you will have more reasons to keep it on while you are away.

Precautions

• If you are inclined to save as much energy as possible and are thinking you want to turn off the heat while you are away, you can take some precautions to help minimize the potential damage caused by freezing. Even if you have the heat off during colder weather, you might be able to eliminate pipes freezing by turning off the main water supply, draining pipes by turning on faucets after the water has been shut off, and wrapping pipes in key areas, such as traps, where water may remain.

Freeze Protection Settings

• If you prefer to leave the heat on, you can set your central system to prevent freezing without using up lots of energy. You have no need to keep the home comfortable for habitation. You need only to keep your pipes and appliances above freezing. To accomplish this, you merely need to set your thermostat really low -- much lower than you would likely set it if you were in the home yourself. Reduce the thermostat setting to 40 or 45 degrees F, and that will be plenty low enough to keep the cold from damaging your home.

Saving Money

• If you are wondering how much money you can really save by turning your thermostat down while you are away, you might be surprised. It is significant. According to the U.S. Department of Energy website, lowering the thermostat by just 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours each day will save you 10 percent on your annual heating bills. So imagine the benefits of lowering it even more than that for two straight months. You’ll be glad you did when the electric bills for the time you are away are very minimal. You can save additional money while you are away by unplugging devices such as computers, television sets, and other electronics and appliances.