What Temperature to Set Your Thermostat When Away in Winter

55°F is the floor, not the target

The American Red Cross recommends leaving the heat on and set no lower than 55°F when you go away during cold weather. Treat that as the minimum. Your thermostat reads the air where it hangs, usually on an interior wall. Pipes inside exterior walls, under sinks on outside walls, and in corners of an unheated basement can be much colder than that reading.

If a long stretch of single digits is in the forecast, or the house has a history of a slow faucet on cold mornings, set it a few degrees higher. You still save energy compared with your normal setting. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that turning the heat down 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling.

What to do based on how long you will be gone

Before you leave: the away-in-winter checklist

• Thermostat: set 55°F or higher, use a hold or vacation setting, and replace the thermostat batteries if it uses them.
• Furnace: if it has not been serviced this season, have it checked before a long trip, and put in a clean filter.
• Sink cabinets: open cabinet doors on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Garage: close the doors, especially if water lines run through the garage.
• Outdoor water: disconnect hoses and drain outdoor faucets. See the first freeze home checklist.
• Main water shutoff: find it, make sure it turns, and decide whether to close it for this trip.
• Someone to check: leave a key, your phone number, the thermostat setting, and where the main shutoff is.
• Insurance: standard homeowners policies commonly exclude freeze damage in a vacant or unoccupied home unless heat was kept on or the water was shut off and drained. Check your own policy before a long absence.

Print the free First Freeze Home Checklist PDF (or the ink-friendly version), or browse the full printable checklist library.

Should you shut off the water and drain the pipes?

Shutting off the main water valve does not stop a pipe from freezing, but it limits how much water can pour out if one bursts while you are gone. For trips longer than a few days, it is a cheap extra layer on top of keeping the heat on.

Draining goes further. After closing the main valve, open faucets from the top floor down and flush toilets to empty what you can. For a house that will sit empty all winter, a plumber can fully winterize it, including drains, toilets, and appliances.

Do not shut off or drain water that feeds a boiler or hot-water heating system, or a fire sprinkler system, without asking a qualified professional. Never drain a water heater without first shutting off its power or gas. If you have a well, ask about turning off the well pump.

If the power or heat fails while you are away

Most furnaces cannot run without electricity, so a winter power outage or a failed igniter can let the house cool quickly. A thermostat setting only helps while the heat works. That is why a person who can check the house, and a temperature alert from a smart thermostat or sensor, matter for longer trips.

If someone finds the house cold, they should check faucets for slow flow, look for frost on exposed pipe, and call a licensed plumber if a pipe is frozen or leaking. The frozen pipe guide covers how to thaw a pipe safely and what to do if one bursts. For the outage itself, including generators and carbon monoxide, see winter power outage home prep. Landlords with an empty unit should also see the Buffalo landlord winter checklist.

Why an app, not another weather alert

The hard part of winter travel is knowing which cold snap matters. HomeGuard turns the forecast for your home into a short list of pipe and heating tasks before deep cold arrives. Dedicated away-from-home checks are on the roadmap, not part of the first release. It is software only, with no sensor, hub, valve, or device install. It cannot detect a power outage or a cold house, so it works alongside a temperature sensor, not instead of one.

Comparing software reminders with sensors or shutoff devices? Read the app vs. sensors and shutoff comparison. Wondering which cold alert matters? See frost advisory vs. freeze watch vs. freeze warning. For snow and ice, use the winter storm home prep guide.

Sources and further reading

This guide follows the American Red Cross frozen-pipe guidance, the U.S. Department of Energy guidance on programmable thermostats, IBHS Winter Weather Ready guidance, and the National Weather Service cold-weather alerts. Check your own homeowners policy for vacancy and freeze terms.

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