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Save energy when you’re on vacation

You don’t need to adjust your Google Nest thermostat to save energy each time you leave home. It can automatically help save energy by switching to Eco Temperatures.

But if you're going to be away for a long time, such as a vacation, you have a few options:

  • Manually set your thermostat Eco Temperatures
  • Set it to Off mode
  • Turn off power to your system

Each of these has different effects on your energy savings.

Set a steady temperature on the thermostat

Nest thermostats can be set to hold a temperature setting for an indefinite amount of time. Which method you use depends on which thermostat you have.

Both of these options will keep your home relatively comfortable. When you arrive home it should take less time to reach your preferred temperature than if you had set your thermostat to Off mode.

 Use Eco Temperatures

If you have a Nest Learning Thermostat or the Nest Thermostat E, use Eco Temperatures to maintain a steady temperature while you’re on vacation.

Your Nest thermostat can automatically switch to Eco Temperatures to help save energy after it senses that nobody’s home. But you can also manually set it to Eco Temperatures. 

If you manually set Eco Temperatures, your thermostat will stay in that mode and won't switch back to it's regular schedule until you manually switch it to a heating or cooling.

nest thermostat 3rd gen steel nest thermostat e cooling

 Use Hold temperature

If you have the Nest Thermostat, use Hold temperature to maintain a steady temperature while you’re on vacation. 

Nest Thermostat 3/4ths view

If you let your thermostat automatically switch to Eco Temperatures or you don’t set a Hold temperature, your thermostat might switch back to it’s normal schedule.

For example, if you ask a neighbor to take care of your pet or collect the mail, this could make your thermostat switch to heating or cooling mode to reach a regularly scheduled temperature.

Set your thermostat to Off

If you plan to be gone for a longer period of time, such as on an extended vacation, setting your Nest thermostat to Off mode can save more energy than using Eco Temperatures. But if you use Off mode your home might not be as comfortable when you come back.

How to set your Nest thermostat to Off

Important: Off mode won’t turn your thermostat off, your system will only heat or cool your home to Safety Temperatures which will help prevent damage to your home.

Turn power off to your system or home

 Some people prefer to turn off power to their system or entire home when they're going to be away for a long time. If you do this with a Nest thermostat, there are some things to keep in mind:

  • Your Nest thermostat won't be able to charge its battery when power to your system or home is off. It will eventually shut down and won't be able to control your system. When it shuts down it will also appear offline in the app.

  • Before your thermostat shuts off, it will likely show you one of the help codes below:

E3

E4

E23

E24

E72

E73

E74

E298

M20 

M22

  • For the Nest Thermostat: Remove the batteries from your thermostat before you leave the home. When you turn your system power back on, you can wait until your thermostat recharges or put in new AAA batteries.

Nest Thermostat 3/4ths view

  • For the Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Thermostat E: When your system power is turned on, your thermostat will probably need to recharge before it automatically turns on. You’ll see a blinking red light on your Nest thermostat while it charges its battery.

nest thermostat 3rd gen steel

nest thermostat e cooling

Recharge your thermostat or replace the batteries

Depending on how low the battery charge is, charging can take up to 3 hours. If you have a Learning Thermostat or the Thermostat E, you can speed up charging with a USB cable.

If you have the Nest Thermostat, you may need to replace the batteries. You should only need to replace the batteries if you’ve been away from your home for a while.

 
 

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