Anyone who writes out a monthly check for these expenses can attest to this. Hopefully, you have the temperature at a comfortable level. During the summertime, set the thermostat to 78 F or more and at 85 F or higher when you leave your home for more than four hours. Turn your cooling unit off when you leave your home for more than 24 hours. If you have a smart home, just call it and dial in the new temperature.
Smart thermostats have the ability to change between an occupied mode and an empty-house mode.
If you have an alarm system, the Dry Contact Controllable Slimline Thermostat can tie into most of the major brands so that when the alarm system is armed, the thermostat is set back. You can also install a timer-based thermostat in place of your existing thermostat. This is my first and favorite home automation project. Two screws and four wire connections are all it takes and it can be up, running, and programmed within an hour by anyone with simple tools. Each time I visit a friends house and see the ole round thermostat that was installed in 1950, I wonder why they have all the latest electronics but still have that antique on the wall.