We all use energy every day to heat, power, and light our homes. Using energy wisely can help slow the rate of climate change, have a positive impact on local air and water quality, and help our individual (and group financial expenditure. There are many “energy myths” that are a waste of time, money, or are even dangerous.
When searching for energy-saving tips, it is extremely
common to stumble across both energy myths and realities. Whether you’re
wondering if you should keep your air conditioning vents open or closed or if
your appliances use energy when they are turned off, need to have the knowledge
to identify common energy myths and avoid them. Here are 10 common energy myths that you
shouldn’t believe and why:
1.
Appliances
don’t use energy when they are turned off-Thanks to standby power settings; most appliances constantly
use energy in order to be ready for immediate usage. These “energy vampires”
cannot be turned completely off without unplugging the device altogether.
2.
Closing
vents and registers in unused rooms saves energy-All systems produce enough airflow
to fill their ductwork systems and will continue to do so even if one or more
of the air vents in your household are closed. Closing air conditioner (AC)
vents simply redirects the airflow into other rooms of the home via other open
vents. With this extra airflow being transferred to other open vents, the
overall air pressure increases and the system works even harder. Closing vents
to save energy is a nice thought but never the actual case.
3.
Electronic
chargers don’t use energy if plugged in and disconnected from the device-Although this may be true for some
chargers, most chargers use “vampire power” while plugged in but not connected
to their device. If your charger feels warm to touch, it is most likely using
vampire power. It is best to just assume that all of your chargers use this
type of power and to unplug them when they are not being used.
4.
Hand-washing
dishes rather than running them through the dishwasher can save you energy-Hand-washing a load of dishes requires a lot of hot water,
and therefore a lot of energy. Today, most dishwashers have energy-efficient
settings. These settings typically allow you to run a load of dishes using less
water and less energy.
5.
It’s
cheaper to keep the heat on all the time on a low setting-Keeping the heat on all the time
means that you are warming areas of your house that do not need to be warmed
24/7. This constant heat usage is an incredible waste of energy. Turning the
heat off while a room is unoccupied saves energy without causing discomfort.
Another good fact to keep in mind is that homes and their contents store heat
very effectively, allowing them to stay warm for a long time after the heat is
turned off.
6.
Keeping
a fan on cools a room-Fans
are designed to move air around, not to cool air. Having a fan on allows people
inside of the room to feel cooler, but not the air in the room itself. Leaving
a fan on when you leave your home is simply wasting energy while the room
temperature is not cooling off at all.
7.
Leaving
a light on uses less energy than turning it off and on several times-Even though a higher level of
current is needed to turn on a light, this higher level is only used for a
fraction of a second. When a light is kept on, it uses a lower level of power
but for much longer. Leaving a light on for longer than a few seconds uses more
energy than turning it off and back on as needed.
8.
Most
heat is lost through windows-While
heat can be lost through windows, window heat loss is only a small percentage
of the total heat loss in a home. Typically, walls account for much more heat
loss because of their large surface area. It’s best to consider insulating
walls before upgrading windows since heat loss through windows is usually
minimal.
9.
Setting
the thermostat temperature to a higher degree heats the home faster-No matter what temperature you set
your thermostat, your furnace or boiler will work equally as hard and fast to
meet that goal. The only difference achieved by setting the temperature to a
higher degree is that the system will work for a longer period of time,
therefore using more energy. The same applies to air conditioners when set to a
lower temperature than desired. Another
downfall of setting the heat higher is that eventually the air conditioner may
kick on to cool the room back down to your actual desired temperature.
10.
Sleep
mode or hibernate mode is just fine for computers overnight-Putting your computer into sleep or
hibernate mode, rather than shutting it down, suspends it from waking and
sleeping modes. Quite a lot of energy is used to accomplish this state so that
the computer can be ready to pop back on at a moment’s notice. It is best to
shut your computer down all the way overnight or when you are planning on not
using it for a while.
“The energy of the mind is
the essence of life.” (Aristotle) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“10
Common Energy Myths You Shouldn’t Believe” by Think Energy
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