Blog Post

Debunking Common Energy Savings Myths

Posted On: September 24, 2019

When it comes to saving energy, there’s a lot of old wives’ tales floating around. Common sense doesn’t always lead to savings and doing what you think is efficient isn’t always the best approach. Check out some myths you’ll need to steer clear of if you’re looking for a lower energy bill.

“Leaving the lights on uses less energy than turning them on and off.” – Sure, turning on a light uses a small surge of energy, but if you think that surge uses more energy than just leaving the light-bulb on, then you’re mistaken. Also, turning your lights on and off will not reduce their lifespan.

“Lowering the thermostat will cool my home quicker.” – The lower the number, the quicker the temperature change, right? Wrong. AC units (and furnaces) always, always operate at the same speed. Requiring a greater temperature change will only require it to work for a longer period of time to achieve the desired setting.

“Closing vents will cut down on energy costs.” – This one is counterintuitive: closing the vent to a room does not actually benefit the rooms where you left the vents open. In fact, not only does it not redirect air, but you run the risk of causing pressure to build up, leading to duct leaks and wasted energy.

“Halogen bulbs are the best.” – Halogen bulbs are not the best. They consume more energy than CFLs and LED bulbs, and they have a shorter lifespan. Halogens may be better than standard incandescent bulbs but do yourself a solid and switch to CFLs and LED bulbs.

“LED bulbs cost more than regular bulbs.” – Looking at the price when they’re on the shelf next to each other is deceptive. That price tag doesn’t consider that a LED bulb has a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. Or, said another way, that LED bulb could be on for 12 hours a day, for 11 years straight, and use less energy the entire time. That’s one investment that’ll certainly pay off.

“Hand-washing dishes saves more than a dishwasher.” – Just about every dishwasher now is designed with energy-efficiency in mind. Unless you’re extra mindful about turning the faucet on and off between scrubbing and rinsing dishes, you can save both water and energy by just throwing them in the dishwasher.