Home Energy Myths-DEBUNKED

Most of us are on the lookout for easy ways we can save energy in our homes.  Save the planet, save a buck – what is there to lose?  But you can’t believe everything you hear! Even some of the tips your mom gave you can be misguided…..but don’t tell her. Here are five common energy myths –DEBUNKED:

1)      Washing clothes in hot water gets them cleaner.  FALSE! Unless you have a particularly stubborn stain, washing your clothes in cold water will get them just as clean.  You’ll save a lot of energy and heating costs by setting your washer to cold.

2)   Turning lights on and off a lot uses more energy than leaving them on. False! It takes absolutely no extra energy to turn on or off a light.  Always turn off lights when you leave a room, or when they are not needed.

3)   Turning appliances off means they aren’t using energy. FALSE! Energy Vampirism refers to the way appliances and electronics continue to suck energy, even in off or stand-by modes.  See that little red light on your TV, telling you it’s off? And the clock display on the coffee machine? That’s vampirism.  Even the cell phone charger you leave plugged in the wall continues to suck energy even when your phone isn’t connected.  Energy vampires cost the average US household $100 a year.  To eradicate energy vampires, unplug your electronics and appliances when you’re not using them, and don’t leave computers or other devices in stand-by modes.

4)   Keeping the thermostat at a constant temperature saves money over constantly adjusting it. FALSE! Keeping your house cooler at night and when you’re away will save significant energy and money.  It’s more difficult to maintain a constant temperature than to warm a cold house, actually.

5)   Utilizing a fan will help cool a room. FALSE! Fans only move around the air; they can’t affect the temperature of that air. Their cooling affect comes by causing more air to pass over a person’s skin, thus cooling the skin. Don’t leave fans on in uninhabited rooms.