Saving the environment and energy efficiency are buzzwords in today’s world. With all of the cries for reducing our carbon footprint in order to save the planet, it’s no wonder that everyone wants to do their part. Some myths about energy savings have sprouted up and have led people in the wrong direction. Here are some energy efficiency myths that need debunking.
• More energy is wasted by turning lights on and off than by leaving them on
Today’s lighting technology is much different than in fluorescent bulbs that took up to several minutes to completely turn on. That’s the basis behind the recommendation to keep the lights on. Today’s bulbs are at full power in less than one second. The new rule of thumb is to turn the light off if it isn’t needed for 10 seconds or more.
• Turning your computer on and off wastes energy
Similar to the light bulb myth, older computers got finicky after being turned on and off a number of times. Not so with today’s machines. If you’re still wary, save energy by using your laptop’s or desktop machine’s built-in sleep mode or automatic shutdown. If you use a desktop machine, note that the monitor does use a lot of energy and make sure to shut it down each night.
• Leaving ceiling fans on keeps rooms cooler
Fans don’t cool rooms, they cool people. In addition, they simply recirculate air, making people feel cooler, but have no effect on actual air temperature. Turn the ceiling fan off when you leave the room.
• Turning a thermostat up or down will heat or cool a building more quickly
This is a tricky one because we often hear how varying the thermostat by a few degrees can help save energy. That is true, but only to an extent. You will save energy, but need to remain consistent with those settings. Get a programmable thermostat and time those spikes or dips in temperature to coincide with times when you’re not home.
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