Over the years, rising energy bills have forced consumers to experiment on ways to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. Some myths have also arisen as homeowners look to save on their power bills. The following are eight energy efficiency myths and their respective truths.
1. Only doors and windows can leak air from my home.
– While windows and doors are the main culprits, they are certainly not the only places where air can leak out. In fact, holes and gaps in the air ducts are the biggest culprits.
2. The AC consumes more power to cool the house if the system was switched off the whole night or weekend.
– The simple truth is that air conditioners do not draw any power when they are switched off.
3. The only way to save energy is to purchase new equipment.
– There are many ways to reduce your energy bill. For instance, you can keep curtains closed during the day to keep out direct sunlight, turn off the lights when the room is not being used, use a programmable thermostat and shut down computers when they are not being used.
4. It saves energy to use an electric space heater.
– This is not entirely true because electricity costs much more than natural gas and heating oil in some parts of the world. It can only be true if the cost of electricity is significantly lower than the cost of natural gas, heating oil, propane and other heat sources.
5. Turning your PC on and off leads to energy losses and damages the computer.
– This statement only holds some truth if old computers are involved. However, new PCs experience very little wear and tear when switched on and off many times, so they cannot be damaged. Secondly, when a computer is switched off, it does not consume any power, meaning more energy saving for you.
6. Setting the thermostat a few degrees higher will force the system to heat the house faster.
– This is a popular myth. What most people do not know is that a thermostat is only a switch. Adjusting its setting will only affect the switching process.
7. Leaving the fan running when the room is not in use will cool the room faster.
– The truth is that fans do not provide any cooling. They only create a cooling effect that can only be experienced when you are in the room. Keeping it running when you are not there is only a waste of energy.
8. More power is consumed when lights are constantly switched on and off than when they are left on.
– While this may be true with fluorescent lights, it does not apply to LED, incandescent and any other type of modern lighting fixtures.
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