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Myth: Leaving
a light on uses less energy than turning it off
and on several times.
Truth: Leaving an incandescent
light on uses more energy than turning it on and
off as needed. If you're using a compact fluorescent
light, it should be left on if it will be needed
again within 15 minutes. Switching CFLs on and off
frequently shortens their lives.
Myth:
Keeping your thermostat at the same temperature
day and night uses less energy than turning it down
at night and heating your home up again in the morning.
Truth: It takes less
energy to warm up a cold home in the morning than
it does to maintain a constant temperature throughout
the night.
Myth:
The higher you set your heater's thermostat, the
faster your home will warm up.
Truth: It will take
the same amount of time for the temperature to reach
70 degrees whether the thermostat is set at 70 or
90 degrees. Setting the thermostat all the way up
only wastes energy and increases your heating costs.
Myth:
Compact fluorescent lights are those glaring, humming,
flickering tubes seen in some offices.
Truth: There's a whole
new generation of compact fluorescent light bulbs
that are suited for home use. They screw into the
same light bulb socket and produce the same quality
of light as an incandescent bulb. A CFL uses 70
percent less electricity and lasts up to 10 times
longer than an incandescent light bulb.
Myth:
It uses less energy to boil water if you start with
hot water from the tap.
Truth: It essentially
uses the same amount of energy (and costs essentially
the same amount of money) whether you use hot or
cold water. If you use hot water, you've already
paid to heat the water in the water heater.
Myth:
It is more energy efficient to leave your computer
running when not in use.
Truth: Any time you
can turn off your computer it will save energy.
However, turning the computer off and on several
times a day may cause excessive wear and shorten
its life. Many computers now have energy-saving
"sleep" features that save energy when
the computer is not being used.
Myth:
Cold water from the tap will freeze into ice cubes
faster than hot water.
Truth: Actually, hot
water freezes faster than cold water because it
evaporates, leaving 25 percent less water to freeze.
Myth:
Setting your air-conditioner thermostat to its lowest
setting when you start it will cool your home faster.
Truth: This won't cool
your home any faster, it'll just use more energy.
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