Don't Fall for These Energy Usage Myths!

All of us think we know how to conserve energy, especially electricity. But how much of what we believe is true, and how much is myth? And what energy saving measures actually save money, and not just create discomfort or inconvenience. Let's bust a few energy usage myths in this article!

Many people believe that it's more energy efficient to leave appliances on rather than turning them off and on. They think the start-up energy consumption outweighs the continued energy consumption. Is this myth, or fact?

It's a myth. Yes, it is true that starting an appliance takes more energy than actually running the appliance. But unless you're planning on turning it off and on every five seconds, it's almost always cheaper to turn the device off when it's not in use. And just turning it off isn't actually enough. Many appliances, such as digital displays, can use nearly as much energy when they're off as when they're on. So UNPLUGGING a device from the wall can save you even more money.

Another commonly held belief is that using small electric heaters to add heat to one room - rather than turning up the thermostat - will save money. This may or may not be true, depending on the type of central heating system you have and how efficient it is.

If your central heating system is electric, then yes, adding a small heater to certain rooms to "spot heat" is more cost effective than turning up the thermostat. But if your central heating system is fuel-based = gas, coal, heating oil, or propane - then no. The overall cost of heat generated by fuel-based systems is far cheaper than electricity.

What about turning off the lights when you leave the room? That's not a misconception, it's a fact. Just that tiny effort WILL save you money.

In fact, any conservation measure you practice regularly will save you money. You can turn off lights, turn off and unplug appliances. We can consolidate errands so we burn less gasoline, and take public transportation where it's available. We can turn off the water rather than just letting it run when we are brushing our teeth or washing dishes.

We don't think of ourselves as wasteful. But we are wasteful. ALL of us can do with less; we've proved it! When gas went over four dollars a gallon, we substantially reduced our use. And if we use less even when gas prices are lower, we would not only be saving energy - we'd be reducing the cost of energy for ourselves!