Belief In These Energy-Saving Myths Could Cost You

Everybody wants to save energy. And no doubt, most people think that conserving energy leads to savings on their energy bills. The problem is that there are several energy-saving myths floating around that may do the exact opposite. Don’t lose money trying to save energy in your northwest Arkansas home by being fooled by the following energy-saving myths:

• Turning off your appliances saves energy: Unless you actually unplug your appliances, they continue to consume power. In some cases, they consume just as much energy as when they are turned on.
• Using an electric space heater will cut down your energy bill: This is true only if you have central electric heating. If you have central gas heating, then using an electric space heater will cost just as much, sometimes even more.
• Closing your vents saves energy: If you restrict the flow of your conditioned air by closing a vent, then your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system will redirect the air to other locations in your home. This causes back pressure on the system’s fan, which attempts to push the air through your duct system. This back pressure forces it to use more energy and can cause your system to wear out more quickly.
• Newly built homes are energy efficient: Efficiency has nothing to do with age. Rather, it has everything to do with the design and construction of the home.
• Setting your thermostat higher will heat your home up faster: When you turn on your furnace, it provides heat at its maximum power: This means that the temperature to which you set it has no effect on how quickly your home heats up. All it does is increase how long your furnace works to reach that temperature.
• Insulating your ceiling will result in heat leaking out of your windows: Fixing leaks is the only way to prevent heat escaping. Insulating one area won’t create pressure in another area.

These are just a few energy-saving myths that of which you should be aware. For real energy-saving tips and tricks, contact the experts at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal, one of the most experienced and professional services in northwest Arkansas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy saving myths and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock