As the weather gets colder, many people try to save money on their energy bills by following energy saving tips touted by expert sources. Unfortunately, these tips do not always provide significant enough savings to be worthwhile. Here are some energy saving myths that waste your time and won’t save you money.
Energy Saving Myth #1 – More Insulation Will Keep Cold Air Out
It is a common belief that adding more insulation to a home will keep cold air from entering the home, reducing the cost of heating the home. In truth, most cold air enters the home through drafts around windows, doors, and other holes in the exterior facade around light fixtures, the chimney, and plumbing pipes. Caulking these areas to seal the holes is the best way to keep cold air from entering the home.
Energy Saving Myth #2 – Closing Vents In Unused Areas Of The Home
Some people believe that closing the vents in rooms that are used infrequently will redirect more warm air into the rooms that are used, lowering their energy bill by using less energy to heat the home. Unfortunately, closing off the vents to a forced air furnace will cause the system to work harder because the system will be thrown out of whack. Also, the home’s temperature will self correct by drawing heat from the rooms that are already warm, making the whole house feel colder.
Energy Saving Myth #3 – High-efficiency HVAC Systems Result In Instant Savings
Many people have chosen to install a high-energy HVAC system mistakenly believing that it will result in instant savings on their utility bills. However, the U.S. Department of Energy has found that many homes have improperly installed and poorly sized equipment, which could cause homeowners to waste as much as one-third of the energy consumed. Before installing such a system, make sure you do your research to ensure that you are choosing the right size for your home and you are choosing an installation company with a good reputation and high work ethic.
Energy Saving Myth #4 – Setting Thermostat Higher Warms House Faster
There is an old wives tale that setting the thermostat at a higher temperature will result in the house getting warmer faster. While this may have been true a long time ago, the thermostats used today are devised so that the level that its set has no bearing on the amount of heat that is delivered. In fact, setting the temperature higher will result in you losing money because the home will become to warm and you will have to do something to reduce the temperature. It is better to set the temperature to a level that is comfortable and leave it there.