We all want a home that’s as energy efficient as possible. However, many homes waste energy on a daily basis for a variety of reasons. You might have drafty old windows and doors, an old HVAC system, or old appliances that not only use a lot of energy, but also cost you a lot of money on your monthly utility bills.

That said, there’s also a lot of confusion around home energy usage. From 2008 to 2030, world energy consumption is expected to increase by more than 55 percent. This is why it’s vital to understand the facts about energy usage and how to make your home as energy efficient as possible.

Energy Efficiency Myths Debunked

Some of the common myths about home energy usage include:

Myth #1: Don’t turn out the lights.

Do you remember your parents yelling at you to turn off the light when you left your bedroom? It turns out they were right. You might think leaving the light on instead of constantly switching them off and back on does not actually take up more energy, but leaving lights on draws more energy than the small burst needed to turn them on and off.

Myth #2: Ceiling fans cool the air effectively.

While the wind produced by ceiling fans cools your skin, it does not actually cool down the air in your home. And, this might allow you to turn off the air conditioning for a time, however, in the long run, leaving a ceiling fan running nonstop will waste energy, too.

Myth #3: Unplugging appliances doesn’t save energy.

There’s been some confusion about “phantom” energy and whether it actually exists. We’re here to assure you that yes, this is actually a thing. While turning off appliances when you’re done using them helps cut energy usage, when they’re left plugged in they’re still drawing electricity. Consider using a power strip for small kitchen appliances, as you can easily power all of them off at once with a single switch.

Myth #4: Home energy use is largely consumed by your HVAC system.

HVAC systems are becoming more and more energy efficient, and an efficient system is responsible for about 48 percent of your home’s energy usage. Electronics like entertainment systems, which are becoming more sophisticated with each passing year, along with appliances now actually use the most energy in your home.

Myth #5: Turning down your thermostat will cool your home faster.

It’s understandable that on a hot summer day you look forward to coming home to a cool, comfortable house. And, it’s common to crank down the thermostat by several degrees if your home isn’t as cool as you’d like it to be, thinking you can get it to cool down that much faster. However, no matter what temperature your thermostat is set to, your home will cool down in the same amount of time. You’re only causing your system to run longer, which in turn wastes more energy than using the settings on your programmable thermostat.

Myth #6: Closing vents in unused rooms will save energy.

If you have rooms in your home you don’t use often, you might think it makes sense to close the vents in those rooms, which in turn allows more warm or cool air to flow into other rooms. However, this actually affects the balance of your HVAC system, making it run harder to regulate this balance and thus, consuming more energy.

Have questions about making your home more energy efficient? The team at Efficient Heating and Cooling is ready to help! If you’re in the greater Cleveland area, contact our team today! Or, give us a call at 216-663-6462.