5 Energy-saving myths

Simply put, if you understand Physics, you should understand Myth #1 is not a myth.
Want proof? Put an amp meter on the fan.Check the amps.Close off some vents.Check the amps and you will see it went down and not up.Physics.Physics.Physics.

I replaced all the single pane windows in my mobile home with dual pane windows. I saved $100 a month on my heating bill! Oh, AND my electric bill went down, too, that saved me another $20 a month. Summertime came, the A/C went on, my electric bill was $50 a month less! The new windows paid for themselves in 3 years! BONUS the home was kept warmer in the Winter and cooler in the Summer! Old Windows - 68 in Winter & 78 in Summer. New Windows - 76 in Winter & 70 in Summer. So Much for Myth #2!

#1 is bogus. A room not heated (winter time) is a room that doesn't lose heat to the cold outside. When vents are closed, they divert warm air to the other rooms which warm up faster meaning the furnace doesn't run as long, ...which means the fan uses less total energy and will last longer in terms of years.

If an electric space heater keeps you warm in a small space, it CAN be cheaper overall than heating a much larger space with gas. This one "all depends on the actual application."

I suggest reading the earlier comments on the story. Blows this writer out of the water. For example.

#1 actually does based on the fact that unless your thermostat is in that room, there is less seepage per square foot of the warmer/colder air. While insulation between rooms is unlikely, even 4-6 degrees can make a huge different in heating/cooling costs. It kicks off sooner as the remaining rooms cool more quickly, while the seepage through to the other rooms is minimal because there are no drafts (as if it's an outside wall).

#2 was also blown out of the water for any climate. Very, very few climates are same temperature year round. Even bound to cold spells and heat waves. Many older windows are single pane METAL frames that lose heat more quickly that the current materials for the newer windows. Additionally, it's almost factory now to have UV and coating to protect direct heat/cool loss. This saves also on carpet, paint and furniture discoloration (i.e. having to replace/reupholster sooner) and also raises value to your home, so some of the losses of installation are negated immediately, while others are long term.

#3 is true, basically always has been since the furnace has automatic shut offs at certain intervals to keep components cool. Someone mentioned at one point a different for radiators but I can't speak on those.

#4 is not a myth. Space heaters on the market today consume very little energy compared to the 80's counterparts. If only one room needs minor heat, a space heater with a temp kick off function serves with less energy draw. Gas is on the uprise and is in a minority of homes. It also states specifically running TWO space heaters. If you are heating where you are to save cash (likely in bed say) then why run two? If two takes the same energy, logic tells me one is HALF the cost.

#5 is also not a myth, but because of the new regulations for CFL's. They essentially do take a minute amount of extra energy as it reacts to turn on and also causes a larger margin for wear and tear because they were not meant to be flipped off and on, off and on. So while the energy really is minute, the cost of CFL's, the government forcing them upon us (bought and paid for by your local lobbyist, as CFL's cost the same as incandescent to manufacture and have actually, in real usage lasted less), and the issue surrounding the wear and tear - it makes flipping them off and on much more costly by sheer burn out rates.

Shame on you for writting such propaganda. Practice responsible journalism please.

There is no one blanket way for everyone to reduce thier utility usage. If there was then everyone would live in the same house. The construction of the home the kind and type of a/c and heating unit, where you live, how well the home is maintained, and so many more things must be factored in to say with any degree of accuracy what will and will not save someone money.

Basically, it comes down to how much money do you want to spend to find out what works to save you a significant amount of money in utilities. What works for one will not work for another. The only true fire way to save money on utilities is to tear down your home and re-build. At which point it becomes a question of is it worth it to you to spend an amount of money that will never cause you to recoup it from the money saved in utilities before you die. If it is then it isn't about reducing the amount of your bill and becomes something you want to do because its trendy or just because you want too.

This article is a falicy that should never have been published!

Myth #4 is a MYTH. Electricity is NOT 4 to 10 times the cost of Nat Gas.

Grandma taught me to save energy dollars by wearing a sweater. Did you know how much more a TV burns than a reading lamp? Why would I ever leave a light on in an empty room?

Closing vents makes the other rooms cool off quicker and your ac cuts off sooner saving you money.

Myth number # 5 would depend on what type of light bulb you are using . The author of this article is a #$%$

Myth #1: Closing the Vent Saves Energy is NOT a myth.
The "back pressure " as they call it is "static air resistance"(not the same thing) and lowers the amps on the motor and makes it run cooler too.

I agree with some of what you said but on some of it your dead wrong. Turning off the light to take a restroom break. First off it is an admitted fact that the CFL light bulbs are designed to never be turned off. Turning these light bulbs on an off actually reduce the life of the light by more than half. It is also a fact and I've tested it with a device that lets you know how much electricity it a burnt out light bulb uses zero electricity if the switch is left on. If it doesn't light up it isn't using any electricity. Finally, yes when every item I tested drew more electrcity when it was first turned on than it did if it was left on. This rang true for everything tested and I tested a chest deep freeze, vaccuum cleaners and we have two of them, computer monitors, CPU, printer, lamps, 3 different sized fans, christmas lights both kinds, charger for a schwinn scooter, ceiling fan, hair dryer, TV, toaster, etc. Plus electricity is billed in blocks of 1000 Kilowatts called a Kilowatt Hour. 1000 Watts equals 1 Kilowatt and 1000 Kilowatts is a Kilowatt Hour. If a 60 Watt light bulb uses 60 watts in one hour or .06 KWH. When you figure that the price per Kilowatt Hour is around 8 cents. Meaning the cost to run the 60 watt bulb for one hour costs less than a penny. You would have to leave a 60 watt bulb on for 16.66 hours to equal 1 Kilowatt (1000 watts). And 16660 hours to be charged 8 cents for 1 KWH. When there is only 8760 hours in a year leaving the lights on to go to the bathroom will not save you a significant amount of money! The reason our electricty bills have jumped so much is because of the increased taxes and #$%$ fees and charging to send a bill. The only reason for people yelling about water and oil shortage is because China is so large and thier need is so much higher than anyone elses that they have begun to buy water from America then use it to flood the fields so the water will drain into the aquifers for later use. They have begun to secure billions and billions of dollars of Oil buying controling interests in oil fields in Venzeuela, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, and get this one Saudi! I thought we paid for that war for the oil. When China did not have a high demand for oil there was never to much concern about if there was enough oil for the world. Now that China has money (our money) and has so many people and such a large amount of land and 18 lane highways used by the citizens whom have thier own vehicles. They have to secure oil for thier country which creates a higher demand and causes the prices to go up. They have even gone so far as to say, " No more discounted oil." Gasoline prices and asphalt prices are about to surge. So, turning the light off to go to the bathroom will never accumulate for you to buy a half a gallon or even a quarter of a gallon of gas in one year.

I'm thinking this writer is a self proclaimed @#$%. Apparently not aware of the Dept of Energy's intense studies for energy efficiency, hence energy star ratings to help consumers know what products are most efficient.

Myth 3: Setting Thermostat Higher Heats a Home Faster ADDENDUM: This depends upon the type of heating system. IF the heating system is a heat pump with an electric heater backup, and the (setpoint -- actual temp) is large enough, cranking up the temperature can increase the amount of heating. However, the cost of the electric heat will be far higher than that produced by the heat pump at outside ambient temp above somewhere between 25 and 40 F, (depending upon the efficiency of the heat pump and heat exchanger).

Myth 1: WRONG! Closing vents also puts backpressure on the fan ... causing it to work harder, use more energy, and wear out faster. As a chemical engineer, I can tell you this is categorically wrong. Increasing the backpressure on a squirrel cage fan DECREASES the fan motor power consumption, and it will not increase the wear on the fan or motor. This author needs to look at the fan curves; the decrease in mass flow more than compensates for the increased backpressure. Sorry to be so critical, but this is simple thermodynamics.

How does this fit with the overall energy transfer in the furnace? It depends. Closing a vent decreases the airflow over the heat exchanger and the air flow out may be warmed more, but that depends upon the return air flow temp, too. In general, shutting off all airflow to a room will reduce the overall furnace heating bill.

Note: Ensure air flow/ temperature in those rooms shut off have is sufficient to prevent condensation along the corners to prevent mildew.

This is a #$%$ statement,"Myth #2: New Windows = Significant Energy Cost Savings read the rest of myth#2" If you have old aluminum thermo windows, and they leak, and they will leak and pass cold from outside to the inside in cold climates , then you need to go with new vinyl windows...with low-e and argon gas filled thermos..Get all the facts I replaced 14 windows and now I'm saving on my heat and air about $300.00 per mo...on a 2100 sq.ft. home and the best part is I get a tax credit and all 14 windows and installed cost me $3400.00 and I got a lifetime warranty on the windows...as long as I own the home...I saved over $3600.00 the first year!!Last year I put in a pink heat pump system, wow what a savings there......life is good...Next I'm putting in a solar lighting and solar heat and a tank-less hot water heater....I also close vents in my rooms that are not used, it saves me money too, my rooms are all insulated for sound and being able to shut down rooms not in use, I also have 6 inch exterior walls and 14 inches of insulation in the attic..Solar thermo-controlled attic vents...next....

Turning a light off when you leave the room for a few minutes might save a minuscule amount of electricity but the thermal shock of the bulb cooling and heating more often WILL significantly reduce the life of the bulb, especially compact fluorescents. So, go ahead and save about $0.0001 cent's worth of electricity for a $10 bulb to last 1/4 as long. It's your money! I speak from 26 years as an electrician.

I have used space heaters the last 2 years for my source of heat due to the high cost of my propane and the cost of running the propane furnace. Using the space heaters my highest bill was $300.00 compared to a tank of propane at $500.00 that is filled up at least 3 times in the winter with the added cost of $189.00 of electric running the propane furnace each month.So in doing the math I am saving at least a $1000.00 each winter using space heaters that are certified safe. I have not used my propane at all the last 2 years.

DO NOT run fans with the AC on.

Its obvious Kym (cute spelling) doesn't know squat about this subject, but I bet she has a great personallity. Heavy-set girls usually do.

Absolutely. The answer to the first myth is an even bigger myth. Having done extensive lab tests on fans while in engineering school, it is that amount of air that translates to work, and energy use. As more vents are closed, less air is moved, less work is done, and less electricity is consumed. Makes me wonder how much hogwash is in the other "myth" answers.