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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Energy Adviser: Test your knowledge of energy myths

The Columbian
Published:

You might be doing things around your home to try to save energy, but you might not be doing the right things. Check your energy savvy by taking this energy test.

Using screen savers reduces computer energy consumption.

False. All a screen saver does is stop “burn in” on your computer screen. To save energy, turn your computer off when you’re not using it.

Turning a computer off and on uses more power than its stand-by mode.

False. Leaving a PC in stand-by mode eats a large amount of electricity and money. To save both, turn your computer off whenever you’ll be away from it for a long time and at night.

Fans cool rooms.

False. Fans don’t cool air. They move it. It’s air moved by a fan flowing over your skin that makes you feel cooler. That air flow does help in hot weather, though, and generally fans are a cost-effective alternative to air conditioning.

It’s useless to turn on a ceiling fan during the winter.

False. If your ceiling is 10 or more feet high, running a ceiling fan in reverse pulls warm air downwards helping make a room feel warmer.

All it takes is a programmable thermostat to save energy.

False. A programmable thermostat only saves energy and money if you have it properly programmed to match your family’s living style: Lowering the temperature according to the comings and goings of people in your home and programming it to a lower temperature at night can cut back on wasted energy and help lower bills.

Duct tape is the best way to seal ventilation joints.

False. Duct tape only works for a while. Eventually, heat in the vents dries the sticky side of the tape, wrinkling and cracking it. Mastic “putty” or metal-backed mastic tapes available at most hardware stores are better choices.

When an electronic device is off, it stops drawing power.

False. If any electronic device has a light on, it’s still drawing power. Turn off your lights some night and walk around your home. Every red or blue light you see on any electronic equipment means that it’s using some amount of power. Smart power strips are one way to shut off the electrical flow to many of these devices.

Energy conservation and energy efficiency are the same.

False. Conservation is reducing your need for energy. Efficiency means using devices that use less energy. Using LED bulbs or buying Energy Star appliances increase your efficiency.

Turning the thermostat up or down heats or cools rooms faster.

False. No matter the setting on a thermostat, air conditioners and furnaces cool and heat at the same speed. A home warms up to 72 degrees just as fast when it’s set at 72 degrees as it does when set at 80 degrees.

Using an electric space heater saves money.

True. But only if you use it to heat a smaller space in your home instead of using a more expensive appliance (like an electric furnace) to heat an entire home. Used any other way, the space heater may increase comfort but will only add cost.

Turning lights on and off eats up more energy than just leaving them on.

False. Even with energy efficient CFL and LED lights, if they are on, they’re using energy. It’s a good idea to turn off lights whenever you’re not in the room.

Newly built homes are more energy efficient.

True. But their efficiency depends on the energy standard the builder chooses to meet. The building codes are generally more efficient for newer homes, but the efficiency of older homes can be increased through weatherization and upgrades.


Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.

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