Saving money on one’s energy bill is something that everyone wants to do.
There are numerous articles that illustrate a variety of things that you can do to save money and get your bill lower and lower each month.
While some methods are valid, there are a few that can actually end up costing you money.
Here are three energy-saving myths that can actually end up costing you.
Super-Duper Updates:
Though updating to an Energy Star system will help you save money in the long run, a properly maintained system, even older systems, may not be costing you as much as you think.
In most cases, a good HVAC system that is maintained and serviced regularly is just as efficient as a new system that has been outfitted to save money.
In most cases, these newer systems take more power to run so they can actually end up needing more energy and more updates than you intended to get them up and working.
Your best bet is to keep your older systems running smoothly to save money.
Turning Your System Off and On:
Though keeping your system off for long periods of time, over an hour for instance, can help save you money, it can also cause your bill to go up.
It costs far less to keep a home at 75 degrees all day than it does to turn off the air, let the home get to 85, then try to cool it down rapidly when you get home.
In these instances, your system has to work much harder and for a much longer period of time than it would if you simply left your system on all day.
Instead, try to raise your temperature a couple of degrees.
If you keep it at 75 when you are home, for example, raise it to 77 while you are gone.
It is going to take much less to get those two degrees down than it would to cool the entire home from scratch.
Closing Air Vents can Improve Efficiency:
This is a very common myth that does not work.
Typically, your HVAC system is designed to help air move through the system. When a vent is closed, your system is going to keep working just as hard as if the vent were open.
By closing vents you run the risk of your system coming on more often to compensate for the warmer or cooler temps that are going to be registering from the room with the closed vent.
It is important to keep vents open and clear of any items.
These myths may seem logical, but more often than not they cost you money.
While there are some things out there that you can do, there are more that cause more harm than good.
If you are looking for energy-saving methods, try to find reliable sources that have facts to back up their claims.
