“Did You Know?” will be a monthly feature that shares information on various topics that affect our Common Home, such as plastics, aerosols, water, compost, etc. This feature will address and offer a challenge pertaining to the following Laudato Si’ Goals:
- Response to the cry of the Earth
- Adoption of a simple lifestyle
- Ecological education
- Community engagement and participatory action
April: Energy Saving Myths
Energy Saving Myth #1: Ceiling fans will cool down an unoccupied room.
A fan cools you, not the space around you. If you aren’t in the room, the fan is just moving the air.
Energy Saving Myth #2: Setting your thermostat higher will heat your home quicker.
Your heating system creates heat at a steady rate. Cranking up the thermostat doesn’t speed it up.
Energy Saving Myth #3: You should hand-wash dishes instead of using the dishwasher.
Washing dishes by hand may seem like the economical thing to do, but you’re likely using more hot water than your dishwasher does.
Energy Saving Myth #4: Leaving a light on uses less energy than turning it on and off.
The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that if you’re going to be out of the room for more than 15 minutes, it’s more energy-efficient to turn off the light than leave it on.
Energy Saving Myth #5: Closing vents to unused rooms saves energy.
Closing vents increases the air pressure in your system, which makes it work harder and use more energy.
Energy Saving Myth #6: Using space heaters is more efficient than whole-house heating.
Energy-efficient space heaters are likely to use more energy than your regular heating system.
Source: blog.constellation.com
