Understanding a few common energy-saving myths will help you avoid energy waste and stay comfortable affordably during the cool winters and hot Peachtree City summers.

Myth: Closing air registers in unused rooms saves energy.
Truth: It’s one of the more persistent energy-saving myths, but closing registers doesn’t reduce your system’s energy use. Instead, it creates a pressure imbalance in your system that strains the components and can eventually damage them.

Myth: Ceiling fans cool rooms.
Truth: Fans don’t lower a room’s air temperature. They cool you by blowing air over your skin, increasing its rate of evaporation. Save energy by turning off the fan when you leave the room for more than a few minutes.

Myth: Leaving your A/C on all day is cheaper than cooling hot rooms at the end of the day.
Truth: Maintaining a consistent indoor temperature takes a lot of energy. In nearly all cases, you’ll use less energy turning the A/C or furnace off when you’re not home than by letting it run all the time.

Myth: Keeping electronics on is more efficient than turning them off and on several times a day.
Truth: It’s more efficient to turn off your electronics when you won’t be using them. Electronics use energy even on standby mode. To save energy conveniently, put groups of electronics, such as your TV and accessories, on a power strip that lets you turn them all off with one switch.

Myth: Drafty windows should be replaced.
Truth: Caulking and weatherstripping is usually the most cost-effective way to improve your windows’ energy efficiency. If your windows are very old and you’re planning to replace them anyway, then Energy Star-qualified windows are a smart choice.

Myth: A fireplace is a cheap source of heat.
Truth: A heat pump or furnace is almost always a cheaper way to heat. If you still want a fireplace, choose a modern, high-efficiency model.

For more guidance on avoiding energy saving myths and keeping your energy costs low, contact us at Powers Heating & Air in the Peachtree City area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy saving myths and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

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