Watt do you Know? Take our Energy Quiz!

(Page 6 of 8)

June 9, 2008
By Megan Phelps 
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9. Which of these pratices actually wastes more electricity than it saves? 

A. Turning off light bulbs every time you leave the room.
B. Turning off ceiling fans when you're not in a room.
C. Turning off the air conditioning when you're not home.
D. None of the above.

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Answer: D. None of the above!

Despite what you may have heard, all of these practices are actually good ways to save energy.   

  • Turning off the light when you leave the room saves energy, no matter how long you're out of the room. There's a small surge of electricity when you turn the light on, but it's minimal, not enough to make it worth leaving the light on for any length of time. (However, some people do suggest minimizing how often you turn a compact-fluorescent on and off because it can shorten the life of the bulb. See link above for more info.)
  • Ceiling fans use a lot less electricity than air conditioning, so if you can get away with just a fan, you're saving energy. However, the fans don't actually reduce the temperature in a room, they just make you feel cooler. So if you're out of the room, you save energy by turning off the fan.
  • Your air conditioner uses a lot of electricity when it's running, but it doesn't take long to cool down your house. Turning the thermostat up in the summer does save energy, even though your air conditioner does have to cool down your house again when you get home.
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