Ten myths about energy efficiency

Washing dishes by hand is more cost-effective than using the dishwasher.

Washing your dishes by hand isn’t always the most economical solution. A dishwasher uses an average of 13 litres of water per cycle, while washing dishes by hand can use up to 36 litres.

Remember! Don’t run the dishwasher until it’s really full, and use the shortest appropriate cycle.

Increasing the temperature setting will heat a room up more quickly.

We all want our homes to heat up quickly when it’s cold out, but setting the temperature higher than your target temperature doesn’t heat a room any faster. Instead, set it at a comfortable 21°C or 22°C, for instance, and the room will heat up just as quickly as if you had set it at 28°C.

Leaving a fan on in the summer will cool a room down.

Contrary to popular belief, a fan moves air but doesn’t cool it, so there’s no reason to leave it on when you’re not at home. It will only waste energy and money.

Turning the lights on and off is a waste of energy.

This urban legend gets passed on from one generation to the next. It’s not true that turning a light on and off uses more energy. The lightbulb only consumes energy when the electric current passes through it.

Read about these tips on lighting.

Lowering the thermostat by one degree won’t do much.

In fact, if you turn down the thermostat by one degree, you’ll reduce your energy consumption by 5% to 7%. Heating represents half of a home’s electricity costs, so it’s worth it!

An air conditioner can be installed anywhere.

It is preferable if the sun doesn’t shine directly on the air conditioner because its thermostat will absorb the heat and display a temperature that is higher than the actual temperature in the room. The device will therefore work harder to cool your home and therefore use more energy.

Using cold water does not consume energy.

In Québec, we are lucky enough to have drinking water readily available in our homes, even in the bathroom. Given the amount of energy it takes to treat water and make it safe to drink, it’s important not to waste it. You’ll be saving water and energy at the same time.

In winter, it’s better to use the dryer, because hanging your clothes up indoors can cause humidity problems.

That’s false. In general, indoor air is much drier in winter than in summer, as air exchanges with outdoors bring in cold air, which becomes very dry when heated. When you hang your laundry up to dry, you’re increasing the comfort of your home by increasing the humidity level. You’re also avoiding additional air exchanges caused by using the dryer.

Heat pumps are generally used to cool a home.

A wall-mounted or central heat pump is used both to cool a home in summer and heat it in the winter. In fact, a wall-mounted unit is more energy efficient than baseboard heaters. If you’re replacing your heat pump, remember to submit a request for financial assistance of up to $1,000 under the Efficient Heat Pump Program.

It’s hard to save on heating in winter.

Not anymore! Thanks to Hilo’s complete smart home service, you can optimize your energy consumption. Take on consumption reduction challenges and receive cash rewards representing an average of $124 per winter. You can also save up to 15% on your annual electricity bill.