11 "Facts" About Energy Use You Need To Stop Believing Immediately

Including why you shouldn't feel guilty about using your dishwasher over washing up by hand.

1. Myth: Turning up the thermostat heats a room up quicker.

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A third of households turn up the thermostat when they want a room to get warmer quicker, but this doesn't actually work: The only thing it does is heat your home to a warmer temperature than you probably wanted.

2. Myth: It's better to leave the heating on low all the time, rather than switch it on when you need it.

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No matter how insulated a home is, there's always a certain amount of energy leaking out of the house and being wasted. So, if you're leaving the heating on all day, you're losing energy all day too – which is why it's a lot more energy efficient to only heat your home when you need to.

3. Myth: You need to keep your water heater on all night so you don't run out of hot water.

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Water heated for half an hour in the morning should stay warm until midday if your hot water tank is properly insulated – which gives you more than enough time to have your morning shower.

4. Myth: It's cheaper to heat one room with an electric heater, instead of switching on the heating.

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If you're in the house alone, it might seem obvious to just use an electric heater in the room you're in rather than switching on the heating – but electric heaters are a lot more inefficient than mains gas. It's often cheaper to turn on your central heating instead, making sure the radiators are on a low setting in the rooms you’re not using.

5. Myth: You should turn the heating up when it's cold outside.

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The majority of Brits have a habit of bumping up the thermostat when it's cold outside, but this really isn't necessary: Thermostats maintain the internal temperature of your house, whatever the weather is outside.

6. Myth: Dishwashers use a lot more energy than doing the washing up by hand.

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If you're doing a full load and have selected a medium temperature, a dishwasher can actually use less energy, as hand-washing needs a lot of hot water (which needs to be heated up). Dishwashers with economy settings are even more efficient when it comes to water and energy use.

7. Myth: The only way to get an accurate energy bill is through giving regular meter readings.

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Smart meters are another way to get accurate energy bills as they send meter readings automatically. They track your household gas and electricity use in near real time – and show what you’re spending in pounds and pence, too.

Plus, they take away all that hassle of actually having to remember to do it manually every month!

8. Myth: Solar panels only generate electricity on sunny days.

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Solar panels are definitely most effective in bright sunlight, but they're also able to collect energy from diffuse light, even when it's cloudy out.

9. Myth: You can't swap out traditional light-bulb fittings for energy-saving or LED light bulbs.

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It used to be pretty difficult to find energy-saving bulbs that fit into downlighters or spotlight fittings, but there are now a lot more shapes and sizes of LED bulbs available – so it's definitely possible to kit out your entire home with them.

10. Myth: Most heat from your home is lost through the windows.

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When it comes to heat wastage, about 35% of the total loss is through walls, around 25% is through the roof, and only about 10% is lost through windows. So if you can only afford one form of energy-proofing for your home, you're much better off getting your loft and walls insulated over getting double-glazed windows.

11. Myth: Renewable energy is a lot more expensive than nonrenewable energy.

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Renewable energies started off expensive, but like most new technology, the cost has gone down as they've become more commonplace. From 2020, new wind farms are expected to cost less to operate than both coal and natural gas power plants. Also, the average price for a home solar energy system fell 49% between 2009 and 2015 – and solar energy can even lower your utility bills as it allows you to generate your own electricity.

Now that you're a bit more in the know, take control of your energy use with a smart meter that lets you keep track, in pounds and pence, of how much gas and electricity you're using at home.

Every home in Great Britain will be offered a smart meter by their energy supplier by 2020. Go here to find out how to get a smart meter for your home – at no extra cost!