Myth #1: Turning lights on and off can use more energy than simply leaving them on. The Truth: Both incandescent lights and fluorescent lights should be turned off whenever they are not in use. Incandescent lights are an obvious case. Due to their inefficiency, turning off these lights is always the best way to conserve energy. Fluorescent bulbs do require a little more energy to get started when they are turned on. However, this is still quite small compared to the energy they emit when lit. In fact, unless a fluorescent bulb is turned on and off within 5 seconds, it is still worthwhile to turn off the lights when they are not in use.

Myth #2: You can save energy by washing your dishes by hand instead of using a dish-washing machine The Truth: Washing dishes by hand uses more hot water than washing dishes using a machine. You can save even more energy by not pre-rinsing your dishes at the sink. This practice does not make your dishes any cleaner and wastes both water and energy.

Myth #3: Turning off appliances when they are not in use is the best way to conserve energy Fact: Many appliances continue to draw power even when they are turned off. This “vampire energy” can be a major source of energy consumption. In fact, vampire energy costs U.S. consumers up to $3 billion per year. Among the worst offenders are plasma televisions, video game consoles, and computers.

Myth #4: Blackle, Google’s custom search engine, genereates significant energy savings by displaying Google with a black background Fact: Blackle clearly saves energy for those using Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors. However, the savings are less clear for LCD monitors, and in some cases may even use more energy than the original Google. Typically, LCD monitors larger than 24 inches use slightly less power with Blackle. However, LCD monitors smaller than 22 inches actually use more energy on average with Blackle.

Myth #5: You can save energy by lighting a room by candlelight and turning off the electric lights Fact: This myth was widely circulated during Earth Hour this past March. In fact, candles also emit carbon dioxide. So whether your candles are more eco-friendly than your light bulbs depends on what type of bulb you’re using and the mix of energy sources used by your utility. In general, candles are always more efficient than incandescent bulbs. But if you use compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, it depends on what part of the country you live in. Roughly speaking, if you live in the Midwest, the Great Plains states or in Texas, switching to candles is a good way to go green. But if you live on the coasts, you may be doing more harm than good next Earth Hour if you eat by candlelight.