Most people are told one of the easiest ways to save money and energy is to turn off any lights you don't need in your home. But one TikToker is working to prove that lightbulbs, specifically LED ones, are the least of your energy-consuming worries in your home and exposing the real culprits jacking up your bills.
The scoop
TikToker For_The_Rest_Of_Us (@for_the_rest_of_us) broke down some energy myths in a recent video, explaining: "You guys are out here turning off LED lights; meanwhile, your dryer's out here committing crimes against the grid."
@for_the_rest_of_us Stop turning off the light when you leave the room. How to save electricity, money, and the environment. Power myths. ##renewableenergy##sparky##funfacts##electriciansoftiktok##science ♬ where is my mind (piano version) - your movie soundtrack
He goes on to explain that turning off LED lights, charging your phone, or leaving your TV on are mere drops in the bucket compared to appliances that produce or use heat, like dryers, ovens, and HVAC units. "Your lint-filled dryer burns up more energy in an hour than leaving an LED light on for almost a month," he says.
Other examples he gives include cooking with an oven for a few hours was roughly equivalent to leaving a TV on for several days and charging your phone every day for a year used the same amount of energy as a load of laundry.
"If you really want to make a difference in the environment and your pocketbook, use less heat, less stove, less space heaters, less dryer," he concludes.
How it's working
While it's always a good idea to turn off (or in some cases unplug) certain electronics, as the TikToker pointed out, the savings are minuscule compared to large, heat-producing appliances. According to the Department of Energy, LED light bulbs use up to 90% less energy and last 25 times as long as traditional incandescent bulbs.
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Meanwhile, Inspire Clean Energy backs one of his facts, pointing out that running the average dryer for two hours uses about the same number of kilowatt-hours as a week's worth of watching TV.
Cutting down on energy consumption is definitely helpful in reducing the amount of pollution from your home. Upgrading to efficient appliances also helps cut down on the amount of energy used to do things like run a dryer. For example, a heat pump dryer can reduce energy use by up to 28% compared to conventional dryers, per Energy Star.
If you want to make changes to your home's energy use, check out The Cool Down's Guide to making your house a smart house.
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What people are saying
People in the comments loved the TikToker's information, finding it informative and reassuring about the impact they can make.
"I did the math on LED bulbs a couple years ago. I'll pay the ~$10 a year to leave one light on almost 24/7 to not stumble around in the dark," one person wrote.
Another pointed out that while the tips are helpful, "none of that compares to corporations." The TikToker agreed, adding: "You're right. Or private jets."
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