Many people are profoundly misinformed about how much energy they use and how much they can save, according to a study published in PNAS on Monday. A sampling of adults showed that most people incorrectly think that actions like turning off lights and unplugging idle cell phone chargers save more energy than using more efficient appliances, like compact fluorescent light bulbs. They also proved to be poor at estimating differences in energy use between various appliances, suggesting that the public needs a significant re-education on energy use.

The energy study had two parts: first, people were asked what was the single most effective thing they could do to conserve energy. Next, they were asked to estimate the energy use of nine household appliances, using a 100-watt light bulb as a reference point, and the amount of energy saved by six household activities, such as line-drying clothes instead of using an electric dryer.

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Most people in the dark about best ways to save energy