Even though winter has yet to hit Madison, students know that when it does, they are going to pay for it'literally. The cold weather means turning up the heat and in turn, higher utility bills.
Yet, many students may not know there are some simple ways to keep their bills down, and even conserve energy in the process.
Madison Gas and Electric marketing representative Jonathan Beers said one way to do this is by carefully monitoring the thermostat, including turning it down when sleeping or out of the house. But he warned to never turn it below 55 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid freezing pipes.
In addition, according to the MG&E Web site, a household saves about 1 percent on its bill for every 1 degree temperature decrease every eight hours.
It is especially important in the winter to block all air leaks in the windows, according to Rozanne Weissman, a spokesperson for the Alliance to Save Energy. She suggested installing sheets of plastic that insulate the windows.
Energy Conservation: Watt, Why and How |
""If you've got inadequate insulation, you're heating the outdoors,"" she said.
Many appliances use electricity even when they are not on, so students are essentially paying for something not being used, according to Weissman. The clocks on microwaves and VCRs, for example, use electricity continuously, as do other appliances such as TVs and stereos.
""This type of stuff is roughly $30 per year in off-mode,"" she said.
Another popular energy-sucking product among students is the computer. Weissman said having screen savers does not actually save any energy. So students planning to leave their computer on for an extended period without using it should put it in power-save mode instead.
But not all the appliances that use energy can be easily turned off. Associate engineering Professor Douglas Riendl said refrigerators are another large domestic energy user. One energy-saving option'not always germane to students' is keeping the refrigerator full, because the emptier it is the more often it cycles on and off.
Another solution for improving the efficiency of refrigerators and other household appliances is to purchase products with the ""Energy Star."" Energy Star, run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a label on products approved by the EPA as being significantly more energy efficient than other appliances.
Energy Star press officer David Ryan said products approved are sensible purchases for several reasons.
""People can save money, save energy and reduce air pollution emissions,"" he said.
Although students may be motivated to make some changes to improve their homes' energy efficiency, Weissman noted that they also often do not want to make any permanent changes because their residences are rented.
""It's part of the dilemma of being a renter and living in student housing,"" she said.
Another part of the problem, said Riendl, is that students who live in housing, where they do not control the thermostat, may be more likely to not care whether they are saving energy.
""When you don't pay for something it's pretty easy to waste it,"" he said.
Weissman said students who may not be saving money by conserving energy could be doing the environment a greater service by making these changes, because the energy most likely comes from fuel being burned somewhere.
""People don't think in terms of electricity being polluting,"" she said. ""But some power plant somewhere is operating this.""
