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Saving on Utilities and Energy Bills

In searching for inexpensive places to live, college students often live in. . . let’s just say “questionable” housing (drafty, older houses that aren’t that well taken care of) – and worse. They may be perfectly good and safe places to live, but they can be very inefficient from an energy usage or utility bills perspective.

While many of the following suggestions are “green” and will definitely save energy, they will only result in monetary savings for you if/when you live in a place where you pay some or all of the bills – electricity, gas, water, etc. They will also NOT result in (or at least not feel like they result in) additional money in your pocket, per se. They WILL result in less money out of your pocket. It’s important to be aware of the distinction, because if you don’t understand how the savings work, it may be difficult to “feel” like you’re actually saving any money.

If you are interested in implementing some of these suggestions but don’t know how to, ask a parent or friend who’s pretty handy to help you. Most of the ideas are fairly easy to do, and you could learn how to do them from your helper, then do them yourself the next time.

General Suggestions:
  • Take showers instead of baths (as much as possible) – baths often use more hot water (Energy, 2009).
  • Buy aerating or low-flow showerhead and faucet attachments. They use less water in general AND less hot water. Keep the old ones and take yours with you when you leave.
  • Turn up/down the thermostat when you’re not there or are asleep. Don’t pay to keep your house comfortable when there’s nobody there, or you’re asleep under the covers.
  • If you have an apartment or house that has old, traditional-style (incandescent) light bulbs, buy some compact fluorescent bulbs to use instead. CFL’s, as they are called, are much more efficient, and have a much longer life than traditional light bulbs (Weisblat, 2009). Keep the old ones and take yours with you when you leave.
  • If there’s a fireplace, make sure the damper/flue is closed, except when you have a fire. Then make sure to close it when the fire is out.
  • Act like your parents – turn off lights in your apartment in rooms you’re not using, turn down the heat and up the air conditioner, etc.

Housing Suggestions:
  • Check the thermostat on the hot water heater 110 – 120 degrees should be plenty hot (Energy, 2009).
  • Replace furnace filters regularly (the landlord may pay for this, saving even more money) (Energy, 2009). The furnace has to work harder and longer with a dirty filter. This will also help your allergies, as dirty filters simply re-circulate dirty air. If nothing else, take out your filter and bang it on the ground several times outside. Then re-install it.
  • Caulk and weatherstrip windows and doors that have air leaks around them (suggest to your landlord that you’ll install it if they’ll buy it) (Energy, 2009). You’ll be more likely to need to do this the older the house/apartment is. If you don’t know how to do this, ask a friend or parent to show you how.
  • Drapes and other window coverings help keep the inside temperature inside, and the outside temperature outside. Use this knowledge to your advantage.

Laundry Suggestions:
  • Wash all your clothes in cold water.
  • Air dry your clothes whenever possible. Fewer clothes in the dryer take less time to dry and use less energy.
  • Socks and underwear have two sides – use both before washing (just kidding!).

Transportation Suggestions:
  • If there’s any way you can get along without it, leave your car at home as long as you can (Advisor, 2007; CollegeScholarships.org, 2008; GetRichSlowly.org, 2006).
  • Buy and ride a bike (CollegeScholarships.org, 2008; Emmerson, 2009). Be sure to read my suggestion about where to find one in the Personal Belongings, Habits and Activities section, above.
  • When you drive, accelerate slowly and smoothly.
  • Use your cruise control when you’re driving on the highway.
  • Change your car’s air filter as recommended in the owner’s manual. Like your furnace and clothes dryer, dirty filters are very inefficient.
  • If you drive a pickup truck, cover the bed to reduce drag and get better gas mileage. I’ve also seen people leave their tailgate down or take the tailgate off entirely, but those may not be legal in your area and won’t hold anything in your truck bed.
  • A motorcycle or motorized scooter is a much cheaper mode of transportation than a car or truck. For a college student who often needs to make short, local trips, they cost much less than cars (except, like a Harley or something), and are much more fuel efficient.
Appliance Suggestions:
  • Let the dishes air dry when possible (saves time if you don’t have a dishwasher, but energy and money if you do) (Energy, 2009).
  • Wash only full loads in the dishwasher (Energy, 2009).
  • Guys, use cold water when you are shaving, turn it back to warm when rinsing.
  • Laptop computers use less energy than desktops do (Energy, 2009). Choose accordingly.
  • The oversized plug on your cell phone charger and the funny box on your computer’s power cord are a/c adapters and/or transformers, and they draw power continuously when plugged in (Lang, 2002). Unplug them when not in use.

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College Corner

Although it isn't inexpensive, a study abroad experience can be something that sets one student apart from others in the job search process.  Read this article about how students should go about selecting accommodations in London, England for college or study abroad experiences.

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