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Control College Housing Costs By Reducing Energy Usage

Everyone knows all too well just how expensive college can be. Whether you are staying on campus or off, reducing the amount of electricity that you use will help manage the costs over the years. If every student staying on campus neglected to conserve energy, the costs of tuition and housing could increase because the college would have to cover the cost of electricity.

Here, you will learn how to reduce energy in your college housing and the cost of energy in your off-campus home:

Off-Campus Living

When looking for off-campus housing be sure to inquire about what utilities you will be responsible for paying. Some off-campus rental units include the cost of utilities, but if the one you are considering does not, you should request to see a usage chart for the previous year.

To lower the cost of the utilities in your off-campus unit, there are a few actions to remember. These actions include:

  • Look for newer appliances that are Energy Star compliant when searching for a unit.
  • Adjust the thermostat when you are not home.
  • Shorten your shower times.
  • Do not block heating vents with furniture.
  • Run full loads of laundry in cold water.
  • Circulate the air by using fans or ceiling fans.

On-Campus Living

Living in the dorms could save you quite a bit of money because you will not be responsible for utility payments, but the cost of dorm life could quickly increase if energy costs for the school were to increase. In your dorm, you can do a few things to cut energy costs for the school. These tips can also be used to reduce energy costs in off-campus homes, as well.

To lower energy use in your dorm room:

  • Plug your electronics into power strips. This makes it easy for you to power down any electrical devices when you leave the room.
  • Upgrade the light bulbs with LED bulbs. LED bulbs costs have come down drastically and will save you the cost of replacing bulb after bulb during the school year. These bulbs also provide a cleaner light for you to work by.
  • Unplug electronic chargers when they are not in use. Many people make the mistake of leaving the charger plugged in when the phone or device is not being charged. This causes what is known as "Vampire Draining" of electrical currents.

Think about the energy that you use each day that you are in your on- or off-campus housing unit. Cutting the energy use could help balance the cost of college for you and many other students in years to come at your WSU housing.


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