Clean Energy In the News

Since the '90s, the cost of natural gas has doubled — meaning students are paying more for their heating bills.

But a new Environment Michigan report released Oct. 26 gives tips on what students can do to save on their heating and electric bills.

Environment Michigan is a statewide citizen-based environmental advocacy group.

Each degree turned down on a thermostat saves about 2 percent on a person's utility bill, said Consumer Energy spokesman Terry DeDoes, adding that a monthly heating bill this winter likely will be about $160.

Even installing storm windows, instead of single-paned windows, could cut a heating bill almost in half, said David Pettit, a public interest associate for Public Interest Research Group In Michigan, an Ann Arbor-based nonpartisan organization for public issues.

Other ways to cut back on bills is to watch out for "energy vampires" — or appliances such as computers, televisions and DVD players that use electricity even when they're turned off, Environment Michigan spokesman Daniel Leland said.

"That's one of the sneakiest ways we lose energy," he said. "They're just sucking energy while they're just sitting there."

Unused appliances make up 5 to 26 percent of a home's annual electricity usage, according to the Environment Michigan report.

To slay those energy vampires, Leland suggested plugging appliances into a power strip, so it's easier to turn them off.

Pettit also recommended switching from incandescent lightbulbs to the more energy-efficient fluorescent lighting.

"For every one you install, you save $30 to $45," he said.

The university has tapped into energy-efficient money-savers, such as replacing 40-watt lightbulbs with 32-watt lightbulbs on campus, said Lynda Boomer, MSU's energy and environmental engineer.

The energy saved from the switch would power 188 average homes for a year, Boomer said. She added that all buildings had the new lights by 2005.

A sample of 11 buildings — which include Berkey and Bessey halls — showed that the university saved about $120,000, Boomer said. Those buildings represent only about 10 percent of the campus facilities with the new lights.

While energy conservation can save money, it also helps protect the environment, whether it starts on an individual level or larger-scale, like at the university.

"We need to do everything," said Terry Link, director of MSU's Office of Campus Sustainability. "There is no one silver bullet."