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IUB Libraries ∙ Indiana Memorial Union ∙ Residence Halls Association ∙ Sustainable Interaction Design Research Group Volunteers in Sustainability ∙ City of Bloomington Utilities ∙ Physical Plant Utilities ∙ Sustainability Task Force ∙ Duke Energy

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Beginner Tips

Energy

Lights

  1. •Open your shades for natural light when you are indoors (particularly in your room).

  2. •Turn off lights when you leave ANY room (e.g. bathroom, the shower, common rooms and classrooms). Even if leaving for a very short time it saves energy to switch it off. It is also NOT true that leaving fluorescent lights on saves energy!

Appliances

  1. •Turn off ALL appliances (e.g. space heaters, stereos, printers) when not in use.

  2. •Unless you are handicapped, do not use automatic handicap doors.

  3. •Clean the dryer filter before and after each use to improve air circulation and drying if you must use the clothes dryer.

Computers

  1. •Activate your computer’s power management options. Set your computer monitor to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity. Screen savers do not save energy, but sleep settings do!

  2. •Turn off computers & monitors when not in use for an hour or more.

  3. •Turn off computer monitors if just going out for a short time.

Heating and Cooling

  1. •Close entrance doors when they are propped open.

  2. •Keep windows and doors closed in heated and air-conditioned areas.

  3. •Use the thermostat rather than the window to control the room temperature. If you have a thermostat and it doesn’t work, let your RA or RD know.

Water

  1. •Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

  2. •Turn off the tap until you need some more.

  3. •Only wash full loads of clothes.

  4. •Take shorter showers.

  5. •Do not use the shower as a sauna or a means of steaming the wrinkles out of your clothes.

  6. •Do not use toilets as a trash can.

  7. •Rinse your razor in a little bit of water (in the tub or sink) rather than running water constantly.

  8. •Wash dishes in the kitchen sinks rather than the bathroom so that the drain can be plugged up so as to avoid running the water more than necessary.

  9. •Check for and report leaks and drips in sinks, showers, and toilets. Report any leaks and drips in sinks, showers, and toilets to your Hall Director or to the Utility Information Group at 855-3740.

Intermediate Tips

Energy

Lights

  1. •Turn off decorative lighting.

  2. •Study with friends to reduce the number of rooms with lights on.

  3. •Study outside, in the library, or other public spaces.

  4. •Replace bulbs with lower-watt bulbs. Compact fluorescent lights use 75% less energy then incandescent lights.

  5. •Don't use halogen lamps. One halogen lamp stand draws more power than the average computer!

Appliances

  1. •Unplug appliances that are not being used or turn off the power strip or surge protector. Most appliances (e.g. TVs, VCRs, cordless phones, microwaves, cell phone chargers) consume energy even when switched off. As much as 10% of energy use for appliances is consumed in these “vampire” energy charges when appliances are off or after it has been fully charged.

  2. •Share a fridge with your roommate or friends and unplug yours.

Computers

  1. •If possible, use ink-jet printers since they consume 95% less energy than laser printers.

  2. •When you can use laptops, since they use 90% less energy than desktop computers.

Heating and Cooling

  1. •During the heating season open blinds to let sun in or, if there isn't any sun, close them to trap the heat in.

  2. •During the cooling season close blinds, drapes and curtains to block sun.

  3. •If you can, turn down your thermostat. For each degree you lower your heat between 60-70 degrees, you save up to 5% on heating costs. Set the thermostat to 55 degrees at night or when away to save 5-20% of heating costs.

  4. •Avoid using personal space heaters, which use a lot of energy.

Water

  1. •Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

  2. •Turn off the tap until you need some more.

  3. •Only wash full loads of clothes.

  4. •Take shorter showers.

  5. •Do not use the shower as a sauna or a means of steaming the wrinkles out of your clothes.

  6. •Do not use toilets as a trash can.

  7. •Rinse your razor in a little bit of water (in the tub or sink) rather than running water constantly.

  8. •Wash dishes in the kitchen sinks rather than the bathroom so that the drain can be plugged up so as to avoid running the water more than necessary.

  9. •Check for and report leaks and drips in sinks, showers, and toilets. Report any leaks and drips in sinks, showers, and toilets to your Hall Director or to the Utility Information Group at 855-3740.

Advanced Tips

Energy

Lights

  1. •Keep the lights off in your room constantly and study or hang out outside during the day, in the hall where the lights must stay on, or in public spaces.

Appliances

  1. •Don’t turn on the TV.

  2. •Share a clock with your roommate.

  3. •Combine laundry loads with friends so that you only do full loads.

  4. •Don’t use a hair dryer, curling iron, or straightening iron. Let your hair be free.

  5. •Air dry your laundry using a drying rack in your room. Use the dorm fridge and unplug those in your room.

Computers

  1. •Laptops use 90% less energy than desktops – if you don’t have access to one, borrow a friend’s.

Heating and Cooling

  1. •Forget the heater – put on a sweater!

Water

  1. •Shower every other day or once a week.

  2. •Turn off the water when soaping up in a shower and run the water only when rinsing.

  3. •Put a container in the shower with you to collect water that would otherwise go down the drain. Use this to water plants in your room.

Reducing Energy and Water Like Never Before

  1. •Forget those energy consuming cell phones, communicate with ESP

  2. •Don’t wash your clothes.

  3. •Don’t shower.

  4. •Don’t ever turn on lights


Adapted from: http://www.unh.edu/etf/challenge.html

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