Members of the campus community can prevent their energy bills from reaching triple digits this summer by investing in a few methods to conserve energy, a University expert said.
Professor Claudette Reichel, an AgCenter extension housing specialist, said people in Louisiana usually spend more money on energy during the summer because air conditioners and other cooling devices rank the highest in energy consumption.
Though heating devices come in a close second, Reichel said Louisiana’s climate causes most people to choose between a cool lifestyle and a high energy bill.
“There are three main things people can do other than changing their lifestyle practices,” she said.
Even students who rent apartments or houses who can’t make structural changes to their home can do things to significantly lower energy consumption, Reichel said.
Her first suggestion is to look for ways air may be escaping from the building. Air leaks or cracks in windows and doors should be sealed.
“Air leakage is where most of the energy losses happen,” Reichel said.
Secondly, people should do whatever they can to reduce solar heat entering through windows.
Reichel said replacing window bug screens with solar screens is an inexpensive way to reduce the amount of sunlight entering an apartment or house.
Last, those who alter the energy patterns of devices consuming the most energy in their homes significantly will reduce their energy bills.
Reichel again stressed the biggest user of energy is a device that cools.
According to Entergy’s Web site, the average homeowner spends about 55 cents of their energy dollar trying to air condition their home as compared to about 8 cents for lighting and only 4 cents for washing dishes or clothes.
Adjusting air conditioner thermostats during the day when in class or at work will make a big difference, Reichel said.
“For every degree that you adjust your thermostat, it greatly reduces your consumption,” she said.
Home owners also can cool their homes more efficiently by using ceiling fans in combination with air conditioning and cleaning and changing filters each month.
“When filters get clogged up it makes your AC work harder,” Reichel said.
And though Louisiana does not charge residents more for energy used during peak hours, anything generating heat will warm the house and strain the air conditioner, she said.
Following cooling, heating devices consume the second highest amount of energy. Hot water heaters rank third, consuming about 20 cents of every energy dollar, Entergy’s Web site states.
Reichel said people who take the simple steps to reduce energy use in these areas also will save money.
Maggie Pellerin, an education junior, chose to give up some of her comfort for a cheaper bill this month. She paid about $114 last month for electricity in her apartment.
To lower costs, Pellerin followed some of Reichel’s suggestions and installed ceiling fans in her apartment and raised her thermostat to 78 degrees.
“It’s hot outside and it doesn’t feel too good when you’re going in,” Pellerin said. “But once you cool off, it’s not so bad.”
Pellerin hasn’t gotten her bill since making the changes, but said her parents saved a lot of money after making similar changes.
Math senior Brian Hilbun, whose energy bills usually are 10 to 15 percent higher during the summer months, agrees.
Hilbun said he recently set his thermostat to 80 degrees to lower his bills. “I couldn’t tell you exactly by how much, but it definitely lowered it,” Hilbun said.