Almost all the leaves have fallen off the trees and the days of rain have begun, which can only mean one thing: winter is coming. Along with the freezing temperatures of November and December come higher energy bills. Consistently using heaters to combat the colder weather can begin to cost students a lot of money.
That is what UO Score is trying to help students avoid. The program, which stands for Student and Community Outreach for Renter Efficiency@@http://focusthenation.org/states/oregon/f2a@@, works to arm renters with ways to make their homes more energy-efficient.
A similar program was started at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010. University of Oregon senior James Walton@@http://www.uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/James*Walton@@ heard of the program and asked the creator to help him write a grant that would bring it to Eugene. In spring term of last year, Walton was granted money from EWEB’s Partners in Education,@@http://www.eweb.org/education/grants@@ which allows Walton and other energy auditors to visit apartments and houses to educate people about ways to live more efficiently.
“It is a peer-to-peer education program,” Walton said. “We are not the ‘green police,’ we just find ways to do things better.”
Auditors install compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), energy-saving shower heads, and if needed, weather stripping.@@http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weatherstripping@@
“Everything we do can be reversed if someone doesn’t like it,” Energy Auditor and UO senior Dustin Vollstedt said.@@http://www.uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Dustin*Vollstedt@@ “It is a win/win. We are cutting costs for students as well as making apartments more energy efficient.”
He joined the program because he has a general interest in sustainability and said that is the reason many others joined as well.
“I really enjoy the physical challenge of installing things but I really like the educational benefits,” Vollstedt said.
According to Walton, the most significant part of the program is teaching students different behaviors they can practice for the rest of their lives. They focus on working to teach roommates the importance of turning lights and heaters off when they are at school or work.
“We work at getting across communication barriers,” Walton said. “People have been really willing to learn and say they had fun during the visit.”
The group also teamed up with Track Town Pizza so that if more than half the roommates are present for the visit, they will receive a free large pizza.
“This is just an added benefit, especially for students,” Vollstedt said.
Cost saving measures can be especially beneficial when students leave for winter break. It is important to make sure all lights are turned off and windows are closed before people head home. Turning off electronics and unplugging phone and computer chargers will also help to keep over-break costs lower.
Students who wish to avoid the costs of cold winter months can sign up through the Office of Sustainability’s website.