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Energy Conservation

Conserving energy not only helps reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change, it also saves money and helps protect our soil, water supplies, and air quality. Taking simple steps to conserve energy will lead to a higher quality of life for everyone on the planet.

On Campus
At Home

On Campus

Quick Tips

• Turn off the computer if you're not going to be using it in the next 20 minutes
• Use natural light whenever possible.
• Use a desk lamp instead of your overhead lights when you need extra lighting
• Power off the monitor instead of using screen savers (contact IT support if you need help changing power saving settings for your monitor or CPU)
• Turn off everything when you leave the room (unplug cell chargers and stereos too!)
• When the sun in shining through the windows, close the blinds if it's hot outside or open them when it's cold
• Check Energy Conservation at KU for more tips on reducing your impact on campus.

More Resources

Look what other colleges are doing to reduce their impact.

Learn from our neighbors at The University of Ohio and The University of Colorado. Both have some good tips that can add up to serious savings and help reduce energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions that increase global climate change.

At Home

Quick Tips

• Use compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs instead of incandescent
• Plug electronics into a power strip and flip the swtich to "off" when not in use
• Unplug phone and battery chargers when not in use
• Take a quick shower instead of a bath to reduce the amount of energy used to heat the water
• Run your dishwasher only when it is full and open it after the last rinse cycle to let the dishes air dry
• Wash your clothes in cold water in a front-loading washer and hang them up on a line to dry
• Buy Energy Star when replacing old or worn-out appliances
• Check out Over 70 Conservation Tips for the Home

More Resources

Explore your home or apartment to find energy saving opportunities.

The US Department of Energy has also put together some consumer tips on how to be more energy efficient and a list of resources that also provides a wide range of energy saving techniques.

"Phantom loads" or "energy vampires" like cell phone chargers or toaster ovens suck energy even when they are turned off! Learn more about Phantom Loads and how you can reduce your energy consumption.

The average American lifestyle consumes significant amounts of energy and resources. An "ecological footprint" is the land & water area required to support one person or a population and their material standard indefinitely. Curious about your ecological footprint? Get an estimate here.

Fossil fuel based energy prices will continue to rise, so learning to reduce your energy consumption can save money and resources. Heating and cooling account for 56% of the energy use in a typical American home. Fossil fuel based energy is one of the main culprits contributing to the greenhouse gases, especially carbon, that exacerbates global climate change. Find out more about carbon and its affects on our atmosphere through the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.

There are laundry detergents specifically formulated to get clothes just as clean in cold water as in hot. This switch saves energy and about $63.00/year.

The Kansas Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP) provides interest free loans to qualified Kansas homeowners to make improvements to their homes to increase energy efficiency. The interest free rate on KHRC funds translates into a lower blended rate than obtained through a normal second mortgage loan. KHRC funds half of the loaned amount, up to a maximum of $10,000. To find out details about the program and if you qualify go to KHRC.

Purchase Energy Star products. Energy Star is a brand name developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to denote energy efficient products. According to the EPA, by choosing products labeled with the ENERGY STAR logo, the average household can save up to $400 on annual utility bills. For example:

• A washer with the Energy Star label uses about half the energy that a 10-year-old model consumes, saving up to $120 a year on combined water and energy bills. Energy Star washers, available in both top- and front-loading models, use much less water - 18 to 25 gallons per load, compared to 40 gallons per load for other washers.


• Energy Star reated CFL bulbs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. The Department of Energy says that if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star CFL bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars!

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