Energy-conscious students can win an iPad, cash for their school
Way to Save, Burlington! the one-of-a-kind local energy-saving initiative is launching a competition among local schools to help get students and their families involved in the effort.
The winning school will get $500 and one lucky student will win an Apple iPad 2 tablet computer. The winning school – from a pool of all Burlington’s public and private schools – will be the one that generates the most energy-saving pledges relative to its student population.
Increasing awareness of the program and educating local residents on energy conservation are the goals of the contest, which begins Monday, Feb. 27.
“We want to encourage kids to go home and become their family’s energy manager, and encourage their parents to sign a pledge,” said Kevin Duffy, the energy ambassador for Way to Save.
Duffy acknowledged that students are effective catalysts in getting their families involved. And, in this instance, with the potential of lower energy bills for each family, the rewards can go beyond greater awareness of energy and the environment.
Working with school officials, Way to Save has provided materials that will assist teachers in preparing lessons about energy conservation and its benefits, Duffy said.
Most of the five main tips touted are no-cost or low-cost measures families can take to decrease energy consumption and, as a result, energy bills for their homes.
The pledge cards – on which parents agree to implement any or all of these steps where practical – will be sent home with students.
The contest runs until March 9.
Way to Save, Burlington! is a pilot program intended to gauge the effectiveness of a concerted energy-saving initiative on a single community. The level of success achieved by the program, which is funded by We Energies, will influence the utility’s decision whether to roll out similar efforts elsewhere.
The program’s goal is to get city residents, businesses and institutions to embrace energy-saving measures by utilizing existing programs offered through the utility and complementary programs such as Focus on Energy.
The top five tips offered to homeowners who pledge to Way to Save are:
• Turn off and unplug electronic devices when not in use. In the average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power electronics and appliances is consumed while the devices are turned off.
• Switch off lights and use natural lighting. Turning lights off and on uses less energy than if they were left on all the time. Open curtains and shades during the day instead of using lighting.
• Turn the thermostat down a few degrees in winter and up a few degrees in summer. Families can save 10 percent or more on winter heating bills when a thermostat is set at 60 degrees while sleeping or gone and 68 degrees when at home.
• Buy energy-efficient lighting and appliances. Families can cut electric bills by as much as $60 per year by replacing standard bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs in their five most frequently used light fixtures.
• Install water-saving devices and an energy-efficient water heater. Installing a low-flow showerhead to save both water and the expense to heat it.
For more information about Way to Save, contact Duffy at (262) 721-7540 or visit waytosaveburlington.com.
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