Total power reduced by nearly 12 percent

The Centennial residence halls reduced their energy use by 27 percent, winning the annual energy saving competition sponsored by Residence Services.

The Allerton Apartments came in a close second, cutting its energy use by 24.61 percent during the October competition.

The overall reduction among all campus residence halls was nearly 12 percent, compared to nearly seven percent last year.

Although the winners get awarded with a pizza party, the goal of the competition is to inform students that their small efforts can make a big difference, said Jim Zentmeyer, associate director of Residence Services.

Every year, Kent State spends about $7 million on energy bills, Zentmeyer said. These bills cover the costs of gas, water and electricity, which amounts to the bulk of the costs.

“Student behavior can have a very significant impact,” Zentmeyer said. Residence Services estimates that October’s energy bill will be cut by $14,000 to $15,000 because of the competition.

To save energy, Zentmeyer said students should be mindful and more deliberate of their actions.

Some ways to conserve energy include:

&bull Turning off lights when leaving a room.

&bull Making sure systems such as computers and televisions are turned off.

&bull Plugging appliances into power strips instead of wall outlets.

Even when turned off or in stand-alone mode, appliances can still use between 25 to 30 percent of their power, Zentmeyer said. Power strips that have an on/off switch allow students to completely cut off power to whatever is plugged in.

For more information on how to conserve energy, visit the Residence Services Web site at www.res.kent.edu.

Contact room and board reporter Kyle McDonald at [email protected].