Florida PSC Offers Saving Energy 101

Going to college is not just about getting a quality education, it’s about learning to live life on your own and to live within your financial means.  Let us help you begin stretching  your dollar further with the following U.S. Department of Energy energy-saving tips.

If you live in a dorm room or an apartment, here are some actions you can take to help save energy:

• Use a Power Strip.  It’s a myth that keeping your electronics on is better for them.  It’s better to turn your electronics off, when they are not being used.  Plugging everything into a power strip makes this easier by creating a central “turn-off” point.

• Turn off your computer, monitors and printers when you aren’t using them.  Turning off screen savers and using low-power “sleep” modes reduces energy use.

• Turn off your lights when you leave your room.

If you live off-campus in a rental property, consider using energy more efficiently by making some of these easy changes:

• Lower your thermostat when you’re out of your apartment.

• Clean the coils on the back of your fridge where dust builds up.

• Check your sink to make sure it’s not leaking.

• Run full loads of laundry and wash with cold water whenever possible.

“More than 350,000 students will converge on Florida university campuses this month, and we want them to know that Saving Energy 101 is easy once you get started,” said PSC Chairman Ronald A. Brisé.  “Though college is an ideal time to start developing healthy energy-saving habits, you can educate yourself and adopt smart energy-saving choices at any age!”

Brisé added, “It pays to conserve energy.  You might save yourself some extra money for late night pizza deliveries or shopping at the mall!”

“Florida’s reputation as a one-of-a-kind cultural destination is a testament to its diverse, innovative, and resourceful residents,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “The PSC’s energy challenge will help future generations of Floridians enjoy the great state we call home, and we welcome them as a Viva Florida 500 partner.”

Join the PSC’s 2013 Energy Saving Challenge and track your new conservation habits and monthly energy savings.  Look for next month’s PSC challenge and visit our website to find more energy saving tips at http://www.floridapsc.com/consumers/tips.

About Viva Florida 500

Viva Florida 500 is a statewide initiative led by the Florida Department of State, under the leadership of Governor Rick Scott, to highlight the 500 years of historic people, places, and events in present-day Florida since the arrival of Juan Ponce de León to the land he named La Florida in 1513.

In 2013, Florida will mark 500 years of history and diverse cultural heritage – a claim no other state in America can make – and promote the place where the world’s cultures began to unite and transform into the great nation we know today as the United States of America.

For more information on Viva Florida 500, visit the Department of State’s website on Florida’s 500th Anniversary at http://www.vivaflorida.org/.

For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.