Consult your department administrator (employees) or Residential Life advisor (students) to find out if there are area-specific guidelines you need to follow before you leave for your break.
Holiday Energy Saving Checklist
When you’re taking a break from work or school, have your workspace, dorm, or home office take a break too. If left on or plugged in, appliances, devices, lights, and the thermostat all consume energy, regardless of whether they are actively in use. In fact, electricity is one of the most wasted resources within offices due to the number of appliances that are dependent on electrical power to function.
Take a few simple steps to help reduce energy usage when your workspace is unoccupied.
Is your space ready for the holiday?
Download the Holiday Energy Saving Checklist as a one-page document to save or print.
Holiday Energy Saving Checklist
☐ Unplug all kitchen/break room appliances, such as microwaves, coffee makers, kettles, etc.
☐ Turn off faucets tightly.
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- Report any leaks to the Facilities Customer Service Center at 585-273-4567.
☐ Remove all perishables from the fridge and increase the temperature to the maximum setting possible, or if empty, unplug your fridge.
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- Higher temperatures tend to require less energy to sustain.
- If unplugging your fridge, thoroughly clean it out and leave the door open to prevent mold from growing.
☐ Unplug all office appliances and devices including lamps, televisions, computers, printers, chargers, space heaters, photocopiers, scanners, etc.
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- Even when electronic devices are not being used, they still consume energy when plugged in, a concept called a “phantom load.” If all of the devices are plugged into a single power strip, simply flip the switch to Off.
☐ Follow protocols to power down or turn on the energy-saving mode of applicable lab equipment.
☐ Lower your thermostat to 60 degrees in the winter or raise it to 85 degrees in the summer. This will prevent unnecessary heating/cooling while you are away.
- If you need assistance or have questions, call the Facilities Customer Service Center at 585-273-4567.
- Turning the heat completely off while away could result in the consumption of more energy when having to turn it back on. Additionally, this could cause damage to the building and result in frozen pipes.
☐ If you are an off-campus student, discuss with your landlord what their minimum and maximum allowance for the thermostat is.
☐ Close your windows and blinds to keep heat from escaping your room and building.
☐ For on-campus students, follow University guidelines about the height of your blinds when vacating your dorm.
☐ Close all doors to contain conditioned air.
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- Open spaces let cool air escape and hot air enter, forcing the unit to work harder and use more electricity. Keeping doors closed facilitates even air distribution and stable room temperature, using less energy.
☐ Turn off all your lights before leaving!