Watt Watch Energy Challenge

The 2023 Watt Watch Energy Challenge kicked off last Monday, January 30 and will run through Sunday, February 26. This challenge encourages students in ECU Residence halls to decrease their energy consumption by making small habits such as turning the thermostat to 68 degrees, unplugging or turning off electronics not in use, and avoiding doing intensive energy activities such as laundry during peak hours from 4-8pm. Each Friday of the competition, comparisons by individual residence halls, by neighborhood, and total energy decrease will be posted on LCD screens throughout campus. The residence hall with the highest percent of overall energy reduction will not only be curbing CO2 emissions, they will also win a pizza party and trophy!

Other colleges and universities all over the country, such as University of Hawai’i, University of Pennsylvania, and Oberlin College have done similar challenges to help curb energy consumption. A meta study of university dorm competitions found a 9% median reduction of energy. Although awareness of the challenge, team competition, and incentives helped increase success, ultimately students making a commitment to changing small habits with everyday reminders created significant change with lasting effects (Brewer).

Week 1 Comparisons:

Although turning off lights when not in use is a great habit, thanks to most overhead lights in the residence halls being LED, they don’t use up a lot of energy! What will be impactful this month is keeping the thermostat set to 68 degrees, keeping windows closed, air conditioning off if the heat is on, and unplugging energy intensive electronics such as cell phone chargers, coffee pots, TV’s, and gaming systems when not in use. Even setting your computer monitor to sleep after 10 minutes can reduce wasted energy! If you’re someone who has a regular routine, Smart Power Strips might be a nice upgrade since they turn off the power strip when not in use and can be controlled by your phone. (Pro tip – the Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip is only 26.99 on Amazon and should pay for itself in one school year.)

Other ways to save energy and help your dorm win the competition include:

• Flip the Switch:  Always turn off lights when leaving a room. Use natural or task lighting when possible.
• Pull the Plug:  TV’s, game consoles, printers, and coffee makers use electricity even when turned off. Unplug these electronic devices/appliances when not in use and before leaving for vacation or buy a “smart” power strip for automatic turning off.
• Computer Catnap:  Hibernate or “sleep” your computer instead of using screensavers, which use just as much energy as regular operation.  Shut down your computer before you shut your eyes for the night.
• Keep it Airtight:  Windows and exterior doors should be shut while air conditioning or heating is on.  The outside temperature makes the heater or air conditioner work harder and waste energy.
• Leaner Laundry:  Residence Hall washers and dryers are already highly efficient, but you can help save even more energy by washing clothes in cold water and only washing full loads.

Here are the current leaderboard results from Week 1:

• College Hill Suites:  5.51% reduction
• Clement Hall:  5.27% reduction
• Garrett Hall:  3.37% reduction
• Jones Hall: 1.17% reduction
• White Hall:  1.09% reduction
• Umstead Hall:  0.06% reduction
• Greene Hall:  0.49% increase
• Tyler Hall: 0.58% increase
• Scott Hall:  2.58% increase
• Ballard East and West:  3.07% increase
• Fletcher Hall:  3.15% increase
• Legacy Hall:  4.42% increase