By Trent Tetzlaff for The Spectator
In addition to rental companies doing their best to work with students to improve energy efficiency, a student run program joined forces with Xcel Energy in the past five years to lend a helping hand.
The SCORE (Student and Community Outreach on Rental Efficiency) program, now in its fifth year of operation in Eau Claire, is run by the Student Office of Sustainability and works to educate student renters about energy conservation while providing them with the materials free of cost to become efficient, SCORE program Eco-Rep Ian Wetzel said.
Wetzel, a senior environmental public health student, has worked for the program for four years. He said the program consists of eight student auditors who educate renters signed up for the program on energy efficiency and it’s importance.
“How it works is students sign up online for free for audits of their homes with two student auditors,” Wetzel said. “They are almost interviewed in a way about energy efficiency, we then tell them how they can save money, and provide them free of charge with materials to get started.”
Wetzel said the materials they provide students with includes low-flow showerheads, low-flow sink aerators, energy efficient light bulbs as well as a packet of plastic window sealants to help keep heat in the home.
Now after five years of being run strictly by the university and in cooperation with Xcel Energy, the SCORE program has now made the change to no longer be run by Eau Claire and will instead be led by Xcel, Wetzel said.
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