Energy Saving Top Tips: Student Voice.
Read our top tips, and hear from our resident interview:
“I would say be open to changing habits that you currently have… it’s all about using things in moderation.”
As a student, learning to live independently while balancing a social life and studies can be complicated. From finding time to cook and clean, to budgeting for the first time, sometimes it can feel like a juggling act. One aspect of student life that often gets overlooked is energy consumption. Whether you're living in halls, an apartment with roommates, or a student house, heating usage and electricity consumption can easily feel out of control and influence your environmental impact.
We’ll be exploring practical and effective energy-saving tips specifically for students living in halls, and advice from a resident who changed her heating behaviour with help from Utopi and her site team. By making simple adjustments to your daily habits and adopting a few energy-conscious practices, you can significantly reduce your environmental impact and reduce your consumption, without scrimping on comfort. From optimising the way you heat and cool your room to minimising phantom energy usage, we've got you covered.
Let's dive in and discover how you can become a more responsible and resourceful energy consumer while navigating the student lifestyle.
Tip 1 - Get to know your heating system 🤓
Moving away from home for the first time can be daunting, so much to learn! But learning how to maintain a comfortable home environment will do you wonders. Get to know the heating system in your new room, how to turn it up and down, and get used to regulating your room temperature through the heating controls. It’s good to open your windows regularly to let fresh air in, but knowing how to control your heating is a much easier way to keep your room at a nice comfortable temperature 🌡😁
Tip 2 - Keys, phone, lights 💡
Sounds simple, but it’s super easy to forget! A little post-it note on the inside of your door can help you remember to turn lights and plugs off on the way out to lectures in the morning.
Tip 3 - It starts with you 🧣
Staying warm in winter is essential, but before you bang the heating up to maximum, see if you can warm yourself first. Put on some cosy socks, a warm jumper, and make sure to eat nourishing warming meals in the colder months (we can help with that). A hot water bottle is also a great way to warm your blankets before bed.
Tip 4 - Ask for help 🫂
Last but not least from us, ask your site team for help! They understand moving away can be a lot to take in, and will be happy to help you with your heating, give you some friendly pointers on saving energy, or even just some moral support. That’s what they're there for 😊
Don’t just take it from us!
Next, we’ll hear from a resident who used Utopi data and tips from her site team to help reduce and control her energy usage. Read her story, her top tips for reducing energy consumption, and what she learned from making small changes to her heating behaviour.
“I really don’t like the cold, so I was aware my overuse would be in the winter – from November to January time. I had a few electric heaters off Amazon and had them on all day. So, I approached change in a few ways:
Reducing the use of my electric heaters – this was my main issue. I reduced using them all day to only using for 1 hour after my showers, when I was the coldest.
I then concentrated on using the studio heating, and not plug in electric heaters.
I started using hot water bottles – to heat myself and not the space.”
With the help of her site team, and Utopi’s environmental insights, she was able to understand her impact, and the difference small changes could make!
“I didn’t know what a difference my electric plug-in heaters were making. I didn’t realise how bad they could be for energy usage, and I was just so unaware of how much electricity they used. Now I know, it’s easier to make changes. I’m more aware now thanks to the site teams.”
And some final pointers for incorporating new habits into your daily routine:
“First off, I would say be open to changing habits that you currently have. Try to avoid things that over-use energy like heaters, because they are very easy to overuse and can cause energy waste. I would also say, and it’s an easy one, turn the lights off when you can, don’t use the window to help with temperature control, and try to control how much water (especially hot water) you use too. I also wear warm socks now.
I guess it’s all about using things in moderation. I have my heater on for a very limited time now, no longer than 1 hour at a time, mainly after showers to ensure I don’t get a chill, but I have started using my hot water bottle all the time.”
So, what’s the point?
Creating healthy heating habits is not only good for the environment, but will hugely benefit your wellbeing too. The air quality and comfort levels of your surroundings can greatly impact your focus and productivity, all important for getting those university grades. Optimising your room environment will give you the mental capacity to dive into your new life as a uni student with all cylinders firing 🚀
And they’re not only useful to you now, but will carry you forward into your future as you move out of accommodation into your own place. Looking after yourself doesn’t need to be scary or overwhelming, with Utopi’s top tips and assistance from your site team, you can set yourself up with energy and money saving habits that will last a lifetime, and support your many adventures to come.