College students now have the opportunity to help save energy and cut costs on their own… College students now have the opportunity to help save energy and cut costs on their own electricity bills.

Through a nonprofit program called Energy Star, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, students can change the world before they even step foot out of their dorm rooms by choosing lighting fixtures, computers, stereos, televisions and other products that have earned the Energy Star label.

“Energy Star is about a voluntary partnership between government and the industry, meaning manufactures and utility companies in the area,” said Wendy Reed, Energy Star’s communication manager.

An Energy Star-labeled product ensures that it met the strict energy efficient criteria set by the EPA, in hopes of reducing pollution and helping protect the environment.

“The Energy Star label is a good way for manufacturers to distinguish themselves from other producers in the marketplace,” Reed said.

The EPA wants to make everyone aware that by choosing Energy Star products this does not mean that they are sacrificing quality, style or performance.

When using Energy Star products, the average person can save $130 per year.

“For the products that an average college student would have in their dorm room, it is a ‘why not?’ situation,” said Reed, who has been involved with Energy Star for more than three years and working with the EPA for 10 years. “It’s not going to cost much more, if at all, to purchase an Energy Star product.”

Students living on campus who buy Energy Star products are also helping out the University by conserving energy and helping cut electrical costs.

“Energy Star gives college students choices early on and gives them a chance to change the world before they go out into the world on their own as household owners,” Reed said.

“For most electrical items there are two price tags: The price you buy the product for at the register and the cost you pay to operate the product over time,” Reed said, acknowledging that some Energy Star products, such as refrigerators and televisions, do cost more to begin with, but the Energy Star products save money over time.

For example, an Energy Star refrigerator uses about as much electricity as a 75-watt light bulb, according to Reed.

Along with being environmentally friendly, Energy Star is also time efficient. With Energy Star light bulbs, students would not have to change them as often as they would change a normal light bulb.

“No one is being forced to get involved in this, but it helps out the environment as a whole,” Reed said. “It doesn’t make any sense not to.”

The average household uses $1,300 worth of electricity per year, but with Energy Star people can save up to 40 percent on their electricity, she said.

According to Reed, if every U.S. household replaced their television with an Energy Star television, the nation would save $500 million on its electricity, bills, and it would eliminate the pollution produced by two power plants.

“After seeing the effects of Energy Star, I was really, really impressed,” Reed said. “It’s a dynamic partnership.”

The EPA, through Energy Star, will be working on a campaign called “Change a Light, Change the World” from October to December, promoting college students to change to Energy Star products.

They will be offering discounts on Energy Star products as an added incentive, according to Reed.