If you are going to be away from your office or home for an extended period of time over the holidays, please remember to power down before you leave. This is a great opportunity to reduce your energy consumption and environmental impact.
Students
- Turn off all lights, including in common rooms.
- Defrost and unplug your refrigerator before leaving.
- Turn off and unplug your computer, printer, microwave, lamps, televisions and anything else that is plugged in. Many types of electronic equipment still draw small amounts of electricity even when turned off.
- Set your thermostat to 65 degrees.
- Make sure all faucets are completely turned off and not dripping.
Faculty and Staff
- If permitted in your area, turn off and unplug your computer, monitor, printer, microwaves, lamps, cell phone chargers, televisions, copiers, fax machines, coffee makers, etc. that will not be in use while you are gone.
- Turn off all lights in your office including lights in the break rooms and bathrooms.
- Set thermostats to 65 degrees.
- If you work in a lab, close your fume hood sashes before leaving for the holiday.
- Make sure all faucets are completely turned off and not dripping.
- If you are traveling, consider turning down your home hot water heater.
Check out SustainVU’s Holiday Greening Guide or the ThinkOne website for additional ways you can reduce your energy consumption and green your holidays at Vanderbilt.
For more information about Vanderbilt’s sustainability program, visit SustainVU, become a fan of the SustainVU Facebook page, or contact SEMO at SustainVU@vanderbilt.edu.