This December, University of Houston faculty and staff will close their office doors and head home to spend time with loved ones. However, while we are all recharging, there may be energy wasted in our campus buildings. Remember to power-down before leaving for the holiday break!

If your office will be vacant, please help UH reduce our energy use with the following sustainable tips:

• Turn off overhead and task lights in offices, hallways, and break rooms. Even if your office has motion-detecting lighting, shut all fixtures down completely to avoid background energy use.

• Close window coverings. When it is cold outside, heat is lost through the windows. A small additional layer such as a curtain or blind offers an extra barrier to maintain the temperature of your building.

• Lower set temperature for thermostats. If a controllable thermostat is available and it is agreeable with your supervisor and/or building coordinator, lower the thermostat to below 65*F to decrease heating demand. For every degree the thermostat is set closer to the outside temperature, there is a potential savings of around 1% of energy use.

• Unplug computers and other electronics from the wall. Even when not in use, electronics pull "phantom" energy from outlets to power lights, displays, background processes, and chargers.

By saving energy, you are helping the University of Houston lower our carbon footprint and overall environmental impact which is greatly appreciated.