The University of Georgia is asking its students and employees to help it save energy by turning off lights, turning up thermostats and shutting down computers during peak energy days this summer, reports Online Athens.
The University buys its electricity from Georgia Power on a time-of-use pricing plan. Most of the time, the university pays 4.5 cents to 5 cents per kilowatt hour, but on hot summer afternoons the price per kilowatt hour can rise to as much as 70 cents, says the news outlet.
Time-of-use pricing helps the school save money, generally. During most months, the University’s power bill is around $1 million, but in July and August it can balloon to $2 million.
Typically, the school sees about 15 to 20 high-demand days each summer. This summer, the National Weather Service’s long-rang forecast predicts even more days in the upper 90s than usual.