Rate hike turns wallets cold
Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: Opinion
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As most students recall, this past winter was miserably cold. Spring is here, and students opening their electric bills have received a bit of a jolt.
As of January 2007, Ameren unfroze the rates it had held over the past decade. According to Macomb City Administrator Michael Hays, the electric bill increased, on average, between $40 and $60 per month. Some residents, including students, have experienced a jump greater than $100 - an amount most students have not worked into their budgets.
But since students will get no special monetary relief, there are things off-campus students can practice to possibly lower the monthly punch to the stomach as well as help the environment.
With spring upon Macomb and the increased frequency of sunny skies, keeping the heat and/or air conditioning on is not a necessity. Turn it off and open windows around the house or apartment to cool rooms down naturally. With the weather constantly in the 60s and 70s, having the room temperature set for 68 to 72 degrees won't be making much of a difference.
Talking to your landlord is another option. He or she can offer more helpful tips for keeping your pockets lined than most students give them credit for. Landlords know (or should know) the property better than anyone else and can inform residents of insulation problems specific to their apartments or housing complexes.
The reality of the situation is that part of college is meant to prepare students for the real world, and paying bills is a part of that.
Now, maybe we can come to appreciate our parents' constant yelling at us to keep the door shut because they weren't paying to heat the whole neighborhood.
As of January 2007, Ameren unfroze the rates it had held over the past decade. According to Macomb City Administrator Michael Hays, the electric bill increased, on average, between $40 and $60 per month. Some residents, including students, have experienced a jump greater than $100 - an amount most students have not worked into their budgets.
But since students will get no special monetary relief, there are things off-campus students can practice to possibly lower the monthly punch to the stomach as well as help the environment.
With spring upon Macomb and the increased frequency of sunny skies, keeping the heat and/or air conditioning on is not a necessity. Turn it off and open windows around the house or apartment to cool rooms down naturally. With the weather constantly in the 60s and 70s, having the room temperature set for 68 to 72 degrees won't be making much of a difference.
Talking to your landlord is another option. He or she can offer more helpful tips for keeping your pockets lined than most students give them credit for. Landlords know (or should know) the property better than anyone else and can inform residents of insulation problems specific to their apartments or housing complexes.
The reality of the situation is that part of college is meant to prepare students for the real world, and paying bills is a part of that.
Now, maybe we can come to appreciate our parents' constant yelling at us to keep the door shut because they weren't paying to heat the whole neighborhood.
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