WSU Offers Discount on Smart Thermostats, Free LED Light Bulbs
Weber State University’s Empower Northern Utah program is helping Weber and Davis County residents to be more energy efficient by offering steep discounts on the Nest Thermostat E while also providing free LED light bulbs in exchange for old inefficient bulbs.
The sustainability team at WSU, in a partnership with Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR), the Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation, Futures Through Training HEAT Program and others, is able to offer the Nest Thermostat E for under $60, a savings of approximately $110, and to provide thousands of new LED light bulbs for exchange.
Pre-registration is required for both the smart thermostats and LED light bulbs. Registration opens Sept. 16 at noon at weber.edu/empower. The program is offering 3,000 LED bulbs split between two exchange events, Sept. 23 and Sept. 26, at the Weber County Library Main Branch (2464 Jefferson Ave.) The program is also offering 200 Nest E smart thermostats, which successful registrants will be able to pick up Oct. 3 at the WSU Ogden campus.
Empower Northern Utah is Weber State’s community engagement effort to help residents take action to reduce pollution and save energy and money on a community-wide scale, making clear the connection between environmental issues and their social implications.
“Residential energy efficiency not only saves money but helps clean Utah’s air by reducing emissions that come from the combustion of natural gas for heating and coal-fired electricity production,” said Bonnie Christiansen, WSU academic sustainability coordinator. “Reducing energy waste helps Utahns be better stewards of our climate and can speed our transition to renewable energy.”
For the last five years, Weber State Sustainability has offered sustainability-focused community programs such as the Susie Hulet Community Solar program and the 2019 Empower Northern Utah Light Bulb Exchange, which served nearly 500 community households.
Unlike conventional thermostats, smart thermostats such as the Nest Thermostat E make it easy to save energy on heating and cooling costs. Using a Nest Thermostat E has been shown to cut heating bills by 10%-12% and cooling bills up to 15%. This translates to an average utility bill savings of $131-$145 per year. Additionally, LED light bulbs are over 85% more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and typically 47% more efficient than compact fluorescent light bulbs.
The smart thermostat discount is made possible through grants from the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) and the Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation. UCAIR is a statewide clean air partnership created to help individuals, businesses and communities make small changes to improve Utah’s air. Now in its 49th year, the Dee Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to furthering the growth and well-being of the people of northern Utah.
For more information about the Empower Northern Utah program, important dates and how to register, visit weber.edu/empower.
For more news about Weber State University, visit weber.edu/wsutoday.
Chase Wilson, community program coordinator
801-626-6310 • wilsonchase@weber.edu- Contact:
Bonnie Christiansen, academic sustainability coordinator
801-626-6326 • bchristiansen2@weber.edu