Student energy-saving tips and tricks for a more sustainable future

Sometimes it can be difficult to stay optimistic about the future of our planet with so much doom and gloom in the news, especially when you're a young person navigating university life and choices about your own career and future.

At Student Roost, we've always been guided by doing the right thing by our students and that includes future generations of students, as well as current residents living in our student accommodation.

With climate change and various economic crises continuing to have an increasing impact on all of our daily lives, there's so much more we can all be doing to minimise the cost; and when we say 'cost', we don't mean your energy bills (they're included in your rent already) but instead the cost to our planet and a tomorrow we can all look forward to sharing.

Working together for a more sustainable future

Press play on the video below, in which we set out our mission to work together to make changes (small and not-so-small) that will make a huge difference in the long term.

Crucially, this is a collaboration. Your help will go a long way in defining the future we want for you and students just like you, and as the generation who are perhaps most impacted by the way things have (or haven't) been done in the past then your input is key. We want to hear from you.

Sustainability 101: energy-saving hacks

We will continue to explore all the ways we can join together with residents to make a difference, but in the short-term we thought it'd be a good idea to share some quick-win tips.

Although your utility bills are covered by your rent, which means you don't have to worry about studying by candlelight (well, fairylights!) or not being able to heat your room when you live in our student accommodation, wasting energy and water is simply not a good look: it's bad for the planet and avoidable.

Here are just a few things you can do that all add up:

• Turn off lights when you (or your flatmates) aren't occupying a room. Simply flick the switch: done!
• Remove chargers from the power supply when an item is fully charged or disconnected from the charger.
• Do you ever leave TVs, games consoles and other electrical equipment on standby? If they're not in use, switch them off at the mains instead.
• Only boil the water you and your flatmates need, e.g. if you're making a cuppa for you and one friend, don't fill the kettle.
• It's easy to forget you're not headlining Glastonbury when you're washing your hair in the shower, but try to keep your setlist short. Why not take the 3-minute shower challenge?!
• Cooking for you or your friends? Using all three shelves in the oven is great for meal prep and means fewer uses throughout the week. And don't forget microwaves use less energy if you can pop your food in there instead!
• Keep saucepan lids on to cook your food more quickly.
• In colder months, keep doors and blinds closed to prevent heat escaping.

Let's make a difference. Together.

When we talk about working together to be more sustainable, we mean it: we want to hear what you think, so we can come up with solutions that work for us all.

Get in touch with us through the website or our social channels, or if you're a current resident then simply drop us an email to our dedicated inbox: [email protected].

Do you have an idea on how we can be more sustainable and energy efficient together? Get in touch: we can't wait to hear from you!