Youth Take Energy Pledge Statewide

Many Alaskans simply pay electric bills each month without a second thought as to which appliances are eating up the most electricity. A lesson in energy efficiency and learning how to calculate the cost of electricity for everyday appliances could help lower monthly bills. 

Did you know that in the rural Alaska community of Lime Village, playing a PlayStation 4 for four hours a day could add up to an extra $400 on your electric bill in a year?

This is a lesson that students across the state are learning in October as Alaska Housing and its partners introduce a Power Pledge Challenge to middle schoolers from Kwigillingok to Anchorage and beyond. For Energy Awareness Month, students get a hands-on lesson about how to be an energy star. Students taking the pledge will help parents save money by choosing three different ways to reduce energy consumption in their homes. 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from an earlier edition to correct the cost of electricity to run a PlayStation in Lime Village, Alaska.